China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Rules and Countries

How it works

• Ordinary passport from one of the 55 eligible countries
• Confirmed onward ticket to a THIRD country or region within 240 hours (returning to the country of departure does not qualify; Hong Kong and Macao count as separate regions)
• Entry through one of the designated ports; a temporary entry permit is issued on arrival
• Stay within the designated areas of the 24 provinces and municipalities
• China Digital Arrival Card completed before entry

The scheme is aimed at genuine transit. A return flight to the country of departure does not qualify; a flight on to Hong Kong, Macao, Japan or any other third destination does. The 240 hours count from midnight after entry.

Where transit travellers may go

Beijing · Tianjin · Hebei · Liaoning · Shanghai · Jiangsu · Zhejiang · Fujian · Shandong · Guangdong · Chongqing · Sichuan · Shaanxi · Hubei · Hunan · Yunnan · Hainan · Guangxi · Guizhou · Shanxi · Anhui · Jiangxi · Henan · Heilongjiang

The 55 eligible countries

If transit does not fit

Travellers who return to their own country, stay longer than 240 hours or leave the designated regions apply for a tourist visa or, for a true stopover with a third-country ticket beyond the scheme, a G transit visa. Many nationalities are covered by the 30-day visa-free scheme anyway.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. China Extends 240-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy — National Immigration Administration (retrieved 6 September 2026)
2. List of Countries Eligible for China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy — Embassy of the People's Republic of China (retrieved 6 September 2026)
3. China Extends 240-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy Coverage to 55 Countries — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States (retrieved 6 September 2026)