How do I read the dates on a Chinese visa?

A Chinese visa page carries three independent fields, and the visa stops working when either of two of them runs out. Enter Before is the last date you may enter China. Entries is how many times you may cross the border — 1, 2, or M for multiple. Duration of Each Stay is how long you may remain after each entry, and it resets on every entry. Reading only the expiry date is the single most common and most expensive mistake.

Where the visa page and anything you have read elsewhere disagree, the visa page wins. Field names below follow the English labels used by Chinese embassies and visa centres.

The three fields, one by one

The three independent fields on a Chinese visa page, as of October 2026
Field	What it actually means	What it controls	The common misreading
Enter Before	The last calendar date on which you may enter China	When the visa can still be used for entry	“My visa expires then, so I must leave then.” No — you may enter on that very date and stay your full duration afterwards.
Entries	How many times you may cross into the mainland: 1, 2, or M for multiple	How many border crossings the visa can still fund	Assuming re-entries are free on a 2-entry visa. Each re-entry spends one.
Duration of Each Stay	How many days you may remain after each entry — 60 days on a standard L visa	The length of every individual stay	Reading it as a total across the visa’s whole life. It resets on each entry, up to the entry limit.

The rule in one line: the visa dies when the entries run out or the Enter Before date passes — whichever comes first. A visa with two entries and three years of validity is a two-stay visa, not a three-year visa.

Worked examples

Common visa types and how their fields read, as of October 2026
Visa	Enter Before	Entries	Duration of each stay	What it means in practice
US L visa (10-year)	About 10 years out	M	60 days	Unlimited entries, each up to 60 days, plus one 30-day extension per stay from inside China — until the Enter Before date.
2-entry L visa	Typically 3–6 months out	2	60 days	Two stays of up to 60 days. After the second entry the visa is dead, even if the Enter Before date has not passed.
X1 study visa	Set around the course start	1	Placeholder (e.g. 000)	One entry only. The real clock starts after you convert it to a study residence permit within 30 days of entering.
Visa-free entry	No visa page at all	Entry stamp only	30 days	30 consecutive natural days from the day after entry, unlimited entries, no annual cap on total days.

Where to check, and what beats what

The visa page itself is authoritative. Photograph it and keep a copy separate from your passport.
The issuance notice from the embassy or visa centre is the next-best source — it states the entries and duration granted.
Screenshots from agents and forums are not evidence. Two people with the same passport can receive different entries and durations.
If a visa looks wrong, raise it at the issuing centre before you travel — not at the border, where the officer simply applies what is printed.

Entry on the last day of Enter Before is permitted, and your Duration of Each Stay still runs from that entry. What is not permitted is entering after the date, or re-entering after the entries are spent — both are treated as travelling without a valid visa.

Questions people ask before they book

What does M mean in the Entries field?

M stands for multiple: unlimited entries during the visa's validity. A visa showing 1 or 2 allows only that many crossings into mainland China, after which it is finished regardless of the Enter Before date.

When does my 60-day stay clock start?

On the day you enter, as recorded on your entry stamp — not on the day the visa was issued and not on the day you booked. The days are calendar days, and the exit day is part of the count.

Can I renew a used-up visa inside China?

No. New visas are issued only by Chinese embassies, consulates and visa centres outside China. Inside the country you can only extend an L visa once by up to 30 days, or apply for certain residence permits.

My visa expires next month but I have entries left. Can I still enter?

Yes, on or before the Enter Before date. Your stay then runs its own Duration of Each Stay from that entry, and the visa simply cannot be used for any further entry afterwards.

How do the three fields interact with a Hong Kong reset?

A reset to Hong Kong or Macao restarts the Duration of Each Stay on your next entry, but it still spends one entry if your visa shows 1 or 2. Only M-entry visas can be reset indefinitely.

Go deeper

How long can a foreigner stay in China?The three routes, their exact limits, and how they stack across a year. Can I reset my China stay by going to Hong Kong?The reset routine done properly, and how it interacts with the Entries field. Can I extend a visa-free stay in China?No — and here is exactly what you can and cannot do from inside the country instead. Which countries can enter China visa-free in 2026?The 50-country list, the expiry dates, and what to do if your passport is not on it. What does it cost per month to live in China?A $950-a-month budget broken down, city by city, including the border-run cost.

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