China extends visa-free stays for Australians

Australians will continue to enjoy visa-free travel to China through to the end of 2026, with the country announcing a one-year extension of the current arrangement introduced in 2024.

Travellers holding an Australian passport can stay for up to 30 days.

“Citizens holding ordinary passports of Australia... traveling to China for business, tourism, family visit, exchange and transit purposes and with the duration of each single stay not exceeding 30 days are eligible for visa-free entry policy,” the Chinese Embassy in Canberra embassy confirmed in a statement.

However, “individuals who do not meet the visa-free requirements still need to apply for a visa before entering China.”

Alongside this measure, the Chinese government also permits visa-free transit stopovers of up to ten days at 60 major cities.

This makes it possible to transit through designated Chinese ports and stay within the area region – such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – before continuing to another country.

The visa waiver for Australian travellers to China not only saves around $100 per person – the cost of a single-entry tourist visa – but removes the need to make an in-person visit to an authorised Chinese visa office in Australia at least two weeks before you travel.

Multiple-entry visas of up to five years for tourism, business and family visits are also available to Australian passport holders.

Some 653,000 Australians visited mainland China between July 2024 and June 2025, up 25% over the previous year, making China the fifth most popular overseas destination.

Chinese airlines have steadily increased flights to Australia over recent years, while Cathay Pacific remains a popular one-stop option via Hong Kong.

The move also negates the need to line up and pay for a visa-on-arrival at Shenzhen when coming across from Hong Kong.