Until 31 December 2026, China will grant visa-free entry to ordinary passport holders from around 45 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy and most other European countries.

Citizens of these countries can enter China for business, tourism, family visits, exchange visits or transit purposes for stays of up to 30 days without a visa. Their passport must be valid for at least six months.

Not sure whether your nationality is included? Contact us and we will check for you free of charge. Please note that the digital Arrival Card is also mandatory for visa-free travellers.

From September 2, 2024 to December 31, 2026, the Embassy of China in Switzerland exempts all applicants who apply for single or double-entry short-term visas (stay in China for no more than 180 days) from fingerprints collection.

Besides, exemptions for the fingerprint requirements are still granted to:
I. Applicants under the age of 14 or over 70;
II. Applicants holding a diplomatic passport or eligible for application of diplomatic, service or courtesy visa of China;
III. Applicants who have had fingerprints collected and have obtained Chinese visa with the same passports within 5 years;
IV. Applicants with all ten fingerprints unable to be collected.

The total cost of a China visa usually consists of the visa fee charged on behalf of the Chinese Embassy/ Consulate-General, and the application service fee charged by the Visa Application Center. The visa fee and service fee vary according to your nationality, the number of entries, and service options (regular service, express service & urgent service).
Please refer to the comprehensive price guide below to find out the cost of a China Visa.

Schedule of Fees

A visa typically takes three or four working days to process if all the accompanying documents meet the requirements.

Service options provided by the Visa Centre (in the case of all the required documents are provided):

1. Normal service: The processing time is usually 4 working days.

2. Express service: The processing time is usually 3 working days.

3. Urgent service: The processing time is usually 2 working days.

As an Swiss or EU national, you do not need a visa to travel to Hong Kong for less than 3 months. This also applies to Macao. Similar regulations apply to citizens of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay and the USA, among others.

The National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on December 17, 2024, the immediate relaxation of its visa-free transit policy. The stay duration for eligible foreign nationals has been extended from 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours (10 days).

Additionally, 21 new ports of entry and exit have been added, expanding options for travelers.

Citizens from 54 eligible countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Switzerland and many European nations, can now enter visa-free through 60 ports in 24 regions while traveling from China to a third country, with a maximum stay of 240 hours.

It is advisable that you apply for your visa approximately one month prior to your intended date of entry into China, but not earlier than three months. If you apply for a visa too early, the visa might expire before your arrival to mainland China. For instance; if you plan to enter China on 1st of July, the best time to submit your application would be around 1st of June (counting working days only).