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China 240-hour visa-free transit: eligibility, route rules, ports

A practical, source-backed decision guide for travelers using mainland China as a transit stop on the way to a third country or region.

Eligible countries55 listed countries
Entry ports65 eligible ports
Maximum stay240h

Can I use the 240-hour transit policy?

Use this as a planning pre-check. Final decisions are made by immigration inspection authorities at the port.

Checked 2026-06-29
Likely in scope
  • Your passport is from one of the 55 eligible countries.
  • Your route is A - mainland China - B.
  • You have confirmed onward travel within 240 hours.
Check carefully
  • You must stay within the official permitted areas.
  • Cross-province travel is allowed only among those listed areas.
  • Route, ticketing, and border interpretation matter.
Do not rely on it
  • A - mainland China - A round trips.
  • Work, study, or news reporting.
  • No dated onward ticket or equivalent proof.
Run the pre-checkerSee ports and stay areasArrival card guide

China's 240-hour visa-free transit is for nationals of eligible countries who transit through mainland China to a third country or region. You need a valid international travel document, a confirmed onward ticket or equivalent proof with a departure date within 240 hours, entry through an eligible port, and travel only within the official permitted areas.

Most important route rule: your trip should look like Country/Region A - Mainland China - Country/Region B. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are treated as separate regions for this practical route check, but final interpretation belongs to border inspection.

Route examples

Usually fits the route pattern

United States - Shanghai - Japan, if nationality, port, ticket, timing, and stay-area rules also fit.

May fit, verify before booking

Hong Kong - Beijing - Seoul can be a third-region pattern, but airline and border checks still decide the actual case.

Usually not transit

United States - Shanghai - United States is a same-country round trip pattern, not the normal 240-hour transit setup.

Needs the right visa

Work, study, or news reporting should not rely on visa-free transit even if the route looks valid.

Eligibility checklist

Nationality

You are a citizen of one of the 55 listed countries.

Document validity

Your passport or international travel document is valid for at least 3 months and meets entry requirements for your next destination.

Onward travel

You hold interline tickets or other proof of confirmed arrangements to a third country/region with a departure date within 240 hours.

Port and area

You enter through one of the 65 eligible ports and stay within the official permitted areas. Cross-province travel is allowed only inside those listed areas.

Purpose

Tourism, business, visits, and family visits are generally within the policy. Work, study, and news reporting require the appropriate visa in advance.

Documents to prepare before booking

Passport or international travel document

Official guidance says the document should be valid for at least 3 months and meet the requirements for entering your next destination.

Onward ticket or proof

Prepare confirmed arrangements and departure date to a third country or region within 240 hours.

Stay details

Keep your hotel or accommodation address in Chinese and English. Accommodation registration rules still apply during visa-free transit.

Arrival card information

NIA guidance mentions the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners. Use the official free channels and avoid paid lookalike sites.

How the 240-hour clock is counted

The visa-free stay period is calculated from 00:00 on the day following the day of entry. For example, if you arrive on July 1, the counting starts at 00:00 on July 2. Your actual safe planning window should be shorter than the legal maximum to leave room for airline delays and port processing.

Eligible countries

AlbaniaAustriaBelarusBelgiumBosnia and Herzegovina
BulgariaCroatiaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmark
EstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyGreece
HungaryIcelandIrelandItalyLatvia
LithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMonacoMontenegro
NetherlandsNorth MacedoniaNorwayPolandPortugal
RomaniaRussiaSerbiaSlovakiaSlovenia
SpainSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUnited Kingdom
ArgentinaBrazilCanadaChileMexico
United StatesAustraliaNew ZealandBruneiIndonesia
JapanQatarSingaporeSouth KoreaUnited Arab Emirates

Eligible ports and permitted stay areas

The table below transcribes the NIA appendix image used for the 65-port policy. Use the checker for a faster port-level result, but always verify the official appendix before booking. NIA guidance also states that visa-free transit travelers may make cross-province trips within the permitted areas in the 24 listed provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities.

#Province / regionEligible portPermitted stay area
1BeijingBeijing Capital International AirportBeijing Municipality
2BeijingBeijing Daxing International AirportBeijing Municipality
3TianjinTianjin Binhai International AirportTianjin Municipality
4TianjinTianjin Port (Passenger)Tianjin Municipality
5HebeiShijiazhuang Zhengding International AirportHebei Province
6HebeiQinhuangdao Port (Passenger)Hebei Province
7LiaoningShenyang Taoxian International AirportLiaoning Province
8LiaoningDalian Zhoushuizi International AirportLiaoning Province
9LiaoningDalian Port (Passenger)Liaoning Province
10ShanghaiShanghai Hongqiao International AirportShanghai Municipality
11ShanghaiShanghai Pudong International AirportShanghai Municipality
12ShanghaiShanghai Port (Passenger)Shanghai Municipality
13JiangsuNanjing Lukou International AirportJiangsu Province
14JiangsuSunan Shuofang International AirportJiangsu Province
15JiangsuYangzhou Taizhou International AirportJiangsu Province
16JiangsuLianyungang Port (Passenger)Jiangsu Province
17ZhejiangHangzhou Xiaoshan International AirportZhejiang Province
18ZhejiangNingbo Lishe International AirportZhejiang Province
19ZhejiangWenzhou Longwan International AirportZhejiang Province
20ZhejiangYiwu AirportZhejiang Province
21ZhejiangWenzhou Port (Passenger)Zhejiang Province
22ZhejiangZhoushan Port (Passenger)Zhejiang Province
23AnhuiHefei Xinqiao International AirportAnhui Province
24AnhuiHuangshan Tunxi International AirportAnhui Province
25FujianFuzhou Changle International AirportFujian Province
26FujianXiamen Gaoqi International AirportFujian Province
27FujianQuanzhou Jinjiang International AirportFujian Province
28FujianWuyishan AirportFujian Province
29FujianXiamen Port (Passenger)Fujian Province
30ShandongJinan Yaoqiang International AirportShandong Province
31ShandongQingdao Jiaodong International AirportShandong Province
32ShandongYantai Penglai International AirportShandong Province
33ShandongWeihai Dashuibo International AirportShandong Province
34ShandongQingdao Port (Passenger)Shandong Province
35HenanZhengzhou Xinzheng International AirportHenan Province
36HubeiWuhan Tianhe International AirportHubei Province
37HunanChangsha Huanghua International AirportHunan Province
38HunanZhangjiajie Hehua International AirportHunan Province
39GuangdongGuangzhou Baiyun International AirportGuangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
40GuangdongShenzhen Bao’an International AirportGuangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
41GuangdongJieyang Chaoshan International AirportGuangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
42GuangdongNansha Port (Passenger)Guangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
43GuangdongShekou Port (Passenger)Guangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
44GuangdongGuangzhou Pazhou Ferry TerminalGuangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
45GuangdongZhongshan Port (Passenger)Guangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
46GuangdongHengqin PortGuangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
47GuangdongHong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge PortGuangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
48GuangdongWest Kowloon Station Port of Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail LinkGuangdong Province; exits available at all open ports across the province
49HainanHaikou Meilan International AirportHainan Province
50HainanSanya Phoenix International AirportHainan Province
51ChongqingChongqing Jiangbei International AirportChongqing Municipality
52GuizhouGuiyang Longdongbao International AirportGuizhou Province
53ShaanxiXi’an Xianyang International AirportShaanxi Province
54ShanxiTaiyuan Wusu International AirportTaiyuan City and Datong City
55HeilongjiangHarbin Taiping International AirportHarbin City
56JiangxiNanchang Changbei International AirportNanchang City and Jiujiang City
57GuangxiNanning Wuxu International Airport12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin
58GuangxiGuilin Liangjiang International Airport12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin
59GuangxiBeihai Fucheng Airport12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin
60GuangxiBeihai Port (Passenger)12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin
61SichuanChengdu Shuangliu International Airport11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya’an, Meishan, Ziyang
62SichuanChengdu Tianfu International Airport11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya’an, Meishan, Ziyang
63YunnanKunming Changshui International Airport9 cities and autonomous prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang
64YunnanLijiang Sanyi International Airport9 cities and autonomous prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang
65YunnanMohan Railway Port9 cities and autonomous prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang

Common mistakes

Useful phrase cards

I am transiting to a third country/region and would like to apply for the 240-hour visa-free transit permit.我将过境前往第三国/地区，想申请240小时过境免签临时入境许可。
Here is my onward ticket and hotel address.这是我的后续行程票据和酒店地址。

FAQ

Can I enter in Shanghai and leave from Beijing?

Possibly, but only if your nationality, route, entry and exit ports, timing, and permitted stay areas all fit the policy. Use the checker and verify with official channels before booking.

Does 240 hours mean exactly 10 days from my landing time?

No. The official counting starts from 00:00 on the day after entry, not from the exact landing minute. Build buffer for flight changes and port processing.

What counts as a third country or region?

The practical route pattern is A - mainland China - B. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are usually treated as separate regions for route checks, but final interpretation belongs to border inspection.

What documents should I prepare at immigration?

Prepare a valid passport or international travel document, confirmed onward ticket or proof to a third country or region within 240 hours, accommodation address, and any required temporary-entry arrival card information.

Can I use this for work?

No. Activities such as work, study, and news reporting require prior approval and the appropriate visa.

Do I still need accommodation registration?

Yes. Visa-free transit does not remove accommodation registration obligations.

240-hour transit pre-checkerRun nationality, route, port, timing, purpose, and stay-area checks before booking.30-day visa-free country checkSeparate unilateral 30-day visa-free entry from 240-hour transit rules.Online arrival card guideUse official free channels and understand who may be exempt.Accommodation registrationKnow what hotels usually handle and what non-hotel stays require.Payment setupPrepare Alipay, WeChat Pay, bank cards, cash, and backup payment routes.Shanghai airport arrival guidePlan transport and first-hour tasks after landing at PVG or SHA.

Official sources

Source status: policy facts were rechecked against National Immigration Administration pages on 2026-06-29.
National Immigration Administration - Visa-Free Transit PoliciesSource date: 2025-07-04 · Checked: 2026-06-29
NIA - 10 measures, 240-hour port expansion and arrival cardSource date: 2025-11-03 · Checked: 2026-06-29
NIA - visa-free transit policy fully relaxed and optimizedSource date: 2024-12-19 · Checked: 2026-06-29
NIA appendix image - eligible ports and permitted stay areasSource date: 2025-11-03 · Checked: 2026-06-29