China Visa Requirements: FAQ for New Zealand Travellers

As of March 2025, New Zealand passport holders can enter mainland China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, transit, business, and family visits. This is a significant change from the previous requirement for a tourist visa. New Zealand was added to China's visa-free list as part of an expanded mutual visa-exemption programme. Key conditions for visa-free entry: - Stay must not exceed 30 days (cumulative days in a single visit) - Purpose must be tourism, transit, business meeting, or visiting family/friends - You must hold a valid New Zealand passport - Your return or onward ticket must be confirmed If you need to stay longer than 30 days, or if your visit includes other purposes (study, employment, journalism), you will still need to apply for the appropriate visa type. Note: Visa-free arrangements can change. Confirm the current status on the MFAT SafeTravel website before booking.

For visa-free entry under the 30-day exemption, you will need: At the port of entry: - Valid New Zealand passport (minimum 6 months validity remaining) - Confirmed return or onward flight ticket - Hotel confirmation or confirmed accommodation address - Completed arrival card (provided on the flight or at the immigration hall) - Travel insurance documentation (not mandatory at the border, but required for any visa application and strongly recommended) Practical tip: Chinese immigration officers may ask to see your hotel booking or onward flight ticket. Have these accessible on your phone or printed. Airlines occasionally ask for these documents at check-in before allowing you to board. If you are entering with a group tour: Your tour operator should provide you with a welcome letter confirming your accommodation details. CTS provides this as a matter of course.

If your situation falls outside the visa-free exemption (stay longer than 30 days, working, studying, or repeating visits that exceed the exemption limit), the main visa types are: L Visa (Tourist): For tourism purposes. Single or multiple entry. Most common for NZ travellers who exceed the 30-day exemption or prefer the certainty of a formal visa. M Visa (Business): For commercial and trade activities. Not required for tourist trips that include business meetings — the L visa covers this under visa-free entry. F Visa (Exchange/Cultural): For non-commercial activities, cultural exchanges, study visits. X Visa (Study): For students enrolled in Chinese educational institutions. Z Visa (Work): For those with a Chinese work permit. Complex; requires employer sponsorship. Q Visa (Family Visit): For visiting Chinese citizens who are family members. For most NZ travellers who need a formal visa (typically because they are staying more than 30 days), the L Tourist Visa is the appropriate type.

For a formal visa (if required beyond the 30-day exemption): Applications are made through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC) in Auckland: Address: 16–20 Arthur Street, Newmarket, Auckland 1023 Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00am–3:00pm (submission); 9:00am–4:00pm (collection) Required documents (standard tourist visa): 1. Completed and signed application form (available on the CVASC website) 2. Valid NZ passport (original + photocopy of data page) 3. Passport-sized photo (white background, taken within the last 6 months) 4. Confirmed return flight booking 5. Confirmed hotel bookings for the entire stay 6. Travel insurance (covering medical and evacuation) 7. Visa fee (CNY equivalent or NZD cash/card) Processing times: - Standard: 4 working days - Express (3 days): additional NZD 30–40 - Rush (2 days): additional NZD 50–70 Fee (approximately): NZD 130–160 standard single-entry; NZD 180–220 multiple-entry. Fees change periodically. Important: Do not book non-refundable flights until your visa is approved.

No — the visa-free exemption cannot be extended from within China. If you arrive on the 30-day visa-free exemption and wish to stay longer, you have two options: Option 1: Leave and re-enter. Travel to Hong Kong, Macau, or another country, and re-enter China on a new 30-day exemption. Note that China's immigration authorities monitor the pattern of entries and exits, and repeated border runs may attract scrutiny. This is not a sustainable long-term solution. Option 2: Apply for a visa before departure. If you know you will want to stay longer than 30 days, apply for an L Tourist Visa (available for 30 or 60-day stays, single or multiple entry) before leaving New Zealand. This gives you certainty and flexibility. For most NZ holiday travellers (10–21 days), the 30-day exemption is more than sufficient, and no visa is needed.

For transits through mainland China airports, New Zealand passport holders qualify for the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) policy at most major international airports. 144-hour TWOV (6 days): Available at Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Guangzhou Baiyun, Chengdu Tianfu, Chongqing, and several other airports. You can leave the airport and visit the city during your layover without a Chinese visa, as long as you have confirmed onward travel to a third country within 144 hours. 72-hour TWOV (3 days): Available at Guilin, Harbin, Kunming, and several other cities. 24-hour airside transit: Available at most other international airports. You remain in the international transit area; no visa needed. To qualify for TWOV, you must: - Hold a NZ passport - Have a confirmed onward flight to a third country (not China) - Arrive and depart through the same city (or as specified by that city's TWOV rules) This is excellent for travellers routing through China on the way to Europe or elsewhere who want to add a short China city visit.

Hong Kong: New Zealand passport holders can enter Hong Kong visa-free for up to 90 days. No application or documentation beyond your passport is required. Macau: New Zealand passport holders can enter Macau visa-free for up to 90 days. Important: Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions (SARs) with separate immigration systems from mainland China. Entry to Hong Kong or Macau does not count as entry to mainland China, and travel between the mainland and the SARs requires crossing a border checkpoint. If you are including Hong Kong or Macau as part of a China trip (which many travellers do — the high-speed rail between Hong Kong and mainland China is excellent), you will need to go through Chinese immigration when entering the mainland, even if you are coming from Hong Kong.

As of May 2026, China has removed all COVID-19 related entry requirements. No health declaration, vaccination certificate, or pre-departure testing is required. Standard health entry requirements: - Yellow fever vaccination certificate: Required only if you are arriving from a yellow fever endemic country (Sub-Saharan Africa, South America). Not required for direct travel from New Zealand. - No other vaccinations are required for entry. Recommended vaccinations (not entry requirements): - Hepatitis A and B - Typhoid - Japanese Encephalitis (if visiting rural areas) - Tetanus/diphtheria update Consult your GP or a travel health clinic at least 6 weeks before departure. Some vaccinations require multiple doses over several weeks.