Visa-Free, Transit, M, Z or K: Which Door Are You Actually Using?
China Field Notes · by Daona · 12 min read
How you entered China decides what you are allowed to do while you are here. Getting in has become much easier. Working, hiring and staying long-term still go through specific doors — and each door has its own rules.
"Do I need a visa?" is the question we hear most often from foreign clients. Since 2024 the honest answer is often "no". But that answer hides a second question that matters more: "What am I allowed to do on the status I entered with?"
A 30-day visa-free entry and a work visa both get you through passport control. Only one of them lets you start a job. This article maps the doors, explains where the lines are, and walks through the route most foreign professionals actually need: Z visa → work permit → residence permit.
What it isChina currently allows ordinary passport holders from around 50 countries to enter without a visa for up to 30 days. Most of Europe is covered, together with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, several Latin American countries and several Gulf states. The United Kingdom and Canada were added from 17 February 2026.
The policy has been extended several times. The current notice runs to 31 December 2026. Whether it will be extended again has not been announced at the time of writing — check before you book anything for 2027.
AllowsEntry for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits, and transit. "Business" means meetings, negotiations, trade fairs, signing contracts, visiting factories and similar activities.
Does not allowWork. Nor study or news reporting, nor staying beyond 30 days per entry.
Our view: for short business trips, this is the most convenient door China has ever opened. Use it — but keep a copy of your meeting agenda and invitation, and be ready to explain your purpose at the border.
Separately from the unilateral policy, China has bilateral agreements with some countries — including Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan — under which citizens of both sides enter each other's country visa-free for short stays.
The difference matters. A unilateral policy is a decision China can extend or end on its own timetable. A bilateral agreement stays in force until either side changes it, and each agreement sets its own limits, often expressed as "up to 30 days per stay, up to 90 days in any 180 days". Read the limits in your own country's agreement.
If you are travelling from one country, through China, to a third country or region, you can stay in China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa. As of August 2026, the policy covers 57 countries — the United States among them — and 65 ports across 24 provincial-level regions.
Conditions
· A valid passport — official Shanghai guidance says at least three months' validity; more is safer
· A confirmed onward ticket with date and seat to a third country or region (Hong Kong and Macao count)
· You stay within the regions where the policy applies
Same limits as door one: no work, study or news reporting without the proper visa.
Our view: for travellers whose country is not on the 30-day list, the 240-hour route is the practical choice for short business trips. Plan the route carefully: Chicago → Shanghai → Hong Kong qualifies; Chicago → Shanghai → Chicago does not.
Two other arrangements are worth knowing: Hainan Province has its own visa-free policy for citizens of 59 countries, and China accepts the APEC Business Travel Card for frequent business travellers from APEC economies.
When none of the visa-free doors fits your purpose or length of stay, you need a visa. The ones foreign business people meet most often:
| Visa | Purpose | Employment? |
|---|---|---|
| M 商贸 | Commercial and trade activities | No |
| F 访问 | Exchanges, visits, study tours | No |
| L 旅游 | Tourism | No |
| Z 工作 | Work | Yes, with work permit and residence permit |
| R 人才 | High-level talent, urgently needed specialists | Yes, with required permits |
| K 青年科技人才 | Young science and technology talent (since 1 Oct 2025) | See below |
| S1/S2 私人事务 | Family of foreigners working or studying in China | No |
| Q1/Q2 团聚 | Family of Chinese citizens or permanent residents | No |
| X1/X2 学习 | Study | No (limited part-time rules) |
A note on the K visa
The K visa took effect on 1 October 2025. It is designed for young professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics who graduated from, or work at, well-known universities and research institutions. Its main attraction: you do not need a Chinese employer or host to invite you. It also offers more entries, longer validity and longer stays than most ordinary visas.
Holders can take part in exchanges in education, culture, science and technology, and in related entrepreneurial and business activities. Detailed eligibility — including any age limit and the institution criteria — is published by Chinese embassies and consulates, and the wording differs between posts.
Our reading of the current guidance: the K visa is an excellent way to come to China, explore opportunities and build a network. If you then take up a regular job with a Chinese employer, plan on going through the work permit route described below.
The single most common mistake we see is treating "business" and "work" as the same thing.
| Usually business visa-free, transit or M visa | Usually work needs a work permit |
|---|---|
| Meeting customers, suppliers, partners | Being employed and paid by a Chinese entity |
| Negotiating and signing contracts | Managing a Chinese team day to day |
| Attending trade fairs and conferences | Performing a role at a Chinese company's office |
| Inspecting a factory or project site | Installing equipment, technical service or on-site coaching |
| Internal meetings at your company's China office | Teaching, performing, or serving Chinese clients |
The middle ground — short assignments such as installing machinery, commissioning a production line or a short technical training — has its own short-term work procedure for tasks under 90 days. It still goes through the work permit system. It is not covered by visa-free entry.
What happens if you get it wrong
| Violation | Art. | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Illegal employment — individual | 80 | ¥5,000–20,000 fine; serious cases 5–15 days' detention plus fine |
| Illegal employment — employer | 80 | ¥10,000 per person, up to ¥100,000 |
| Overstaying | 78 | Warning; serious cases ¥500/day up to ¥10,000, or 5–15 days' detention |
| Serious cases | 81 | Order to leave or deportation, with a re-entry ban |
Exit and Entry Administration Law of the PRC.
If you are moving to China to take a job, this is the sequence. Your employer drives most of it.
Step 1 · Work permit notification — in China, by the employer
Your employer applies online through the Foreigner's Work Permit service system for a Notification Letter of Foreigner's Work Permit (外国人工作许可通知). Typical documents:
· Passport
· Degree certificate, authenticated or apostilled at home
· Criminal record check, authenticated or apostilled
· Proof of relevant work experience (reference letters)
· Medical check (some cities accept it after arrival)
· Employment contract or offer letter
The form now uses a combined "work and education experience" section; gaps in your timeline may cause the system to reject it. Fill every month.
Step 2 · Z visa — abroad, by you
With the notification letter and an invitation, you apply for a Z visa at the Chinese embassy or visa centre in your country. In most cases this must be done abroad — you cannot simply convert a visa-free entry into a Z visa inside China. Some cities offer in-country routes for specific categories of talent; check before assuming.
Step 3 · Work permit — in China, within 15 days of entry
After you enter on the Z visa, the employer applies for your work permit (外国人工作许可证). Since 1 December 2024, there is no separate paper card: the information is carried on your social security card.
Step 4 · Residence permit — in China, within 30 days of entry
You apply at the local exit-entry administration (出入境管理局) for a residence permit for work (工作类居留许可), which replaces your Z visa. Bring your accommodation registration form — this is where a missing registration from your first week slows you down. Fees depend on validity, commonly ¥400 for under one year and more for longer permits.
Many cities now run steps 3 and 4, together with social security registration, through a single online application. Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen still require some documents to be checked in person.
Categories A, B and C
· Category A — high-level talent: recognised awards, senior executives of large companies, very high salaries, high points score
· Category B — professional talent: degree plus relevant experience, meeting the points or salary criteria
· Category C — temporary, seasonal or quota-based positions
A points system weighs salary, education, experience, Chinese language ability and other factors. Under the salary route, Category A requires at least six times the local average wage and Category B at least four times. Shanghai and Beijing have applied these floors strictly since February 2026, including at renewal. If your offer sits close to the line, check the current local figure before signing.
An illustrative timeline
| Week | Step | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Authenticate degree and criminal record check | You |
| 3–5 | Work permit notification | Employer |
| 6–7 | Z visa application abroad | You |
| 8 | Enter China; accommodation registration within 24 hours | You / landlord |
| 8–9 | Work permit | Employer |
| 9–12 | Residence permit | You, with employer's documents |
Illustrative. Actual times vary by city and season.
Roughly three months from offer to residence permit is a reasonable plan. Authenticating documents abroad is usually the slowest part — start it first.
| Profile | Right door |
|---|---|
| German buyer, 12 days, three factory visits and a trade fair | Unilateral visa-free (30 days) |
| American consultant, Chicago → Shanghai → Singapore, five days of client meetings | 240-hour transit |
| British engineer joining a Suzhou factory as production manager | Z visa → work permit → residence permit |
| Indian AI researcher from a leading university, exploring start-up partners in Shenzhen | K visa; work permit route if employed |
| French technician installing a production line for six weeks | Short-term work procedure |
Illustrative profiles. Do not refer to real people.
"Visa-free means I can do anything for 30 days." It means you can enter for listed purposes for 30 days. Employment is not one of them.
"I'm paid by my company back home, so it isn't work in China." Who pays you is not the only test. If you are doing a job in China — managing a team, delivering services to clients, filling a role — expect it to be treated as work.
"I'll come visa-free and switch to a work visa once I'm here." In most cases, the Z visa must be applied for abroad. Plan for one trip out.
"My residence permit is still valid, so my new job is fine." A work-type residence permit is tied to your employer. A new employer means a new work permit, and usually an update to the residence permit.
"The 30-day policy will always be renewed." It has been renewed so far. It currently ends on 31 December 2026. Don't build a 2027 travel plan on an assumption.
Your checklist
☐ Identify your door: unilateral visa-free, mutual exemption, 240-hour transit, or a visa type
☐ Write down what that door allows — and what it doesn't
☐ Short trips: carry your invitation letter, agenda and onward ticket
☐ Job offer: start authenticating your degree and criminal record check immediately
☐ Check the local salary threshold if your offer is near the Category A/B line
☐ Register your accommodation within 24 hours — you'll need the form for your residence permit
☐ Put visa, work permit and residence permit expiry dates in your calendar, with reminders 60 days before
Rules as of October 2026. This column provides general information, not legal advice. Visa and permit decisions are made by the competent authorities; applications should be handled by your employer or a licensed agency.
China Field Notes · by Daona