Visas & entry
China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: 57 Countries and All 65 Ports
Short answer
Citizens of 57 countries can transit China visa-free for up to 240 hours (10 days) when continuing to a third country or region. You can enter at any of 65 open ports — from Beijing Capital to Xi'an Xianyang, Chengdu Tianfu and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge — and travel across provinces within the permitted areas of 24 provincial-level regions.
The 57 eligible countries (verified September 2026)
Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on 20 August 2026, bringing the total to 57. You must hold an ordinary passport of one of these countries:
Europe (40 countries)
- Austria, Belgium, 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, Belarus, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Americas (6 countries)
- United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
Oceania (2 countries)
- Australia, New Zealand
Asia (9 countries)
- South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam
All 65 open ports of entry
You may apply for 240-hour visa-free transit at any of these ports, regardless of which country you are from on the list. Airports are the practical route for almost all travellers; the sea, rail and road ports matter for regional itineraries such as the Hong Kong–Shenzhen high-speed rail or the Mohan land crossing from Laos.
| Port of entry | Province / region |
|---|---|
| Beijing Capital International Airport | Beijing |
| Beijing Daxing International Airport | Beijing |
| Tianjin Binhai International Airport | Tianjin |
| Tianjin Port (passenger) | Tianjin |
| Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport | Hebei |
| Qinhuangdao Port (passenger) | Hebei |
| Shenyang Taoxian International Airport | Liaoning |
| Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport | Liaoning |
| Dalian Port (passenger) | Liaoning |
| Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport | Shanghai |
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport | Shanghai |
| Shanghai Port (passenger) | Shanghai |
| Nanjing Lukou International Airport | Jiangsu |
| Sunan Shuofang International Airport | Jiangsu |
| Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport | Jiangsu |
| Lianyungang Port (passenger) | Jiangsu |
| Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport | Zhejiang |
| Ningbo Lishe International Airport | Zhejiang |
| Wenzhou Longwan International Airport | Zhejiang |
| Yiwu Airport | Zhejiang |
| Wenzhou Port (passenger) | Zhejiang |
| Zhoushan Port (passenger) | Zhejiang |
| Hefei Xinqiao International Airport | Anhui |
| Huangshan Tunxi International Airport | Anhui |
| Fuzhou Changle International Airport | Fujian |
| Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport | Fujian |
| Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport | Fujian |
| Wuyishan Airport | Fujian |
| Xiamen Port (passenger) | Fujian |
| Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport | Shandong |
| Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport | Shandong |
| Yantai Penglai International Airport | Shandong |
| Weihai Dashuipo International Airport | Shandong |
| Qingdao Port (passenger) | Shandong |
| Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport | Henan |
| Wuhan Tianhe International Airport | Hubei |
| Changsha Huanghua International Airport | Hunan |
| Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport | Hunan |
| Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport | Guangdong |
| Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport | Guangdong |
| Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport | Guangdong |
| Nansha Port (passenger) | Guangdong |
| Shekou Port (passenger) | Guangdong |
| Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal | Guangdong |
| Zhongshan Port (passenger) | Guangdong |
| Hengqin Port | Guangdong |
| Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge Port | Guangdong |
| West Kowloon Station Port (Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong express rail) | Guangdong |
| Haikou Meilan International Airport | Hainan |
| Sanya Phoenix International Airport | Hainan |
| Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport | Chongqing |
| Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport | Guizhou |
| Xi'an Xianyang International Airport | Shaanxi |
| Taiyuan Wusu International Airport | Shanxi |
| Harbin Taiping International Airport | Heilongjiang |
| Nanchang Changbei International Airport | Jiangxi |
| Nanning Wuxu International Airport | Guangxi |
| Guilin Liangjiang International Airport | Guangxi |
| Beihai Fucheng Airport | Guangxi |
| Beihai Port (passenger) | Guangxi |
| Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport | Sichuan |
| Chengdu Tianfu International Airport | Sichuan |
| Kunming Changshui International Airport | Yunnan |
| Lijiang Sanyi International Airport | Yunnan |
| Mohan Railway Port | Yunnan |
Where you can go during the 240 hours
Transit travellers may move across provinces within the permitted stay areas of 24 provincial-level regions — the December 2024 rules relaxed the old single-city stay. Each port's permitted area covers the whole province or municipality in most cases; Shanxi covers Taiyuan and Datong cities, Jiangxi covers Nanchang and Jingdezhen, Guangxi covers 11 cities, Yunnan covers 9 cities and prefectures.
Conditions you must meet at the border
- Hold a valid international travel document with at least 3 months' validity.
- Hold confirmed interline tickets to a THIRD country or region, departing within 240 hours. A direct return to your origin country does not qualify.
- Fill in the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners and cooperate with immigration inspections.
- Your stay is counted from midnight of the day after entry — 240 hours is effectively up to 10 nights.
What the 240 hours does NOT allow
- No employment, study or journalism — those need a proper visa.
- No return to your origin country as the onward leg (Shanghai → Beijing → Shanghai fails; Shanghai → Beijing → Tokyo passes).
- No leaving the permitted stay area of your port of entry's region.
Related questions
Which countries are eligible for China's 240-hour visa-free transit?
57 countries as of 20 August 2026: 40 in Europe (including Russia, the UK, Ukraine, Serbia and Belarus), 6 in the Americas (US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile), 2 in Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) and 9 in Asia (South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam).
Can I enter on the 240-hour transit and exit through a different city?
Yes. You must enter and exit through ports that offer the policy (65 of them nationwide), and stay within the permitted areas — but your exit port does not have to be your entry port, and cross-province travel within permitted areas is allowed.
Does the onward ticket have to be bought before boarding?
Yes. The ticket to a third country or region must be confirmed with a fixed departure date within 240 hours before you check in for the flight to China. Airlines verify this at check-in.
Is Hong Kong or Macao a qualifying 'third country'?
Yes. China's mainland treats Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as separate destinations for transit purposes — flying Shanghai → Beijing → Hong Kong qualifies as onward travel to a third region.
How is the 240 hours counted?
From midnight (00:00) of the day after your entry. In practice this gives you up to 10 full days and nights depending on your arrival time.
Can I apply for 240-hour transit at any Chinese airport?
No. Only the 65 listed ports offer the policy. Most major international airports are included, but smaller airports such as Lanzhou or Hohhot are not.
Related guides
- Visa-free entry: check your passport's route (guide)
- China visa-free countries 2026: the complete 50-country list
- How does the 240-hour transit work?
- Shanghai city booking guide
Verified September 11, 2026. Policies and booking channels change — check the official channel before you rely on it.
Official sources
- Shanghai government: 240-hour visa-free transit policy (updated 20 Aug 2026)
- NIA announcement: Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added (20 Aug 2026)
Get ChinaPass — these answers offline, with the phrase cards that work at the counter when your data does not.