Entering China after Taiwan (Visa Period)

Question

Hi Everyone!

In November, I’ll be flying to Taiwan for 5 days and then to China for 28 days. With my passport, I don’t need a visa for either country. For China, I’m allowed to stay up to 30 days visa-free.

I have a specific question: based on my research, Taiwan and China have separate visa requirements and customs procedures. However, I’m wondering if the Chinese government might count my 5 days in Taiwan as part of my stay in China (given the political situation and the fact that they’ll see I entered Taiwan first). If that’s the case, my total stay would be 33 days (28 + 5), exceeding the 30-day limit.

I’m fairly confident this won’t be an issue, but I’d like to double-check with people who have done something similar.

Thank you in advance.

Cheers,

Answer

You are correct that China and Taiwan have separate entry and visa procedures. When you enter China after visiting Taiwan, the Chinese authorities generally do not count your days spent in Taiwan toward your 30-day visa-free allowance in China. Your stay in Taiwan is considered separate because China issues its visa-free policies based on entry into mainland China, not time spent in Taiwan.

Some important points to consider:

Your passport entry and exit stamps will show your time in Taiwan, but Chinese immigration only considers your arrival date in mainland China for calculating the 30-day visa-free period.
As long as your travel documents comply with the standard entry requirements (passport validity, onward/return ticket, etc.), you should be able to stay the full 28 days in China without any issues.
If you want extra reassurance, you can carry your Taiwan departure stamp and return ticket from China to show immigration that your stay in Taiwan was entirely separate from your upcoming stay in China.

In summary, your 5 days in Taiwan will not reduce your 30-day allowance in China. You should have no problem staying 28 days in mainland China after visiting Taiwan.

Many travelers have successfully done similar itineraries, visiting Taiwan first and then entering China for the full visa-free period. There are no reports of the days in Taiwan being counted against the 30-day allowance.

Entering China after Taiwan (Visa Period)

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