Can I enter China on a temporary or emergency passport?

Not for visa-free entry. Official guidance states that holders of travel documents or temporary or emergency documents other than ordinary passports are not allowed to enter China without a visa.

How long is my visa-free stay counted from?

From 00:00 on the day after the day you enter. This applies under the unilateral policy, the 240-hour transit policy and the Hainan 30-day policy alike.

I am staying with friends rather than a hotel — what must I do?

You or your host must register with the public security organs within 24 hours of your arrival in China. Since 21 September 2026 you can do this online through the NIA website, the NIA 12367 app, or the WeChat and Alipay mini-programmes, and online registration carries the same legal effect as registering at a police station.

What Documents Do You Need to Travel to China: Passport, Visa, Arrival Card and Tickets

Q: Do I need a passport valid for six months to enter China?

No official source states a six-month minimum. The Exit and Entry Administration Law refers only to a valid exit/entry document, and the Chinese Embassy in the UK's visa-free FAQ says an ordinary passport must be valid for at least the duration of your intended stay. Some airlines impose six months as their own boarding rule — that is the carrier's requirement, not China's entry requirement.

Short answer

Five things, in this order. **1) A valid ordinary passport** — official guidance requires nothing more; there is no stated six-month minimum, so the passport simply has to cover your stay. Travel documents, temporary passports and emergency passports are not accepted for visa-free entry. **2) A visa, or the right visa-free basis** — China's unilateral policy covers 50 countries for up to 30 days, and the expiry differs by country: Brunei has no set expiry, Russia runs to 31 December 2027, the other 48 to 31 December 2026. If none of those apply you need a visa, unless you qualify for the 240-hour transit exemption (57 countries, up to 10 days, onward ticket required) or the Hainan 30-day route (61 countries). **3) The arrival card** — file it online free through the National Immigration Administration, or fill in the paper card at the port. **4) Your accommodation address** — hotels register you automatically; staying with friends needs police registration within 24 hours of arrival. **5) The passport you booked with** — Chinese rail tickets are real-name: the passport you bought with is the one you show at the gate.

The passport: valid, and nothing more specific

The rule that catches people out is the one people invent. There is no official six-month requirement. The Exit and Entry Administration Law speaks only of holding a **valid** exit/entry document, and the only official page that addresses passport validity at all — the Chinese Embassy in the UK's visa-free FAQ — says an ordinary passport must be "valid for at least the duration of intended stay in China". If your airline or your onward booking imposes a six-month rule, that is the carrier's rule, not China's.

Two things do disqualify a document. **Travel documents, temporary passports and emergency passports are not accepted for visa-free entry** — the rule is an ordinary passport specifically. And the law does not bar entry to anyone holding no valid exit/entry document, so an expired passport is not a shorter version of this problem.

The visa-free basis, and why the expiry date differs by country

China's unilateral visa-free policy covers 50 countries for stays up to 30 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular FAQ, published 21 July 2026, states the expiry three ways: **Brunei has no set expiry, Russia runs to 31 December 2027, and the other 48 countries to 31 December 2026.**

Two further routes exist independently of that list. The **240-hour transit visa-free** policy covers 57 nationalities including Russia, allows stays up to 10 days through 65 designated ports in 24 provinces, and requires confirmed onward tickets. The **Hainan 30-day** policy covers 61 nationalities including Russia but only inside Hainan Province. Under all of them the stay is counted from 00:00 on the day after you enter.

The arrival card, and the 24-hour accommodation registration

The arrival card is an entry-information form, not a visa. Since 20 November 2025 you can file it online, free, before you fly, through the National Immigration Administration's website, its 12367 app, the WeChat and Alipay mini-programmes, or the arrival-card QR code. The paper card is still accepted at the port.

Accommodation registration is the requirement people forget. Under Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law, **hotels register foreign guests themselves** as part of check-in, but foreigners staying in a private home must — or their host must — register with the public security organs **within 24 hours of arrival**. As of 21 September 2026 that registration can be done online anywhere in China through the NIA website, the 12367 app, or the WeChat and Alipay mini-programmes, and online registration has the same legal effect as doing it at a police station.

The train ticket is bound to the passport you bought it with

China's railway system runs real-name ticketing, and for foreigners the passport is the identity document. China Railway's own English FAQ states that foreign passengers can buy real-name tickets with valid passports, that the e-ticket record stores the identity document used at purchase, and that **the same document must be shown to check in and out of the station and to board the train**.

The practical consequence: buy with the passport you will travel with, and carry that passport at the gate. A booking made on one passport and presented with another will not match, which is the single most common cause of a 12306 verification failure.

Related guides

Official sources

Policies and booking channels change — check the official channel before you rely on it.