active
Unilateral visa-free entry
The current NIA/MFA list covers 50 countries, with country-specific validity windows.
What to do: Check your exact passport, purpose and travel dates instead of relying on a country-list screenshot.
Time-sensitive
China travel updates
A dated change log for rules that can alter a trip. Each item points to the detailed owner guide and the official source.
active
240-hour visa-free transit
The current policy covers 55 countries, 65 ports and 24 provincial-level regions, subject to route and permitted-area rules.
What to do: Validate the arrival port, onward third-country or region journey and permitted stay area as one itinerary.
active
Online Arrival Card
International visitors can use the free official online channel before travel, with official port-device and paper fallbacks.
What to do: Avoid paid lookalike services and save the confirmation plus first-accommodation details offline.
pilot
Non-hotel accommodation registration
Online registration is being piloted in seven provincial-level regions while in-person handling remains available.
What to do: Ask the host who will complete the registration and confirm the current local channel before a private stay.
promotion
Weixin Pay first-user fee waiver
Eligible first-time international users can receive a 90-consecutive-day waiver on qualifying payments up to RMB 1,000 per day.
What to do: Treat this as a dated promotion, not a permanent payment-fee rule, and keep a second payment path.
active
Amap international-visitor support
Current visitor services advertise six languages and expanded trip-stage functions.
What to do: Still save Chinese POI names and verify exact entrances; English search coverage is not identical for every business.
active
China Railway accidental-purchase refund
An eligible official-platform accidental purchase can receive one free refund per day within 30 minutes when departure is at least four hours away.
What to do: Check the exact eligibility in the current 12306 FAQ before relying on the exception.
active
Departure tax-refund process
The July process introduced random checks for eligible goods below RMB 10,000, paperless handling, cross-location completion and a unified 28-day period.
What to do: Keep invoices and goods accessible until departure verification is complete and choose the refund path with its cash-flow conditions understood.
announced
Further digital tax-refund expansion
Additional online cross-location document review and a national service-code expansion were announced for September.
What to do: Do not use the announced workflow before its effective date; check the current airport and tax-authority instructions.
active
2026 public holidays
The official calendar contains seven holiday periods plus adjusted working days.
What to do: Check the calendar before fixing rail, museum or high-capacity attraction days.