China: visa and entry rules

China's borders: every crossing point

China's land border crossings, listed by neighbour:

With Russia: Zabaikalsk — Manzhouli, the main road crossing on the Transbaikal route; Blagoveshchensk — Heihe, where the bridge over the Amur operates; Pogranichny — Suifenhe and Kraskino — Hunchun in Primorye.

With Kazakhstan: Khorgos and Dostyk.

With Mongolia: Erenhot — Zamyn-Uud, the main crossing on the Beijing route.

With Kyrgyzstan: Irkeshtam and Torugart, both high in the mountains and seasonal.

With Nepal: Kodari — Zhangmu and Rasuwagadhi — Kyirong.

China has fourteen land neighbours in all — more than any other country in the world, alongside Russia.

The bridge over the Amur at Blagoveshchensk is the most convenient road route from Russia, but its capacity is limited, and queues in high season are normal.

Bringing a car into China

Entering in your own car is difficult. China requires a temporary permit for the vehicle and a Chinese driving licence: an International Driving Permit is not recognised here.

Foreign national licences and International Driving Permits are not valid in China — you need a local one, and that is the main difference from most destinations.

The usual arrangement is an organised convoy through an accredited Chinese company, which takes on the permits and the escort.

Check the temporary import period for China before you set off. It is not tied to the validity of your visa and is often shorter.

The bulk of the road traffic goes through Zabaikalsk and Blagoveshchensk on the Russian border.

Travelling to China with a pet

An international-standard microchip is mandatory.

The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.

You need an international veterinary certificate, endorsed by the state veterinary service.

Quarantine is applied. China is one of the few destinations where quarantine for animals is ordinary practice rather than an exception; in some cases it is shortened if the documents are complete.

No more than one animal per person.

Check the timings for bringing an animal into China with your country's veterinary service before you buy tickets.

Overstaying your visa in China

A fine accrues for every day of overstay and has an upper limit.

You will learn the figure at the border, not before. Rates in China are revised, and guidebooks do not keep up with them: take cash and allow time for the departure formalities.

Besides the fine, detention and deportation with an entry ban are applied — China treats breaches of the rules on length of stay strictly.

Registration at your place of residence is mandatory. A hotel does it for you, but if you rent from a private landlord you have to register at the local police station within 24 hours. Not being registered is an offence in its own right, and it comes to light at any document check.