China
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of the current rules for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in China set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Chinese Embassy in the UK.
Immigration authorities may collect biometric data, including scanned fingerprints and photos, to register your entry into China.
Medical screening on arrival or during your time in China
You may need to pass through medical screening on entry into China. This may be body temperature scanning, or more rarely testing such as throat or nasal swabs or medical examinations. Recent changes to China’s ‘Frontier Health and Quarantine Laws’ means you may be refused entry into China if you do not comply with the screening measures.
Passport validity requirements
To enter China, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and 2 blank pages for visas and stamping.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
If you renew your passport while you are in China, contact your local exit and entry office or call the national immigration service hotline on 12367, before or immediately upon receipt.
Visa requirements
You must have a visa to visit mainland China.
You can visit Hainan without a visa if you fly directly from an approved country or transit point. Check the Hainan Authorities website for more information.
Visa-free transit through China is permitted depending on location. See China Visa Application Centre or National Immigration Administration website for more information.
Visa requirements for Hong Kong and Macao are different.
Applying for a visa
If you’re 14 to 70 years old, you must apply for a visa online and then go in person to a visa for China application centre. Officials will take a scan of your fingerprints as part of your application. There are visa application centres in London, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh. If you’re aged 13 or under, or 71 or over, you do not have to attend in person.
The Chinese Embassy has further information on visa categories and how to apply.
If you visit Hong Kong from mainland China and want to return to the mainland, you need a visa that allows you to make a second entry into China.
Check your visa details carefully and do not overstay your visa. The authorities carry out regular checks and may fine, detain and deport you.
If you want to stay in China longer than 6 months, you may need to get a residence permit.
Teaching visas
Teachers have been detained and deported for working on the wrong visa. It is your responsibility to check you’re working on the correct visa.
Dual Chinese-British nationality
China does not recognise dual nationality. If you were born in China to a Chinese national parent, you will be:
- considered by the Chinese authorities to have Chinese nationality
- treated as a Chinese citizen, even if you used a British passport to enter China
If you enter China on a Chinese passport or identity card, the British Embassy will not be able to offer you help. If you have formally renounced Chinese citizenship, you should carry clear evidence that you have done so. See guidance on nationality in China.
Working in China
You can only work in China if you have a work visa (Z visa). Tourist and business visas do not allow you to work. You must also hold a valid work permit. The local police regularly carry out checks on companies and schools. If you do not follow Chinese immigration laws, there can be serious penalties, including:
- imprisonment
- fines
- deportation
- an exit ban, which stops you from leaving China
- an exclusion order, which stops you from returning
Before you leave the UK, contact the Chinese Embassy in the UK to check Z visa requirements. When submitting your application, and when you receive your work permit, check the details are correct, including the location you’ll be working in. If the details are incorrect – even if your employer or others submitted the application on your behalf – the authorities can detain you, fine you or deport you.
If you are going to change employer once you’re in China, or change location in China with an existing employer, check with the Chinese authorities whether you need a new visa and work permit before doing so.
Vaccine requirements
To enter China, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s China guide.
Registering with the authorities
You must register your place of residence with the local Public Security Bureau within 24 hours of arrival. Chinese authorities enforce this rule with regular spot-checks of foreign nationals’ documentation. If you’re staying in a hotel, they will register you when you check in.
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of China. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.