China's 240-hour visa-free transit lets eligible travelers stay for up to 10 days without a visa — but it is a transit policy, not a tourist visa. Every condition has to hold at the same time: the right passport, a genuine onward journey, a designated entry port, and a stay inside the permitted areas. Miss one, and the policy does not apply.
This is the route that matters most for travelers whose country is not on China's 30-day unilateral visa-free list — most notably US passport holders, who are eligible for 240-hour transit even though they are not on the 30-day list. If your country is on both lists, use the 30-day route instead: 30 days, no onward-travel requirement, no designated-port restriction (see the visa-free countries list).
The four conditions, all of them
- An ordinary passport from one of the 57 eligible countries (list below). Diplomatic and service passports follow different rules.
- An onward ticket to a third country or region, with a confirmed seat and departure date. The onward destination must differ from where you arrived from. A return ticket home does not qualify.
- Entry through one of the 65 designated ports — airports, seaports, and railway stations, including Hong Kong West Kowloon high-speed rail station. Landing at a port that is not on the list does not qualify, even if everything else is in order.
- A stay within the permitted areas of the 24 covered provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities (below). You may cross between permitted areas, and you may leave from a different designated port than you entered through.
Permitted activities during the stay include tourism, business, visits, and family reunions. Work, study, and news reporting still require a visa obtained in advance, even under this policy.
The full list: 57 countries
Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on August 20, 2026, bringing the total from 55 to 57.
| Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| 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, 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 |
How the 10 days are counted
The clock does not start when you land. It starts at 00:00 on the day after you enter and runs for 10 calendar days. Land on October 9 and your permitted stay runs from 00:00 on October 10 to 24:00 on October 19. A late-night arrival effectively gains you a few extra hours — but never plan a departure that depends on the final hour. Flight delays do not extend the window.
Where you can go — and where you cannot
The permitted area covers 24 provincial-level regions: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi. Major hubs fully covered include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, and Kunming, and you may travel across provincial borders inside this area.
Not covered: Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang, and Tibet. If your itinerary includes any of these, the 240-hour policy will not work for that leg — you need a standard visa, and Tibet additionally requires a travel permit arranged through a licensed agency.
Major designated entry ports include Beijing Capital and Daxing airports, Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao airports, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao'an, Chengdu, Xi'an Xianyang, and Hangzhou Xiaoshan, plus cruise ports and rail stations. The full list runs to 65 ports: before booking, confirm your exact entry port is designated — "a big Chinese airport" is not the same as "a designated port."
Trips that work, and trips that fail
- London → Beijing → Seoul: works — onward to a third country, designated port, permitted area.
- London → Shanghai → London: fails — the onward leg returns to the departure country, so it is not transit.
- New York → Chengdu → Hong Kong: works — Hong Kong counts as a third region for this purpose.
- Any itinerary touching Tibet or Xinjiang: fails under this policy — those regions are outside the permitted areas.
What to have ready at immigration
- An ordinary passport from an eligible country.
- An onward ticket to a third country or region, with a confirmed seat and a departure date inside your permitted window.
- Proof you can enter your onward destination (if it requires a visa, have it).
- Your first hotel's name and address — it comes up at immigration and again at hotel check-in.
- No visa application is filed in advance under this scheme; you present these documents at immigration on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa in advance for the 240-hour transit?
No, if you meet all four conditions: an ordinary passport from one of the 57 eligible countries, an onward ticket to a third country or region with a confirmed seat and date, entry through one of the 65 designated ports, and a stay within the permitted areas. You present your documents at immigration on arrival; there is no visa application to file in advance under this scheme.
How are the 240 hours counted?
The count starts at 00:00 on the day after you enter, not at the moment you land, and runs for 10 calendar days. Land on 9 October and your permitted stay runs from 00:00 on 10 October to 24:00 on 19 October.
Does a return ticket home qualify as onward travel?
No. You must be traveling on to a third country or region — different from the country or region you arrived from. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan count as a third region for this purpose, so London–Shanghai–Hong Kong qualifies, but London–Shanghai–London does not.
Can I leave from a different port than I entered through?
Yes, as long as both ports are designated ports and your whole itinerary stays within the permitted areas. Entering in Beijing and leaving from Shanghai is allowed.
I hold a US passport. Does this work for me?
Yes. The United States is one of the 57 eligible countries for 240-hour transit, even though it is not on China's 30-day unilateral visa-free list. You must still be genuinely transiting to a third country or region.
If my country is on both the 30-day list and the 240-hour list, which should I use?
The 30-day route is the better one: it gives you 30 days instead of 10, does not require onward travel to a third country, and is not limited to designated ports or permitted areas. The 240-hour route matters most for travelers whose country is not on the 30-day list.
Sources to double-check before you travel: China's National Immigration Administration (en.nia.gov.cn), policy interpretation dated August 20, 2026. This guide was verified October 31, 2026.