China 240-Hour Transit Visa-Free Complete Guide

I. Quick Overview of Core Policy Parameters

Policy Evolution: On December 17, 2024, extended uniformly from 72/144 to 240 hours, expanded to 60 ports; on June 12, 2025, Indonesia joined, increasing to 55 countries; on November 5, 2025, ports expanded to 65; on August 20, 2026, Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined, bringing the total to 57 countries.

II. Complete List of 57 Eligible Countries

Europe (40 Countries)

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway

Americas (6 Countries)

United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile

Oceania (2 Countries)

Australia, New Zealand

Asia (9 Countries)

South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan (the last two added on August 20, 2026)

III. Four Mandatory Requirements for Application

All four conditions must be met—border control will verify each one individually:

1. Nationality must be among the 57 eligible countries, and holding a ordinary passport (diplomatic, official, or official ordinary passports are not covered under this exemption).
2. Passport validity ≥ 3 months, and meets the entry requirements for the third country (region).
3. Must hold a connecting ticket with confirmed date and seat, departing China within 240 hours to a third country (region)—no application can be processed if the connecting ticket is not booked in advance.
4. Holds a document with no record of Chinese visa rejection, and no record of illegal entry, illegal residence, or illegal employment within the past 5 years.

"Transit" is the core condition: The country/region of departure must differ from that of the destination.

• Valid Examples: Los Angeles → Beijing → Seoul; Mexico City → Shenzhen → Hong Kong; Paris → Shanghai → Sydney; Hong Kong → Guangzhou → Macao.
• Invalid Examples: New York → Shanghai → Los Angeles (departure and destination both in the U.S., not considered transit).

IV. How Is the Stay Period Calculated? (Most Common Mistake)

Starts from midnight of the day after arrival; departure must occur within 240 hours.

Example: Arrival in China on December 1, 2026 → calculation begins at midnight on December 2 → must depart through a designated port to a third country/region before 24:00 on December 11.

💡 When booking flights, keep the interval between "arrival in China" and "departure from China" within 10 days or less—better to be slightly shorter than exact. Avoid pushing it to the limit.

V. 24 Provinces and Regions with Stay Restrictions

The policy covers 24 provinces (regions, municipalities), allowing cross-provincial travel within designated areas:

Full provincial administrative regions permitted for stay (19)

Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Heilongjiang

Limited city stays (5)

• Shanxi → Only Taiyuan, Datong
• Jiangxi → Only Nanchang, Jingdezhen
• Guangxi → Only 12 cities including Nanning, Guilin
• Sichuan → Only 11 cities including Chengdu
• Yunnan → Only 9 cities and prefectures including Kunming

⚠️ Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang—7 provinces/regions have not implemented this policy; do not plan trips to these areas.

VI. 65 Open Ports (Major Examples)

Airports (Primary)

Beijing Capital/Daxing, Shanghai Pudong/Hongqiao, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao'an, Chengdu Shuangliu/Tianfu, Xi'an Xianyang, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Xiamen Gaoqi, Kunming Changshui, Wuhan Tianhe, Zhengzhou Xincheng, Nanjing Lukou, Qingdao Jiaodong, Sanya Phoenix, Haikou Meilan, Chongqing Jiangbei, Guiyang Longdongbao, Zhangjiajie Huanghua, etc.

Land ports / Railway ports

Zhuhai Port at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, West Kowloon Station on Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Rail, Menglun Railway Port

Maritime Passenger Ports

Tianjin Port, Shanghai Port, Dalian Port, Qingdao Port, Guangzhou Nansha Port, Shekou Port, Xiamen Port, Wenzhou Port, Zhoushan Port, Beihai Port, etc.

📌 Before traveling, verify the latest complete list of the 65 ports on the official website of the National Immigration Administration (nia.gov.cn) to avoid entry issues due to port adjustments.

VII. Entry Procedures (What to Do Upon Arrival at the Port)

1. After disembarking or alighting, proceed to the Temporary Entry Permit Issuance Counter.
2. Fill out the "Temporary Entry Foreigner Arrival and Departure Card".
3. Present your valid international travel document + confirmed connecting flight ticket (paper or electronic version acceptable, key information clearly visible).
4. Undergo border inspection questioning and checks.
5. Receive your 240-hour Temporary Entry Permit, which specifies your allowed stay period and permitted area of movement.
6. Register accommodation within 24 hours after entry (hotels will handle it; staying with friends/family requires you or the host to register at the local police station).

VIII. Example Itineraries

🛬 Business + Tourism Combination

Los Angeles → Shanghai (stay 5 days: business meetings + Yangtze River Delta tourism) → Tokyo

🛬 Multi-city Transit

Paris → Beijing (3 days) → Xi'an (2 days) → Chengdu (3 days) → Sydney

Note: Beijing, Shaanxi, and Sichuan are all within permitted zones, enabling inter-provincial travel.

🛬 Hong Kong & Macao Route

Hong Kong → Guangzhou (enter via Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, stay 4 days) → Bangkok

🛬 Same-day Departure & Arrival Transfer

New York → Shenzhen (stay 2 days, transfer via West Kowloon Station high-speed rail) → Hong Kong

IX. 6 Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. "Connecting flight" is not two separate tickets—must be a single confirmed itinerary under one reservation number with fixed dates and seats; segmented purchases or non-connecting tickets may not be recognized by immigration officers.
2. Departure and destination cannot be the same country—itinerary like New York → Shanghai → Los Angeles does not qualify as transit.
3. Stay is calculated from the zero hour of the day after entry — not from the moment of arrival, 240 hours.
4. Cannot visit non-open provinces — Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Xinjiang, and 7 other provinces/regions are outside the policy scope.
5. Not allowed to work/study/news reporting — These activities require prior visa application.
6. Accommodation must be registered within 24 hours — Staying at relatives' homes without registering at police stations is illegal.

X. Key differences from the '30-day unilateral visa-free' policy

💡 How to choose: For citizens of 57 countries who are already planning to transit through China to a third country → use 240-hour transit visa-free (10 days); for citizens of 50 countries coming directly to China for leisure → use 30-day unilateral visa-free (30 days); for overlapping 48 countries’ citizens visiting China for no more than 10 days with a third-country itinerary → opt for transit visa-free (can travel across provinces); if staying over 10 days → choose the 30-day visa-free option.

XI. Pre-travel verification channels

Policy adjustments occur frequently (extended by end of 2024, expanded twice in 2025, and again expanded in August 2026). It is recommended to verify your eligibility 1–2 weeks before travel via the following official channels:

• Official website of the National Immigration Administration: nia.gov.cn
• WeChat public account of the National Immigration Administration: "Immigration Bureau 12367"
• China Consular Service Network: cs.mfa.gov.cn
• Latest announcements from Chinese embassies and consulates abroad

⚠️ Border control authorities hold final discretion on transit visa-free entries; incomplete documentation or illogical itineraries may result in denied entry. Please print and carry supporting documents such as round-trip tickets and third-country visas (if applicable).

Wishing you a smooth start to your journey in China