Germany answer

Can Germans enter China visa-free?

Yes. Germany appears on the National Immigration Administration unilateral visa exemption country list dated February 17, 2026, so German passport holders are covered by the current 30-day direct-entry policy modeled on this site for the listed purposes. Germans are also on the current 55-country 240-hour transit list.

Check a German visit Check a transit route

Direct-entry answer

If the traveler is simply flying from Germany to China for tourism, business, family visits, exchange visits, or transit and staying within 30 days, the unilateral visa-free route is usually the first question to test.

Transit answer

If the itinerary is really Germany → mainland China → third country or region, the 240-hour transit framework may be the better fit. That matters most when the route structure and permitted stay area matter more than the nationality itself.

Likely direct visit

Germany → Beijing for a short business or tourism trip is usually the direct-entry question.

Likely transit

Germany → Shanghai → Japan can be the transit-style question if the onward segment is confirmed and the port-area rules fit.

Timing reminder

The official public rules used here calculate the stay period from 00:00 on the day after entry, which is why a timing calculator can still matter for edge cases.

Run the visit checker

Best next step for normal direct-entry trips from Germany.

Check the practical timing

Useful if the trip sits near the edge of a 30-day or 240-hour window.

See route examples

Helpful when the real uncertainty is the itinerary shape, not German nationality itself.

Official sources used for this page

This page is based on the National Immigration Administration unilateral visa exemption country list dated February 17, 2026 and the current transit policy sources dated July 4, 2025 and November 3, 2025.

Unilateral visa-free country list
Visa-free transit policy interpretation
65-port transit notice