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Guide · as of 1 Nov 2026China trip checklist: entry, internet, money and packing
Germans and Austrians can visit China visa-free for up to 30 days until 31 Dec 2026. This checklist covers what to sort out before you fly: entry, registration, internet without a VPN, payments, power banks and plugs – with official sources, checked 1 Nov 2026.
1. Entry: 30 days visa-free
- Applies to ordinary German and Austrian passports until 31 Dec 2026, midnight – tourism, business, visits, exchanges and transit of up to 30 days (Chinese embassy). Other nationalities: check your Chinese embassy.
- The 30 days count from the day after entry. Your passport must be valid for the whole stay.
- Children’s passports, temporary passports or travel documents: visa required (German Federal Foreign Office).
- Work, study, journalism or more than 30 days: apply for a visa in advance.
- Keep your return flight and hotel bookings at hand – the embassy recommends carrying such proof.
- Fill in the arrival card; the Foreign Office recommends the immigration authority’s (NIA) online form. Fingerprints are taken from age 14 to 70.
2. On the ground: registration and passport
- Register with the police within 24 hours – hotels do this for you. For private stays, the Foreign Office says it works online via the NIA 12367 app, the website or the mini-program in WeChat or Alipay.
- Always carry your passport (Foreign Office).
- Foreign driving licences are not recognised (Foreign Office) – so no rental car.
- Travelling on to Hong Kong or Macau counts as leaving mainland China (Foreign Office).
3. Internet: plan without a VPN
- Germany’s Federal Foreign Office says Google, Facebook, X and WhatsApp, among others, are blocked.
- Using a VPN to get around censorship is prohibited; the Foreign Office explicitly advises against it.
- Chinese SIM contracts require ID and a face scan (Foreign Office).
- Travel eSIMs and home-network roaming partly route data abroad – what that means for Google and WhatsApp is in the eSIM guide.
- Agree on an alternative to WhatsApp with key contacts, such as SMS or calls on your home number.
- Download offline maps and translation apps before you go.
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4. Money: app, card, a little cash
- The currency is the renminbi (RMB, yuan). Most payments go through Alipay or WeChat Pay; many places do not accept international credit cards (Foreign Office).
- The Foreign Office says ATMs work with all common credit cards; the German girocard only to a very limited extent.
- Up to 20,000 RMB may be brought in or out; declare foreign currency worth more than USD 5,000 (Foreign Office).
5. Luggage and customs
- Power banks only with a clearly visible CCC mark and only in hand luggage – otherwise confiscated. Lighters are banned; liquids follow the 100 ml rule (Foreign Office).
- Duty-free per the Foreign Office: 400 cigarettes and 2 bottles of spirits of 750 ml.
- No mandatory vaccinations when arriving from Germany; the Foreign Office recommends hepatitis A among others – check with your doctor.
- Plugs and voltage: see the plugs page below.
Sources
All facts checked on the official pages on 2026-11-01. Rules, limits and fees can change – the authority or the app is what counts. Not legal advice.
Common questions
Do I need a visa for China?
Not for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, exchanges or transit of up to 30 days on an ordinary German or Austrian passport – the Chinese embassy says this applies until 31 Dec 2026, midnight. Work, study, journalism or stays over 30 days need a visa in advance. Other nationalities: check your Chinese embassy.
When do the 30 days start?
According to the embassy, on the day after you enter.
Does a children’s or temporary passport work?
No. Germany’s Federal Foreign Office says you then need a visa; visa-free entry requires an ordinary passport valid for the whole stay.
Do WhatsApp and Google work in China?
Germany’s Federal Foreign Office says Google, Facebook, X and WhatsApp, among others, are blocked. Using VPN services to get around this is prohibited, and the Foreign Office advises against it. Some travel eSIMs route data abroad – see the eSIM guide.
Can I bring a power bank?
According to the Foreign Office, only with a clearly visible CCC mark and only in hand luggage; otherwise it is confiscated. Lighters are banned.