Ukraine citizens: China visa requirements
The short answer
Holders of a Ukraine passport are not visa-exempt for mainland China, but may use the 240-hour transit visa-free policy with an onward ticket (A → China → B), or enter Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days (Hainan only).
- Entry
- Hainan only
- Where
- Transit area
- Onward ticket
- Required
- Work / study
- Visa required
Schemes that apply to you
Ordinary passport holders holding a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region may enter China without a visa through any of 65 designated ports.
- Stay
- Up to 240 hours (10 days)
- You need
- An ordinary passport plus a confirmed onward ticket with fixed dates and itinerary
- Permitted purposes
- Transit to a third country or region (tourism, business, visits and family visits are allowed while you are there)
- Where it applies
- 65 designated ports across 24 provinces; you must stay inside the designated area of that port
- Your itinerary must be A → China → B. Returning the way you came does not normally count as transit.
- You need a confirmed onward ticket with dates — a one-way ticket is not enough.
- Work, study and news reporting still require a visa obtained before you travel.
- A separate 24-hour transit exemption applies at all open ports, but you may not leave the port area.
Ordinary passport holders visiting Hainan for tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions or sports (not work or study) may enter without a visa.
- Stay
- Up to 30 days
- You need
- A valid ordinary passport
- Permitted purposes
- Tourism, business, visits, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, sports — not work or study
- Where it applies
- Hainan Province only, arriving and departing through Hainan’s open ports
- You cannot fly onward to mainland China on this policy — Hainan only.
- Combined with bilateral and unilateral agreements, nationals of 88 countries can currently enter Hainan visa-free.
- Individual travellers qualify; tour groups also qualify.
Take this to the airport
- Passport valid for the length of your stay — airlines often want six months.
- A confirmed onward ticket to a third country, with dates.
- Hotel bookings covering the first nights.
- For business travel, a letter from your company or the Chinese host.
What visa-free does not cover
- Work, study or news reporting — a visa is required.
- Stays beyond the permitted duration.
- Travel on temporary or emergency documents instead of an ordinary passport.
- A guarantee of entry: the border officer still decides.
The transit test: your itinerary must be A → China → B, with B a different country or region from where you started. A round trip home the same way does not qualify. Confirm the onward booking before you fly — airlines screen this at check-in.
Ukraine travellers: common questions
Do Ukraine citizens need a visa for China?+
No nationwide visa-free entry. 240-hour transit applies with an onward ticket, and Hainan is visa-free for 30 days.
How long can Ukraine citizens stay in China without a visa?+
Up to 30 days, but only in Hainan Province. Nationwide stays require a visa.
Can Ukraine citizens work or study in China on visa-free entry?+
No. Work, study and news reporting are excluded from all three visa-free schemes and require a visa obtained before travel.
Other countries in Europe
Read next
China’s 240-hour visa-free transit, explained
Ten days in China without a visa, if your itinerary is A → China → B. Here are the exact rules on tickets, ports, stay areas and what counts as transit.
240-hour transit vs 30-day visa-free entry
Two different schemes, two different sets of rules. Picking the wrong one at check-in is the most common avoidable problem for China-bound travellers.