Travelling on an Australian passport? **You don't need a visa for a normal trip to China, and you can stay up to 30 days.** The reason this page exists is that a lot of information online is stuck on the old number: when the scheme first launched it was a **15-day** trial, and plenty of articles never updated. It's been **30 days since late 2024** and remains so through 2026. If you've been holding off a trip because you thought a fortnight was the cap, that's no longer the case.
## Why you keep seeing "15 days"
The timeline explains the confusion:
- **1 July 2024** — China launched visa-free entry for Australians as a trial, capped at **15 days**.
- **November 2024** — the cap was **doubled to 30 days**.
- **Since then** — it's been extended, and currently runs **through the end of 2026**.
So any guide written in mid-2024, or copied from one, still says 15 days. The current, correct figure is **30 days per entry**. The official description is straightforward:
> "Citizens holding ordinary passports of Australia … travelling to China for business, tourism, family visit, exchange and transit purposes, with the duration of each single stay not exceeding 30 days, are eligible for visa-free entry."
> — [Chinese Embassy in Australia](https://au.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/)
## What to bring
Almost nothing — that's the point of the scheme. Have these on hand in case you're asked at the border:
- An **Australian passport** valid comfortably beyond your trip (six months is the safe benchmark).
- A **return or onward ticket** within 30 days.
- **Accommodation** details — a hotel booking or an address.
The single digital step worth doing is the **China Digital Arrival Card**, completed online before you land. It replaces the old paper arrival form and shortens the immigration queue.
## The 30-day rule's edges
Generous, but bounded:
- **30 days is the hard limit per entry.** Need longer? That's a visa, arranged ahead of time.
- **Tourism-type purposes only.** Paid work, study, or journalism need the matching visa regardless of how short the trip is.
- **Date-limited.** It's tied to the end of 2026 for now. For a 2027 trip, check it's been renewed before you bank on it.
If your plans fall outside those lines, the fallback is the standard visa through a Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide.
## A note for New Zealanders
If you're reading this from across the Tasman: **New Zealand ordinary passport holders are also covered** by the 30-day visa-free scheme, on the same terms. The practical advice below applies equally.
## Before you go
Entry is no longer the hard part of a China trip — staying connected and paying for things is what catches first-timers:
- Australian phone plans don't roam usefully in China; grab a [China travel eSIM](/en/esim/) before you fly.
- Foreign cards and cash are awkward; [set up Alipay with an Australian card](/en/pay/alipay-for-foreigners/) and you'll pay like a local everywhere.
From there it's timing and route — see [the best time to visit China](/en/best-time-to-visit-china/) and our city guides to [Shanghai](/en/shanghai/), [Beijing](/en/beijing/) and [Chengdu](/en/chengdu/).
## Other nationalities
- [United States](/en/visa-free/us/) — not visa-free; needs a visa or transit
- [United Kingdom](/en/visa-free/uk/) — visa-free since February 2026
- [Canada](/en/visa-free/canada/) — visa-free since February 2026
- [India](/en/visa-free/india/) — visa required
- [The two visa-free schemes, fully explained](/en/visa-free/)
---
**Last verified: 14 June 2026.** Visa rules change frequently and the visa-free policy has a published end date. This is a general guide, not legal advice — confirm your own case with the [National Immigration Administration](https://en.nia.gov.cn/) or the Chinese Embassy in Australia before booking.