China Visa & Entry Guide for Sichuan
Work out whether a national visa exemption, an applicable mutual agreement or an L visa covers Jiuzhaigou and western Sichuan.
Choose your China entry basis →ENTRY, ARRIVAL & TRAVEL TOOLS
Enter China.
Travel with confidence.
Official-source entry guidance, Chengdu airport arrivals and practical tools for payments, navigation, communication and train travel.
LAST VERIFIED · OCTOBER 29, 2026
Find the help you need at each stage
Start with the rule that lets you enter China, then prepare for your airport arrival and the tools you will use on the road.
01 · ENTRY & VISA RULES
Choose how you enter China
These guides explain the difference between a national entry basis and Chengdu’s geographically limited transit policy.
02 · ARRIVING IN CHENGDU
Know your airport before landing
TFU and CTU are different airports. Check the code on your ticket, then follow the guide for that airport.
Chengdu Tianfu Airport
Follow GTC signs from T1 or T2 to Metro, high-speed rail or the 24-hour airport bus.
Open the TFU arrival guide →Chengdu Shuangliu Airport
Follow terminal signs to Metro Lines 10, 19 or 30, T2 railway, Airport Bus 1 or ride-hailing.
Open the CTU arrival guide →03 · GETTING AROUND CHENGDU
Choose metro or ride-hailing
Use the metro for predictable cross-city travel and DiDi when a station is inconvenient, luggage is heavy or the final destination is easier to reach by car.
Chengdu Metro
Find station entrances, use the Chengdu Metro Ride Code in Alipay or a bank card, buy tickets and connect with airports, stations and attractions.
Open the Chengdu Metro guide →DiDi China
Book a ride, confirm the pickup point and match your driver, vehicle and license plate.
Open the DiDi ride-hailing guide →04 · EVERYDAY TRAVEL TOOLS
Navigate, pay, communicate and book trains
Set up the core services foreign travelers use after arrival. Each guide focuses on one task instead of treating every app as interchangeable.
AMap Global
Find the official app, switch from Chinese to English, and set up an optional account before navigating China.
Open the AMap guide →Alipay
Link an international card, pay merchants and activate local transport codes in supported cities.
Open the Alipay guide →Register with a mobile number, complete security, enable Weixin Pay and add a bank card.
Open the WeChat guide →Railway 12306
Register with a foreign passport, buy tickets, read pinyin station names and board with your passport.
Open the Railway 12306 guide →