Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your nationality. China has extended visa-free access to citizens of a growing list of countries — currently over 50, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand, among others — for stays of up to 15 or 30 days. British and US passport holders still require a visa for most purposes. Visa-free access rules change; confirm current eligibility with the Chinese embassy in your country before booking. Our visa page lists the most recent policy by nationality.

The 240-hour (10-day) transit without visa policy allows nationals of eligible countries to enter China through designated port combinations — typically an international arrival followed by an international departure to a third country — and move freely within a specified region during the transit window. As of May 2026, the policy covers a large number of port combinations including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Kunming and others. You must hold an onward ticket to a third country (not your country of origin), and you must remain within the authorised area. Confirm eligibility and port combinations with the consulate before travel; the rules are detailed and the list of ports changes.

Beijing: April–May (spring, blossom, mild temperatures) and September–October (autumn, clear skies, the Great Wall without summer heat) are generally the most comfortable periods. July and August are hot and humid; January and February are cold and dry.

Shanghai: April–May and October–November. Summer (June–August) is hot and humid; spring can be rainy.

Yunnan: November–April for most of the province (dry season, clear skies). Lijiang and Dali are pleasant year-round. The rainy season (May–October) makes highland trekking muddy but keeps prices low and crowds thin.

Mobile payments — WeChat Pay and Alipay — are the dominant payment method in China for almost everything: street food, taxis, supermarkets, tourist attractions. Both apps now support international bank cards linked via their international versions, which means many visitors can use them without a Chinese bank account. However, foreign card acceptance via the apps is not universal, and some smaller vendors and rural markets are cash-only. Carrying a modest amount of CNY cash (¥500–¥1,000) remains sensible as a backup. See our mobile payments page for setup instructions.

No. Google Maps is blocked by the Great Firewall. Alternatives that work without a VPN include Baidu Maps (Chinese interface; English search available to a limited extent), Amap (Gaode Maps, which has an English-language app), and Apple Maps (which uses local data in China and functions normally). For transit routing in English, the Explore app and several third-party transit apps also work. If you plan to use a VPN, note that VPN reliability in China is variable and you should set yours up before arrival.

Visa and Mastercard are accepted at international hotels, upmarket restaurants, some department stores, and larger tourist-facing businesses. They are not accepted at the majority of everyday vendors. UnionPay cards work almost everywhere. The most practical approach for most visitors is to withdraw CNY cash at an ATM (HSBC, Citibank, ICBC and Bank of China ATMs in major cities reliably accept foreign cards) and to set up Alipay or WeChat Pay international mode on your phone. American Express acceptance is limited.

Many services used routinely in Western countries are blocked in China: Google (Search, Maps, Gmail, Drive), Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X (Twitter), YouTube, and others. A VPN restores access to these services. Legally, only VPNs approved by the Chinese government are permitted; unapproved VPNs are technically illegal for use by Chinese citizens. Foreign visitors are in a grey area in practice — enforcement against tourists using personal VPNs for everyday communication is rare — but we cannot offer legal advice on this. Set up any VPN before you arrive; the VPN provider websites themselves are often blocked within China. See our internet and VPN page.

Foreign nationals working in China require a Work Permit and a Residence Permit. The employer initiates the work permit application; you cannot apply independently. Permits are classified into tiers (A, B, C) based on qualifications, salary and the employer's needs, with Tier A applicants (high-skilled, senior roles) receiving priority processing. Teaching English typically falls in Tier B or C. The full process takes four to eight weeks. See our work permits page for the step-by-step process.

Visa-running — crossing into Hong Kong, Macau or a neighbouring country and re-entering on a new tourist entry — was a common workaround for years but has become significantly less reliable. Immigration officers have discretion to refuse re-entry if they believe you are living in China on tourist visas rather than holding a legitimate residency status. For anyone planning to live and work in China, a proper work visa and residence permit is the correct and legally secure route.

International schools, bilingual private schools, and local public schools are all options, depending on your visa status and location. International schools — offering British, American, IB or other curricula — exist in all major cities and are accessible to expat children on dependent visas. Local public schools are an option for children of long-term residents and offer full immersion but require Mandarin proficiency. Fees at international schools range widely; budget schools start around ¥100,000–¥150,000 per year; selective schools can exceed ¥300,000. See our schools page.

China has public hospitals and a growing network of private and international hospitals. Public hospitals are affordable but can have long waits and are conducted primarily in Mandarin. International hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou offer English- speaking staff and Western standards but charge significantly more. Most expats hold international health insurance that covers both public hospital emergencies and international hospital care. See our healthcare page.

Day-to-day costs — local food, public transport, mobile data, domestic travel — are substantially lower than in Western Europe or North America. International schooling, imported goods, international-standard housing in central Shanghai or Beijing, and Western-style restaurants are broadly comparable in price or can exceed Western costs. A single expat living locally (eating Chinese food, using public transport, renting a mid-range flat outside the CBD) can live comfortably in a second-tier city for ¥8,000–¥12,000 per month. Shanghai CBD rents alone can exceed that figure. Our cost-of-living page has a breakdown by city.

Yes. The major banks — Bank of China, ICBC, China Construction Bank, and HSBC China — accept foreign nationals with a valid passport and residence permit. Some banks require a work permit as well. Bank of China is generally the most accessible for new arrivals. Internet banking is app-based and in Chinese; HSBC China has English-language support. Without a bank account it is difficult to set up WeChat Pay or Alipay to the full domestic tier. See our banking page.

Visa pages are re-verified at least every 60 days and immediately on any major policy announcement. City, attraction and practical-guide pages are re-verified at least annually. Every page that quotes a price, hour or rule carries a verified-date stamp; that stamp reflects a real check, not an automated date. See the full detail in our methodology.

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