Attention Yiwu Business Owners/Foreigners: How to Calculate the 30-Day Visa-Free Stay and What to Do When It Expires or for Urgent Visits

Foreign friends doing business in Yiwu, as well as local business owners and administrative staff who assist foreign merchants with visa matters, often ask three questions: How long can one stay under the visa-free policy? What if they want to stay longer after the 30 days? What if a guest decides to come to Yiwu to inspect goods or sign a contract at the last minute and there's no time to apply for a visa? Based on the public guidelines of the National Immigration Administration, this article will clarify the calculation of the visa-free stay, the 'stay procedures,' port visas (commonly known as 'landing visas'), and the extension, reissue, and replacement of M-class business visas, and provide official query links.

I. How Long Can One Stay Under the Visa-Free Policy?

Until February 17, 2026, China offers unilateral visa-free entry to ordinary passport holders from 50 countries: 35 European countries (including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, and the UK), 2 Oceania countries (Australia and New Zealand), 7 Asian countries (Brunei, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain), and 6 American countries (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Canada). Citizens of these countries holding ordinary passports can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for purposes such as business, tourism, visiting relatives, exchanges, and transit.

The key points are: First, the stay period is calculated from midnight of the day following entry, not from the specific time of entry; second, in addition to unilateral visa-free policies, China has also signed mutual visa exemption agreements with several countries, under which the stay limit is 'no more than 30 days per stay, and no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.'

How Is 'No More Than 90 Days in Any 180-Day Period' Calculated?

• The 180-day period is calculated separately for each traveler's visa-free stay in China, starting from any day of the stay and tracing back 180 days.
• The 90 days do not include the time spent in China with a visa, residence permit, or APEC Business Travel Card.
• If, upon entry, the cumulative visa-free stay in the preceding 180 days has already reached 90 days, visa-free entry is not allowed; if it is less than 90 days but the remaining stay is less than 30 days, the current visa-free stay cannot exceed the remaining allowable stay.
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This is why some guests may be allowed to stay for only a few days on their next visit, even though they stayed for nearly a month on their previous visit—it is not due to border control difficulties, but rather the result of the above rules.

II. What to Do If You Want to Stay Longer After the Visa-Free Period Expires?

The official guideline is clear: After entering visa-free, one must leave before the end of the visa-free stay period. If, due to an emergency or force majeure, it is necessary to continue staying in China, one should apply for a stay procedure with the public security exit and entry administration department before the visa-free stay period expires.

Three practical suggestions for Yiwu business owners:

• Don't wait until the last day: Submit your application before the stay period expires, leaving time to supplement any required documents; overstaying will result in a bad record.
• Reasons must be genuine and materials must match: The State Council's Provisions on Exit and Entry Administration (effective from July 2026) clearly stipulates that the reasons for applying for exit, entry, stay, or residence by exit and entry personnel should be true and legal. Using fake invitation letters or false materials to obtain visas or stay permits now has clearer risk definitions than before.
• Ask the competent authority first: Whether it can be processed and what kind of document can be issued, follow the response from the local exit and entry administration, do not rely solely on verbal promises from intermediaries.

Three, if guests are in a hurry and cannot get a visa? They can apply for a "port visa"

If guests decide at the last minute to come to Yiwu to inspect goods or sign contracts and do not have time to go to the Chinese embassy or consulate abroad to get a visa, there is another official channel - port visa (many people call it a "visa on arrival"). It is not a type of visa (unlike a "business visa" or "tourist visa") but rather a "method" of obtaining a visa.

According to the National Immigration Administration, foreign nationals holding ordinary passports who have an urgent need to enter and do not have time to obtain a visa from the Chinese embassy or consulate abroad can apply for a port visa upon entry. As of the release of this Q&A, port visa services have covered 73 cities and 99 open ports nationwide.

In addition, for foreign tourist groups applying for a group tourist port visa (two or more people), the domestic travel agency responsible for organizing and receiving the group must submit an invitation letter, list of personnel, and travel reception plan, among other proof materials, to the port visa authority in advance.

Four, if already in Yiwu, can the visa still be extended, reissued, or replaced?

Yes, but it depends on what type of visa you hold. Foreign nationals who come to China for short-term business cooperation, visits and exchanges, investment and entrepreneurship, visiting relatives, sightseeing, and handling personal affairs, and who have legitimate and reasonable reasons to continue staying in China, can apply to the local public security exit and entry administration for: