Kina - Reseinformation och reseförsäkring

Översikt

Capital: Beijing (pop. 21.766 million)
Population: 1,416,096,094 (2025 est.)
Other Urban Areas: Shanghai (pop. 29.211 million); Chongqing (pop. 17.341 million); Guangzhou (pop. 14.284 million); Tianjin (pop. 14.239 million); Shenzhen (pop. 13.073 million)
Religions: folk religion, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin, Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Time Zone: UTC+8; note: despite its size, all of China falls within 1 time zone
Driving side: Right
Calling code: +86
Electrical plug(s): Type A and Type I

Pengar

The local currency in China is Renminbi (CNY). As of 6 October 2026 100 CNY is equal to 14.91 USD.

Currency exchange can be done at banks and hotels.

Travellers should be prepared to use either cash or credit or debit card to make payments. Some remote areas may operate on a cash-only basis. Credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are available in most places.

Exchange receipts are necessary for exchanging unused Renminbi at the end of the trip.

Tipping is not officially recognized, though the practice has become increasingly common among tour guides, top-end restaurants, tour bus drivers and hotel staff.

El

The power supply in China is reliable. Electricity operates on 220V at 50Hz using plug type(s) A and I. In rural areas, access to electricity can become difficult. Those travelling with laptops or mobile phone chargers may want to bring along surge protection equipment.

Pass

Most travellers will need a passport to enter China. The passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of arrival and have two blank pages.

Visum

Visa-free entry is available for certain travellers who qualify based on nationality and purpose of travel. Travellers may qualify for a visa waiver, however this requires the completion of a security check or travel authorisation prior to departure. All other travellers will need to obtain a visa from the nearest embassy or consulate or apply online (e-visa) prior to travel.

Entry visa requirements vary based on nationality, purpose of travel and other factors. Individual travellers are responsible for ensuring that they comply with all visa requirements, which should be confirmed with authorities at their destination prior to travel.

Visa Free Travel

Visa Free travel to China for nationals of Brunei: Nationals of Brunei can enter China visa-free for a 30-day stay.

Visa-free travel to China (up to 30 days): Foreign nationals from select countries with bilateral agreements can enter China without a visa for generally up to 30 days.

Thai, Malaysian and Azerbaijani nationals may enter China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days, and not longer than 90 days in a 180-day period.

Visa Free travel to China (temporary visa policy): Nationals of select countries can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days, until 31 December.

Visa-free travel to China for Russians nationals: Russian nationals can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business, transit and family visits.

Visas

Short-stay visa: Foreign nationals who are not eligible to visit China visa-free may apply for short-term stay visas to enter the country. A visa's permitted stay period depends on the needed duration of stay a traveller requested through an application and the discretion of Chinese consular officials.

Authorities do not specify which foreign nationals are eligible for short-term visas. Travellers are advised to consult via the embassy or consular services prior to departure.

Multiple-entry visa for nationals of Brazil: Nationals of Brazil may apply for a multiple-entry visa to enter China for up to 90 days on each visit within a 180-day period. The visa is valid for 10 years.

Lokal resor

Overview

Travel in China is generally safe and foreign visitors are mostly treated well. Violent crime is rare; petty theft is the most prevalent type of crime encountered by visitors. Levels of safety and comfort of travel by public transportation vary greatly. When available, travellers should choose first-class or luxury services. Domestic air travel and high-speed rail services are generally safe and good options for long distances. Unlicensed taxis should be avoided.

Travel Safety

Air Travel

Security is generally decent at China's main international airports. Safety standards meet international requirements, and all major airports comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) safety guidelines. China's domestic airports have also introduced more stringent X-ray and passenger checks, following attempted terrorist and criminal attacks on domestic services in the past.

Passengers may not carry power banks that do not carry the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) on flights.

China's aviation industry has witnessed a boom in recent years, with many new operators. Leading passenger airlines include China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and Shenzhen Airlines, all of which belong to leading international airline alliances. All domestic carriers are regional subsidiaries of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Service and amenities on domestic carriers tend to be more basic than on international carriers, though safety and service improvements have been significant in the last decade.

The endemic persistence of delays and cancellations - mostly of domestic schedules - continues to be a huge problem for China's air travel. This is due to a range of reasons, including the insufficiency of airspace corridors made available by military authorities in charge of managing the country's air traffic, poor military-civilian inter-agency communication, few runaways available per number of flying vessels, and the growing number of air travellers.

China has several dozen international airports, and all major - and a growing number of secondary - Chinese cities have airports serviced by domestic carriers. Most international flights to China arrive at Beijing Capital Airport (PEK/ZBAA), Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG/ZSPD) or Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN/ZGGG). Most four and five-star hotels operate their own airport shuttle services. The majority of airports have city bus or metro connections, and metered taxis are always available at large airports. Traffic wardens stationed at taxi queues record taxi number plates and passenger destinations.

Beijing Capital International Airport is situated 27km (17 miles) northeast of Beijing. Intercity buses run from the airport to nearby cities such as Tianjin, Baoding and Tangshan in Hebei province.

Shanghai Pudong Airport is the primary international airport for Shanghai, while Shanghai Hongqiao Airport (SHA/ZSSS) is primarily a domestic airport. A metro line connects Pudong Airport to the city and to Hongqiao Airport. Intercity buses connect Pudong Airport with cities in neighbouring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, including Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Travellers are advised to confirm their flight 48 hours prior to departure. When travelling on a domestic flight, it is advisable to arrive at the airport up to three hours before departure time. The CAAC occasionally overbooks flights.

Borders and Entry

Border closures:

• Border crossings with Myanmar are either closed or heavily restricted, with many crossings only allowing the passage of goods and not citizens. Cross-border transport of goods resumed through Chinshwehaw and other border crossings between the Kokang Self-Administered Zone of Shan state in Myanmar and Yunnan province in China.
• Authorities closed the Tatopani-Zhangmu border crossing between Nepal’s Tatopani in Bagmati province and China’s Xizang (Tibet) autonomous region until further notice due to a forest fire in China’s Nyalam and Zhangmu (Khasa) areas.
• Authorities closed the Rasuwagadhi border crossing between Nepal's Rasuwa Fort (Rasuwagadhi) in Bagmati province and China’s Xizang (Tibet) autonomous region until further notice due to a flood in July 2025.

Health-related surveillance measures:

• Travellers arriving from countries affected by Ebola, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, particularly those exhibiting Ebola symptoms, must declare themselves at customs upon arrival to prevent the entry of the disease. Arrivals from high-risk countries are required to undergo a 21-day self-monitoring period for symptoms.

Identification

Most travellers will need a passport to enter China. The passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of arrival and have two blank pages.
Travellers are allowed entry with passports where gender is indicated as "neutral". The country's overall social acceptance of LGBTQ people is good.

Required Documents

Entry requirement: Officials require inbound travellers to complete an online Digital Arrival Card, replacing the paper-based form filled out upon arrival, to streamline immigration procedures. The Arrival Card can be found on several platforms, including the National Immigration Administration (NIA) website or app. Document link: https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/entry-registation-home

Road Travel

Road traffic in China can be chaotic and traffic lights and rules are not always respected, so caution is recommended when driving. At night, traffic lights at major intersections operate as flashing warning lights only, with many drivers failing to yield or stop. Roads in China vary in quality, but major city roads and intercity highways are modern and in good condition. Travellers in rural areas will likely encounter rough, unpaved roads, and caution is advised, particularly if driving a motorcycle. Traffic moves on the right side of the road.

Major road accidents that caused dozens of fatalities prompted the Chinese Ministry of Public Security to announce additional measures to counter an increasing number of road accidents. The measures reportedly included heightened checks on accident-prone vehicles including coaches and vehicles loaded with inflammable chemicals, in addition to a crackdown on traffic violations and refitted vehicles.

In major urban hubs, particularly Beijing, gridlock is common at all times. To ease congestion, cars bearing specific licence plate numbers are banned from the road for one day a week. Speed limits vary across the country, with motorway speed limits ranging from 100-120kph (62-75mph), and urban speed limits ranging from 30-70kph (19-43mph). Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal. The legal limit is 0.2 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood. When travelling long distances, drivers should use a reliable vehicle, carry an up-to-date map or GPS, be equipped with water, appropriate clothing, a telephone and an emergency kit, and identify gas stations along a planned route before departure.

Foreign driver’s licences and International Driving Permits are not accepted in China. Travellers can obtain a provisional Chinese driver’s permit in major cities. Hiring a driver is often the best option for visitors wishing to travel by car.

Rail Travel

China boasts the world's longest high-speed railway network with over 48,000 kilometres (29,825 miles) of track. Colossal infrastructure investments have been planned in recent years, and the network for modern high-speed trains (CRH) is set to grow further. Besides CRH trains, China is served by a vast intercity network covering virtually every corner of the country; these second-generation trains tend to be less comfortable, although still very reliable for time schedules. English-speaking service on non-CRH trains is nonexistent. Intercity trains operate around the clock, and are equipped with sleeper compartments and air conditioning and are kept in good condition. New CRH trains are very comfortable and fast and represent a remarkable alternative to air travel; they currently do not operate overnight services, except on the Beijing-Shanghai route.

China has also inaugurated a strategic railway between Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's capital Urumqi and Gansu province's capital Lanzhou, connecting its vast and resource-rich western region with booming cities in central China. Another key route is the Chengdu-Guiyang-Guangzhou railway link, allowing the cheaper industrial districts in the country’s interior to be rapidly connected to high-tech outlets and financial centres in coastal Guangdong province.

Timetables for all services are published twice a year in April and October and are available at train stations and on the Internet. Buying train tickets has improved, as an increasing number of stations in tier-1 cities introduced English-speaking counters. Buying tickets in advance is highly recommended, as popular long-distance trains can fill up fast, especially when holiday seasons approach (particularly Chinese New Year and Labour Day).

Maritime Travel

International ferry services connect Shanghai with Kobe and Osaka in Japan, Tianjin with Kobe in Japan, and Dalian in Liaoning province as well as Weihai and Qingdao in Shandong province with Incheon in South Korea. Ferries also operate on the Songhua River connecting Harbin, Qiqihar and Jiamusi in Heilongjiang province with Khabarovsk in Russia. Some of these routes have remained suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public Transport

Ferries and Boats: Safety is good on international ferries, but overcrowding can be a problem for domestic services. If planning several domestic ferry trips, travellers are advised to buy their buoyancy aid, as most vessels do not carry enough life jackets for all passengers.

There are also many long-distance domestic ferry routes, including services from Suzhou to Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Beihai to Hainan Island, and Shanghai to Chongqing via the Yangtze River.

Buses: Driving in China can be reckless, and bus accidents occur regularly. The safest place to sit on any bus is in an aisle seat in the middle of the vehicle.

Long-distance buses range in comfort and quality. Ordinary buses are the cheapest, make frequent stops, and have basic wooden seats. Sleeper buses have two tiers of narrow bunks or seats that recline and are frequently dirty and crowded. Minibuses operate on shorter routes and are usually overcrowded. Express buses travel directly to their final destination, are air-conditioned and enforce a no-smoking policy.

Metro: Underground rail networks are available in several major cities, including Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai as well as Guangzhou in Guangdong province. They are reliable and safe to use but can be very overcrowded.

Taxis: Taxis are readily available in China. Unlicensed cabs are common and can grossly overcharge. Licensed taxis can be recognised by the taxi company's insignia, taxi roof light display, and visible meter. Travellers are advised to change taxis if the meter is broken or obscured. The taxi licence, complete with the driver’s picture, should always be on display. Asking a trusted local how much a particular journey should cost can be useful.

Many drivers in major cities are now required to learn some basic English phrases, but communication may still be difficult. Hotels are usually able to arrange taxis for guests. Ride-hailing app, namely DiDi, are also reliable and more convenient than traditional taxis.

Vehicle Hire: Car rental facilities are not widely available, except at some large airports, including those in Beijing and Shanghai. Travellers who decide to rent a car must convert their International Driver's Licence to a Chinese licence and cannot take the car out of the city in which it was rented. Hiring a driver for the day can be a substantially cheaper and easier alternative to renting a car.