China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: The 2026 Guide

TL;DR

• Citizens of 57 countries can enter mainland China without a visa for up to 240 hours (10 days) if they are transiting to a third country or region.
• You need an ordinary passport valid for at least 3 months and an onward ticket with a confirmed date and seat leaving China within 240 hours.
• Enter through one of 65 designated ports and stay inside the permitted areas of 24 provinces. You can cross between them.
• The clock starts at 00:00 the day after you arrive.
• Your origin and onward destination must be different. Flying in from the US and straight back to the US doesn’t count.
• If your country is also on China’s 30-day unilateral visa-free list (50 countries, currently valid to 31 Dec 2026 for most), that route is often simpler.

The 240-hour visa-free transit lets you add a stop in China to a longer trip without applying for a visa. Most problems at check-in or immigration come from breaking one of its rules by accident. This guide follows the National Immigration Administration (NIA) rules current in October 2026.

What the policy is

China runs two separate transit schemes:

• 24-hour visa-free transit: open to every nationality at every open port, as long as you stay in the port’s restricted area. Leaving the airport needs a temporary entry permit from border inspection.
• 240-hour visa-free transit: for 57 countries. You can leave the airport and travel within set areas for up to 10 days, provided you are on your way to a third country or region.

Tourism, business and family visits are allowed. Work, study and news reporting still need a visa.

Who qualifies: the 57 countries

The NIA list (updated 20 August 2026, when Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added) is:

Europe (40): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

North America (2): Canada, United States

South America (4): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico

Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand

Asia (9): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

Many websites still say “54” or “55”. Those figures are out of date.

Conditions you must meet

Official conditions from the NIA and the Beijing and Shanghai governments:

1. You are a citizen of one of the 57 countries and hold an ordinary passport.
2. Your passport is valid for at least 3 months and you meet the entry requirements of your onward destination.
3. You hold an onward ticket, or other proof of onward travel, to a third country or region, with a confirmed date and seat, departing within 240 hours.
4. You fill in the arrival card and go through inspection and questioning at the border.

According to the Shanghai government FAQ and the Chinese consulate in Montreal, you won’t be granted visa-free transit if your passport has less than 3 months’ validity, contains a Chinese visa refusal stamp, or you have a record of illegal entry, stay or employment in China within the past five years. The final decision is made on the spot by border officers.

The onward ticket: what “third country or region” means

This is the rule that trips people up most. The place you fly in from and the place you leave to must be different countries or regions. The Guangzhou Baiyun Airport guide gives the official example: if you arrive from Thailand, your onward destination can be anywhere except Thailand.

• ✅ London → Shanghai → Tokyo
• ✅ Sydney → Beijing → Seoul
• ❌ Los Angeles → Shanghai → Los Angeles (same origin and destination)

Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as separate “regions”. MTR, the Hong Kong rail operator, notes that these are eligible onward destinations and gives the example Canada → Hong Kong → Shenzhen → Thailand. I didn’t find this stated on an NIA page. If your plan depends on it (for example US → Beijing → Hong Kong → US), confirm with the 12367 hotline before you book.

The ticket needs a fixed date and a confirmed seat. An open-dated ticket or a “hold” won’t work. The Montreal consulate FAQ says that without a booked onward ticket before entry, the temporary entry formalities cannot be done. The Shanghai government says a printed ticket or the online itinerary on your phone are both fine.

Eligible ports of entry and permitted areas

You must enter through one of the 65 designated ports. The NIA’s 2026 table lists them by province, along with where you may stay:

Province / municipality	Entry ports	Where you may stay
Beijing	Capital Airport, Daxing Airport	All of Beijing
Tianjin	Binhai Airport, Tianjin Port	All of Tianjin
Hebei	Shijiazhuang Zhengding Airport, Qinhuangdao Port	Whole province
Liaoning	Shenyang Taoxian Airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi Airport, Dalian Port	Whole province
Shanghai	Hongqiao Airport, Pudong Airport, Shanghai Port	All of Shanghai
Jiangsu	Nanjing Lukou, Sunan Shuofang, Yangzhou Taizhou airports; Lianyungang Port	Whole province
Zhejiang	Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Ningbo Lishe, Wenzhou Longwan, Yiwu airports; Wenzhou Port, Zhoushan Port	Whole province
Anhui	Hefei Xinqiao, Huangshan Tunxi airports	Whole province
Fujian	Fuzhou Changle, Xiamen Gaoqi, Quanzhou Jinjiang, Wuyishan airports; Xiamen Port	Whole province
Shandong	Jinan Yaoqiang, Qingdao Jiaodong, Yantai Penglai, Weihai Dashuipo airports; Qingdao Port	Whole province
Henan	Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport	Whole province
Hubei	Wuhan Tianhe Airport	Whole province
Hunan	Changsha Huanghua, Zhangjiajie Hehua airports	Whole province
Guangdong	Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao’an, Jieyang Chaoshan airports; Nansha Port, Shekou Port, Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal, Zhongshan Port, Hengqin Port, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port, West Kowloon Station (Express Rail Link)	Whole province; exit via any open port in Guangdong
Hainan	Haikou Meilan, Sanya Phoenix airports	Whole province
Chongqing	Jiangbei Airport	All of Chongqing
Guizhou	Guiyang Longdongbao Airport	Whole province
Shaanxi	Xi’an Xianyang Airport	Whole province
Shanxi	Taiyuan Wusu Airport	Taiyuan and Datong only
Heilongjiang	Harbin Taiping Airport	Harbin only
Jiangxi	Nanchang Changbei Airport	Nanchang and Jingdezhen only
Guangxi	Nanning Wuxu, Guilin Liangjiang, Beihai Fucheng airports; Beihai Port	12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin
Sichuan	Chengdu Shuangliu, Chengdu Tianfu airports	11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya’an, Meishan, Ziyang
Yunnan	Kunming Changshui, Lijiang Sanyi airports; Mohan Railway Port	9 cities/prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang

You can travel between these permitted areas, for example Shanghai to Xi’an to Chengdu. You can’t go outside them. According to the Guangzhou Baiyun guide, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Tibet (Xizang), Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang are not covered at all.

Five Guangdong ports (Pazhou, Zhongshan, Hengqin, the HZMB port and West Kowloon) were added on 5 November 2025. That’s why older guides say 60 ports. If you enter at West Kowloon, MTR advises leaving extra time, because approval is done on site.

Leaving: the Beijing government FAQ says you may depart from any of the applicable ports under the policy. The NIA table adds that in Guangdong you can exit through any open port in the province.

How the 240 hours are counted

The clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you enter, not at the moment you land. The Guangzhou Baiyun guide gives a worked example: enter on 1 January, the stay starts at 00:00 on 2 January, and you must leave through an applicable port before 24:00 on 11 January.

For example, if you land on 10 November 2026, you must be out by 24:00 on 20 November. Book your onward departure inside that window.

What to tell the airline and immigration

At check-in abroad: the Beijing government’s procedure tells travellers to inform the airline when boarding. Say you’re using China’s 240-hour visa-free transit. Have your passport and your confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region ready to show.

Before landing: fill in the arrival card. Since 20 November 2025 you can do it online in advance through the NIA’s site (s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/), the “NIA 12367” app, or the WeChat or Alipay mini-programs. Paper cards and on-site devices are still available. The service is free. In December 2025 the NIA warned about fake websites charging fees for it, so use only the official channels.

At the airport: follow the signs to the 240-hour visa-free transit counter (or ask at the information desk) rather than the regular foreigner lanes. Show your passport, onward ticket and arrival card. The Beijing government also advises telling the officer if you hold a valid Chinese visa but don’t want to use it on this trip. You’ll get a temporary entry permit stamped in your passport showing how long you can stay.

While you’re in China

• Register your accommodation. Hotels do this for you. If you stay with friends or in a private home, you or your host must register with the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.
• Need more time? If an emergency or force majeure keeps you longer or outside the area, apply in advance to the local public security exit-entry office for a stay permit. According to the Guangzhou Baiyun guide, overstaying without permission is treated as illegal stay and can affect future visa applications.

Common mistakes

1. Booking a round trip. A → China → A is not transit. Change the return so it goes to a different country or region.
2. Using an outdated country or port list. Use the 57-country and 65-port figures from the NIA.
3. Entering through a non-designated port. For example, the Luohu and Huanggang land crossings from Hong Kong aren’t on the entry list. West Kowloon and the HZMB are.
4. Wandering outside the permitted area. In Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Shanxi, Heilongjiang and Jiangxi only the listed cities or prefectures are covered. Before you book a side trip there, check which city or prefecture the destination belongs to.
5. Miscounting the days. Count from midnight after arrival, and make sure your exit is before 24:00 on day 10.
6. Passport with less than 3 months left, or a non-ordinary passport.
7. Planning to work or study. Neither is permitted under this scheme.

How it differs from the 30-day unilateral visa-free entry

Separate from transit, China lets ordinary-passport holders from 50 countries enter visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family or friends visits, exchanges, or transit. According to the NIA list (as of 17 February 2026) and the Chinese embassy in Sweden’s FAQ (updated 25 May 2026):

The list covers 35 European countries (including the UK and Russia), Australia and New Zealand, seven Asian countries (Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, South Korea, Saudi Arabia) and six in the Americas (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Uruguay). Check the NIA list for your passport.

How long it lasts: Brunei has no end date, Russia’s runs to 31 December 2027, and the other 48 countries’ runs to 31 December 2026. If you travel in 2027, check whether it has been extended before you book.

The key differences:

	240-hour transit	30-day unilateral
Countries	57	50
Max stay	10 days	30 days
Onward ticket to a third country/region	Required	Not listed as a condition
Where you can enter	65 designated ports	Any sea, land or air port open to foreigners (per embassy FAQ)
Clock starts	00:00 the day after entry	00:00 the day after entry

If you hold a passport on both lists, the 30-day route is usually simpler. The NIA says that where a mutual or unilateral visa exemption applies, those provisions prevail. If you’re from the United States, Mexico, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Ukraine, Indonesia, Vietnam or another 240-hour country not on the 30-day list, check whether a separate bilateral agreement covers you. If none does, transit is your visa-free option.

FAQ

Can I arrive by train or ship, not just by plane? Yes, at the designated ports. The list includes seaports such as Shanghai Port and Xiamen Port, Mohan Railway Port in Yunnan, and Hong Kong’s West Kowloon high-speed rail station.

Can I fly into Beijing and leave from Shanghai? Yes. You can travel between permitted areas across the 24 provinces, and the Beijing government FAQ says you can depart from any applicable port under the policy.

Does a flight to Hong Kong count as leaving to a “third region”? MTR states that Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are eligible onward destinations. I couldn’t confirm this on an NIA page, so call the 12367 hotline (+86-12367 from abroad) if your trip depends on it.

I’m only changing planes. Do I need the 240-hour scheme? No. Any nationality can transit without a visa for up to 24 hours if they stay in the airport’s restricted area. To leave the airport during that time, you need a temporary entry permit from border inspection.

I already have a Chinese visa. Can I still use transit instead? Yes. The Beijing government advises telling the border officer that you hold a visa but don’t want to use it this time.

Is my entry guaranteed if I meet every condition? No. Border officers make the final decision on site, so keep your onward booking and accommodation details easy to show.