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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, blood tests or medical examinations. You may be refused entry into China if you do not comply.

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.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

Chinese-British dual nationals

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.

If you’re a former Chinese citizen, Chinese authorities may:

• treat you as a Chinese citizen

• refuse you access to UK consular services

This can happen even if you entered China on a UK or other foreign passport and you:

• haven’t renounced your citizenship according to Chinese law

• haven’t formally advised the Chinese authorities of your UK citizenship

• continue to maintain a Chinese passport or household registration

Authorities may not allow certain categories of Chinese citizens, such as state officials, to renounce their Chinese nationality under Chinese law.

You should get professional legal advice if you’re unsure of your citizenship status under Chinese law.

Visa requirements

Until 31 December 2026, you can enter China visa free for stays of up to 30 days for business, tourism, family or friend visits or transit. 

This policy applies to all holders of standard British passports whose nationality is listed as ‘British citizen.’ Holders of British Crown Dependency passports whose nationality is listed as ‘British citizen’ are eligible for this policy.

If you travel to China for any other reason (this includes paid work, long-term assignments, journalism, or study) or for a stay exceeding 30 days, you must apply for a visa before your trip to China.

If you have any doubt about your eligibility, verify the conditions for visa free entry with the Chinese Embassy in London.

If you visit China without the appropriate visa or visa free access you will be refused entry.

Holders of Emergency Travel Documents are not allowed to enter China without a visa.

Visa requirements for Hong Kong and Macao are different.

Applying for a visa

Unless you meet the requirement for visa-free access, you must arrange a visa before travelling to China.

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, but someone will need to submit your application on your behalf.

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.

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.

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.

Emergency services in China  

Ambulance: 120 

Fire: 119 

Police: 110 

Traffic Police: 122 

Maritime Search and Rescue Centre: 12395 

Contact your travel provider and insurer 

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do. 

Refunds and changes to travel 

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first. 

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including: 

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO 

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including: 

• finding English-speaking lawyers, funeral directors and translators and interpreters in China
• dealing with a death in China
• being arrested or imprisoned in China
• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO 

Help abroad  

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.

If your passport is lost or stolen, go to the nearest police station or Public Security Bureau and get a report of the incident.   

Help in the UK  

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.  

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)  

Find out about call charges

Get travel advice updates  

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO: 

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

Risk information for British companies  

The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating in China on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

Flash floods along the Nepal-China border 

On 26 August 2026, heavy flooding and landslides have caused widespread damage in Gyirong County in Shigatse, Tibet, near the Nepal border. Buildings, roads, other transport and communications infrastructure have been severely damaged.  

The Chinese authorities and emergency services are responding. The authorities have warned of the risk of further flooding. The situation may change rapidly. Stay away from affected areas where possible. If you are travelling in the region, follow the advice of the Chinese government and local authorities and be alert to the changing situation.  

If you are affected and need assistance from the UK government, call:  

From China: +86 (0) 10 5192 4000 

From the UK: +44 (0)20 7008 5000

Typhoons

The typhoon season in China normally runs from May to November, affecting southern and eastern coastal regions. Air travel and other forms of transport can be affected. Monitor the progress of approaching storms on the Japan Meteorological Agency and the China Meteorological Administration websites.

See guidance on tropical cyclones for advice about what to do if you are caught in a typhoon.

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to: 

• see general advice for women travellers
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
• read about safety for solo and independent travel
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.

Get travel advice updates

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. 

Follow FCDO:   

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences 

Personal ID

Always carry your passport with you. Police carry out random checks, especially during periods of heightened security and major sporting or political events. They do not accept printed copies. Failure to produce your ID can lead to a fine or detention. 

National security laws

There is a risk of detention for alleged breaking of national security laws

China’s authorities have detained foreign nationals who break national security laws. Both ‘national security’ and ‘national interest’ appear regularly in Chinese legislation and have broad scope. You may be detained without having intended to break the law. Activity that happened outside of mainland China – including online activity – could fall under the scope of mainland legislation. There is a risk of arbitrary detention, including of British nationals. 

If you’re detained on grounds of national security, you may be held for up to 6 months before formal arrest and denied legal representation before charges are brought.  

You may be at greater risk of surveillance, harassment or detention while in China if you are currently or have previously been linked to:

• foreign governments
• media outlets
• NGOs

This list is not exhaustive and may change over time. This is particularly relevant when travelling to areas with large ethnic minority populations, including but not limited to Xinjiang. See Regional risks for more information.

Travelling to sensitive areas

All foreign nationals travelling to or around ‘sensitive’ areas might attract more attention from the authorities, including when:

• taking photographs
• engaging with political groups or charities
• engaging with ethnic minority populations

Sensitivities can change over time and may heighten around particular dates or events.

There are restricted military areas, where foreigners can be detained, fined or deported if found without prior authorisation. Signs typically indicate where these areas are, but it may not always be clear.

Religious activities and materials

The Chinese authorities formally recognise five religions: Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism and Taoism. Only officially registered religious organisations are permitted to carry out religious activities. Even officially registered organisations must observe restrictions on some religious activities, including preaching and distributing religious materials.

Updated religious legislation (Chinese language only) entered into force on 1 May 2025, setting out rules that foreigners must abide by when practicing religion in China. The paragraph below summarises some of the key information included in the link, but local legal advice should be sought for full and further detail.

Foreigners may participate in religious activity that complies with Chinese law in registered temples, churches, or other approved temporary locations. Foreign nationals may invite Chinese religious professionals to hold baptisms, weddings, funerals, dojos, pujas, and other religious ceremonies for them. Foreigners wanting to hold religious activities or events in approved locations must meet the specific requirements and use the correct application procedures. One of these requirements (Article 10) is that Chinese religious professionals should preside over religious activity. Another (Article 16), is that group religious activities held by foreigners in China are limited to participation by foreigners in China. Collective religious events involving Chinese citizens are prohibited unless officially approved by the Chinese government. There are also rules for foreign religious professionals visiting China to give lectures or sermons, and those bringing in religious materials.

The Falun Gong movement and others that the authorities consider as ‘cults’ are banned in China.

Criminal proceedings      

Chinese laws and procedures relating to the arrest, detention and trial of criminal suspects are different from in the UK. For example:

• if you’re detained, only your legal representatives and consular staff from the British Embassy are allowed to visit you until your sentence is passed
• there is no trial by jury, the presiding judge or judges will reach a verdict and then pass sentence if they find the accused guilty
• if a case goes to trial, the conviction rate is 99%
• if an offence does not meet the threshold for criminal proceedings, the police still have the right to sentence someone for up to 15 days administrative detention without trial

The granting of bail is rare, and the criminal process can often last at least a year before a verdict is passed. If bail is granted the accused will not be permitted to leave China.

If you’re suspected of a crime, the Chinese authorities can stop you from leaving China by:

• withholding your passport
• applying an exit ban
• detaining you for up to 37 days without charge

The thresholds for detention and prosecution in China differ from those in Hong Kong.

You can be convicted in China of a crime committed against the Chinese State or a Chinese citizen, even if that crime was committed outside of China.

Exit bans

Foreign nationals can be subject to exit bans. Exit bans can:

• be put on people involved in commercial or private disputes to stop them from leaving mainland China
• relate to investigations into an individual, their family or an employer
• be used in criminal and civil matters, including business disputes

An exit ban can last for months or years or until a legal process is complete. You may not be aware you are subject to an exit ban until you try to leave mainland China.

Money

Cashless payments through smartphone apps such as WeChat or Alipay are almost universal.

Outside major cities, credit cards are not always accepted and ATMs are limited. It is not possible to exchange Scottish or Northern Irish banknotes.

Counterfeit banknotes (especially 100 renminbi notes) are common, including from ATMs. Banks will not replace them. Check notes carefully before accepting them.

Illegal drugs penalties and prison sentences

Possession, trafficking and manufacture of any illegal drugs, including cannabis, are serious offences in China. The Chinese authorities have a zero-tolerance policy and those caught face heavy fines, lengthy prison sentences, or the death penalty.

Airports in China have security equipment and procedures in place for scanning and detecting illegal items, including cannabis. This is also used to scan all the baggage of transiting passengers.

The Chinese authorities can randomly test foreign nationals for drugs, including on entry to the country. Police can also raid homes as well as nightclubs and bars. If you’re in a bar that’s raided, you will be subject to on-the-spot testing and immigration checks. This may involve:

• being kept at the location, or another location, for several hours
• giving hair and urine samples
• passport and visa checks

If you test positive, the Chinese authorities can prosecute you regardless of where or when you took drugs. Testing positive for drugs, or being found in breach of your visa conditions, can lead to heavy fines, detention and deportation.

Internet access

The Chinese authorities control internet access. Internet access can be limited around key political events and dates. Some services are permanently blocked, including:

• Google
• Facebook
• YouTube
• X

Other websites may sometimes be blocked. 

China’s cybersecurity laws state that online products and services (for example, VPNs) need to be licensed by the Chinese government. See the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (in Mandarin). Make sure you stay informed and follow Chinese law.

Drone regulations

The import, possession and use of drones and drone components are strictly regulated. Contact the Civil Aviation Administration of China before travel for the latest rules regarding registration and use.

Building safety

Fire protection standards in Chinese accommodation are not always the same as in the UK. You should:

• check fire precautions, including access to fire exits
• make sure your accommodation has a working fire alarm
• regularly check fire exits are not blocked

Make sure your accommodation has a working carbon monoxide alarm. People have died of carbon monoxide poisoning due to incorrectly installed gas equipment. 

Energy UK has advice on how to stay safe and the symptoms to look out for.

Teaching in China       

Thoroughly research the school or university that is hiring you in China and make sure you’re confident they are following the law.

LGBT+ travellers

Same-sex relationships are legal in China, but public attitudes are less tolerant than in the UK. Showing affection in public may receive negative attention. There’s no Chinese law guaranteeing freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.