Validity, entries and duration of stay: reading the three fields on a Chinese visa

The three fields answer three different questions. The validity period of entry, which the embassy in the United Kingdom calls "enter before", is the period in which you may enter China. The number of entries is how many times you may enter within that period. The duration of stay is how many days each entry allows you to stay.

The three terms in the Regulations

Regulations, Article 36 defines the three terms in items (1) to (3).

Field on the visa	What the Regulations say	Where
Number of entries	"the number of times that the visa holder may enter China within the validity period of the entry specified in the visa"	Regulations, Article 36, item (1)
Validity period of the entry	"the valid period of time during which the visa holder may enter China. Unless otherwise specified by the issuing authority, a visa is valid from the date of issuance until Beijing time 24:00 on the expiring day"	Regulations, Article 36, item (2)
Duration of stay	"the period of time during which the visa holder is allowed to stay in China after each entry. It begins from the next day of entry"	Regulations, Article 36, item (3)

Where the fields are registered

Law, Article 17 says the registered items of a visa "shall include" the visa type, name, sex, date of birth, "number of allowed entries, validity period of entry and duration of stay of the holder", date and place of issuance, and passport number or other international travel documents number.

Article 17 lists these items but does not define them. The definitions are in Regulations, Article 36.

What the UK embassy says about "enter before" and entries

The embassy in the United Kingdom says the validity period, which appears as "enter before" and, on a biometric visa, as "expiry date", is "the valid period of time during which the visa holder may enter China". Its wording adds a condition to the validity rule: a visa is valid from the date of issuance until Beijing time 24:00 on the expiring day, "so long as the entries granted on the visa have not been used up". That condition does not appear in the text of Regulations, Article 36, item (2).

The page is dated 1 July 2020, so check the embassy's current website before you travel.

When entries are used up or validity has expired

The embassy in the United Kingdom says: "When the entries are all used up, the visa is no longer valid. Even if there are still unused entries, the visa is not valid if its validity has already expired." It adds that in either case "the visa holder should apply for a new visa if another visit to China is planned", and that "Holders of an invalid visa will be refused entry to China."

In Part Seven, Q9, the same embassy says: "Visas expire if one of the following situations occurs:"

1. The time of your arrival in China is later than 24:00 (Beijing Time) of the Expiry Date given on the visa page.
2. The number of entries have been used up.
3. The visa has been cancelled or declared invalid by the authorities of the Chinese government.
4. Other circumstances in compliance with the Chinese laws and regulations.

The duration of stay after each entry

Regulations, Article 36, item (3) says the duration of stay "begins from the next day of entry". In Part Seven, Q11, the embassy in the United Kingdom says the Duration of Each Stay "refers to the maximum number of days you are permitted to stay in China after each entry."

The same Q11 says that if you hold an ordinary visa and need to extend your stay after arrival, "you will have to apply for an extension at the local public security authorities before your duration of stay runs out."

On overstay, the embassy in the United Kingdom (Part One) says overstay "violates Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners and other relevant laws and regulations, and could result in a fine or other penalty."

Suggestion, not a rule: before you book travel, write the three fields from your visa next to your planned arrival and departure dates. Then check each date against the field it falls under.

Questions people ask

What does "enter before" mean on a Chinese visa?

The embassy in the United Kingdom says the period of validity is "the valid period of time during which the visa holder may enter China". Regulations, Article 36, item (2) says that, unless otherwise specified by the issuing authority, a visa is valid until Beijing time 24:00 on the expiring day.

What happens when the entries on my visa are used up?

The embassy in the United Kingdom says: "When the entries are all used up, the visa is no longer valid." In Part Seven, Q9, item (2) lists "The number of entries have been used up" as one situation in which a visa expires.

Does the duration of stay start on the day I enter?

No. Regulations, Article 36, item (3) says the duration of stay "begins from the next day of entry".

Sources

• Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (English text published by the National Immigration Administration), National Immigration Administration
• Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (English text published by the National Immigration Administration), National Immigration Administration
• Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom, Part One: Visa for China (Mainland only), Ministry of Foreign Affairs mission
• Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom, Part Seven: FAQs and Answers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs mission

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, any embassy, consulate or visa application service centre, and it is not legal or immigration advice. If the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.