Of Vietnam's three land neighbors, China is the only one where you cannot fix a visa problem at the border. Cambodia sells most travelers a visa at the counter. Laos does the same at its main gates. At Huu Nghi, you either already have the right to enter China or you do not cross. That makes China's visa-free list the single most important thing to check before booking a northern visa run.
Below is the current list, the dates each arrangement runs to, and the two misreadings that catch people out — the mutual agreements that are not on the list, and the 240-hour transit rule that looks like it should help and does not.
The 50 passports China admits visa-free for 30 days
China's National Immigration Administration publishes the list of countries covered by its unilateral visa exemption. The current version is dated 17 February 2026 and names 50 countries. Holders of ordinary passports from these countries may enter for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit, and stay up to 30 days.
- Europe (35): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
- Asia (7): Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
- Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand
- Americas (6): Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Uruguay
The 30 days are counted from 00:00 on the day after you enter, so the day of arrival does not use up your allowance. The list applies to ordinary passports only.
These are dated arrangements, not permanent ones
Unlike a treaty, a unilateral exemption runs to a stated end date and continues only if China renews it. As things stand:
- Until 31 December 2026 — the 45 countries renewed in the November 2025 notice (most of Europe, plus Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, the five South American countries, and the four Gulf states), along with Sweden, which was added from 10 November 2025.
- 17 February to 31 December 2026 — the United Kingdom and Canada, the newest additions.
- Until 31 December 2027 — Russia. The original one-year trial was due to end on 14 September 2026 and was extended in May 2026.
That accounts for 49 of the 50. Brunei is on the immigration administration's list but is not covered by any of these notices, so check its terms separately. China has renewed these arrangements each time so far, but nothing obliges it to. If you are planning a border run for January 2027 or later, check for a renewal notice before you book rather than assuming one.
Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia: visa-free under separate agreements
The unilateral list is not the only way to enter China without a visa. China has also signed mutual visa-exemption agreements, which are separate arrangements with their own terms. Three matter for people living in Vietnam:
- Singapore — mutual 30-day exemption in effect since 9 February 2024.
- Thailand — mutual 30-day exemption in effect since 1 March 2024.
- Malaysia — mutual agreement in effect since 17 July 2025: up to 30 days per stay, and no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
So a Singaporean, Thai, or Malaysian passport is absent from the 50-country list and can still cross. If your country is not on the unilateral list, look for a mutual agreement before concluding that you need a visa.
Passports that do need a Chinese visa in advance include the United States, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa, and Vietnam.
Why the 240-hour transit rule does not rescue a visa run
This is a frequent misreading, particularly among US passport holders. China lets citizens of 55 countries — the United States among them — stay up to 240 hours without a visa while in transit. Ten days is far more than a border run needs, so it sounds like a solution.
It is not, because of what “transit” means in the rule. You must hold an onward ticket with a confirmed date and seat to a third country or region, enter through a designated port, and stay inside the permitted area. A visa run is Vietnam to China and straight back to Vietnam. There is no third country in that itinerary, so it is an ordinary entry, and an ordinary entry needs either a visa or one of the exemptions above.
Crossing at Huu Nghi with and without an exemption
Huu Nghi in Lang Son is the land gate we use for visa runs from Hanoi. The Chinese side is Youyiguan, the Friendship Pass, near Pingxiang in Guangxi. It is a quick same-day route when it works, and it works only for travelers who clear the Chinese desk without help.
If your passport is covered
You exit Vietnam, enter China under the exemption, wait for your new Vietnam e-visa to be approved, and walk back. There is no Chinese visa fee. Carry the passport you will actually enter on — dual nationals sometimes exit Vietnam on one passport and reach for another at the Chinese desk, which creates a mismatch with the Vietnam e-visa on the way back.
If your passport is not covered
You need a Chinese visa issued before you travel — exactly the kind of advance paperwork a border run is meant to avoid. For most people in this position, a different border is the better answer:
- Hanoi – Lao Bao crosses into Laos, where most nationalities can buy a visa on arrival. See Laos visa-free countries and border rules.
- If you can travel south, Ho Chi Minh – Moc Bai crosses into Cambodia, the most forgiving of the three. See Cambodia visa-free countries.
Before you book a Huu Nghi run
- Find your passport on the 50-country list, or confirm a mutual agreement covers it.
- Check the end date of that arrangement against your travel date.
- Make sure your new Vietnam e-visa names Huu Nghi as the entry gate. An e-visa issued for an airport will not be accepted at the land border.
- Confirm at least six months of passport validity and blank pages for four stamps.
- Do not exit Vietnam until the timing of the new e-visa is clear.
China's entry rules are set by Chinese authorities and the officer at the checkpoint has the final say; an exemption is a right to apply for entry, not a guarantee of it. If you are unsure which border suits your passport, send us your nationality and visa expiry date through the Vietnam visa run page and we will point you to the route that fits.