KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: You need a visa and a passport with at least six months remaining validity to enter China. If you do not have a valid passport and the appropriate Chinese visa, you will not be allowed to enter China and will be fined and subject to immediate deportation. U.S. citizens traveling to China may apply for up to a one-year multiple-entry visa. Check your U.S. passport before applying for a visa to make sure that it has one year or more validity remaining; otherwise, you may be issued a visa for less than the time you request. A multiple-entry visa is essential if you plan to re-enter China, especially if you plan to visit either Hong Kong or Macau. Visit the Embassy of China’s website for the most current visa information.

Many regions, such as Tibet and other remote areas, require special permits for tourist travel. Using local travel agents is typically the easiest way to secure the appropriate permit. Permits usually cost around RMB 100, are single-entry and are valid for at most three months. Tibet remains a sensitive area for travel, and usually only Lhasa City and part of Shan Nan are open to foreigners. If you do enter a restricted area without the requisite permit, you could be fined, taken into custody, and deported for illegal entry. To learn more about specific entry requirements for restricted areas you can check with the Visa Office of the Embassy of China at Room 110, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20007, or telephone (202) 338-6688 and fax (202) 588-9760.

Last year China lifted its ban on visitors with HIV, but kept it in place as a restriction on long-term residents. Please verify the restrictions with the Embassy of China before you travel.

For information about U.S. customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.

The Embassy of China’s website also has a list of other services and frequently-asked visa questions with links to their consulates general in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.

UPON ARRIVAL: Once you are in China, the PRC expects you to comply with the requirements of your visa. For example, if you are on a tourist visa, you are not allowed to work; if you are on a work visa, you typically cannot become a full-time student. Once inside China's borders, you will find altering or renewing your visa difficult. Visitors cannot change tourist (L) and exchange (F) visas to other visa types. Entry and exit violations are strictly enforced. Police, school administrators, and hotel staff may check your visa to make sure you have not overstayed. If you intentionally or inadvertently violate the terms of your Chinese visa, including staying after your visa has expired, you may be charged a RMB 500 fine per day up to a maximum of RMB 5,000, experience departure delays, and face possible detention.

Whether you are traveling to or living in China, you must register with the police within 24 hours of your arrival in the country. Even foreigners with residence permits are required to register after each re-entry. If you are staying in a hotel, the staff will automaticallyregister you. However, if you are staying in a private home with family or friends, you should take your passport to the local police station to register. Failure to do so could result in fines and detention. Chinese law requires that you carry a passport or residence permit at all times; Chinese authorities will not accept a photocopy. Additionally, Chinese authorities are entitled to carry out random checks for these documents. If you are not in compliance, you will be subject to fines, detention, and/or deportation. If you are visiting China, you should carry your passport with you, out of reach of pickpockets. If you live in China and have a residence permit, you should carry that document and leave your passport in a secure location, except when traveling.

LEAVING CHINA: You must have a valid visa to leave China. If your visa has expired while you are in China, you must apply for an extension from the Entry/Exit Bureau beforeflying out. Replacing a visa generally takes one week from the visa application date, regardless of your previously-scheduled departure date. You should not expect the Chinese visa renewal or replacement process to be expedited to meet your travel schedule.

If you lose your passport while in China, you need to replace both the U.S. passport and the Chinese visa, which can take up to two weeks. If you are a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, make sure you have up-to-date U.S. residence documentation, especially your valid Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card"), to avoid delays when leaving China or re-entering the United States.

TRANSITING CHINA: In general, if you are travelling through China en route to a different country, you do not need a visa, so long as you plan to stay in China less than 24 hours and do not leave the airport. If, however, you are a transit passenger and have more than one stopover in China, you must exit the transit lounge at the first stop to apply for an endorsement in your passport that permits multiple stops in China. As long as you have a ticket that continues on to an international destination, the endorsement should be routine. If Shanghai Pudong airport is your international transit point, you may stay in Shanghai for 48 hours if you have a valid passport, a visa for your destination, and an onward plane ticket. Make sure you get an endorsement stamp at the immigration desk before you leave the airport.

DUAL NATIONALITY: China does not recognize dual nationality. If you are a dual national, you should strongly consider which passport you will use to enter and exit China. The ability of the U.S. Embassy or consulates general in China to provide you with consular protection is not afforded under the United States–People's Republic of China (PRC) Consular Convention if you do not use your U.S. passport to enter and exit China.

MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: The standards of medical care in China are not equivalent to those in the United States. If you plan to travel outside of major Chinese cities, you should consider making special preparations.

Travelers have reported difficulty passing through customs inspection when arriving with large quantities of prescription medications. If you regularly take over-the-counter or prescription medication, bring your own supply in the original container, including each drug's generic name, and carry the doctor’s prescription with you. Many commonly-used U.S. drugs and medications are not available in China, and some that bear names that are the same as or similar to prescription medications from the United States may not contain the same ingredients. If you try to have medications sent to you from outside China, you may have problems getting them released by Chinese Customs and/or you may have to pay high customs duties. 

Reuse of medical supplies such as syringes and needles or poor sterilization practices are problems in China, contributing to transmission of diseases such as hepatitis, which is endemic in China. To avoid contamination, travelers should always ask doctors and dentists to use sterilized equipment and be prepared to pay for new syringe needles in hospitals or clinics.

In emergencies, Chinese ambulances are often slow to arrive, and most do not have sophisticated medical equipment or trained responders. Travelers usually end up taking taxis or other vehicles to the nearest major hospital rather than waiting for ambulances to arrive. Most hospitals demand cash payment or a deposit in advance for admission, procedures, or emergencies, although a few hospitals in major cities may accept credit cards. 

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and a few other large cities have medical facilities with some international staff. Many hospitals in major Chinese cities have so-called VIP wards (gaogan bingfang). Most VIP wards provide medical services to foreigners and have some English-speaking staff. However, even in the VIP/foreigner wards of major hospitals, you may have difficulty due to cultural, language, and regulatory differences. In China, it is customary for patients’ families to help care for them in the hospital and to supply their toiletries, paper supplies, and meals. Physicians and hospitals sometimes refuse to give U.S. patients copies of their Chinese hospital medical records, including laboratory test results, scans, and x-rays. 

In most rural areas, only rudimentary medical facilities are available, often with poorly trained personnel who have little medical equipment and medications. Rural clinics are often reluctant to accept responsibility for treating foreigners, even in emergency situations.

If you elect to have surgery or other medical services performed in China, be aware that there is little legal recourse to protect you in case of medical malpractice. The U.S. Embassy and cnsulates general in China maintain lists of local English-speaking doctors and hospitals, which are published on their respective American Citizens Services web pages.

Most roads and towns in Tibet, Qinghai, parts of Xinjiang, and western Sichuan are situated at altitudes over 10,000 feet. If you plan to travel in these areas, you should seek medical advice in advance of travel, allow time for acclimatization to the high altitude, and remain alert to signs of altitude sickness. Air pollution is also a significant problem throughout China, and you should consult your doctor prior to travel and consider the impact seasonal smog and heavy particulate pollution may have on you.

Important information on vaccinations and other health precautions, can be found via the CDC website. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO) website. Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in China. For further information, please consult the CDC's information on TB. HIV is also a significant concern in China. An estimated quarter of a million people in China are living with HIV, most of whom are not aware of their status. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.