China’s 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit
Rules, ports and route examples
China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy lets citizens of 57 listed countries apply for temporary visa-free entry while traveling through mainland China to a third country or region. It is not a general 10-day tourist visa waiver. Travelers must use a designated port, hold a confirmed onward itinerary departing within 240 hours, and remain within the permitted stay area.
Planning information, not an immigration decision. Temporary entry is handled by Chinese immigration authorities at the port.Nationality lists checked . The 20 August 2026 update added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam: 57 transit countries and 61 Hainan countries. All other entry conditions apply. Hainan entry is limited to Hainan. Other policy details retain their earlier review dates.
Read the official NIA announcementIt is a transit policy—not general visa-free tourism.
Travelers sometimes call this a “China 240-hour transit visa,” but the official policy is visa-free transit. No visa is issued in advance under this policy; eligible travelers apply for temporary entry at immigration inspection after arriving at a designated port. Admission is not automatic.
Looking for ordinary visa-free tourism without an A → China → B itinerary? See the current China visa-free country guide
Are A and B actually different?
The international route must follow A → mainland China → B, where B is a different country or region from A. Passing this check satisfies only one condition, not the whole policy.
A listed passport is only the first check.
U.S. citizens are on the current list. A U.S. passport alone does not establish eligibility: the traveler must also satisfy the travel-document, onward-destination, ticket, port, area and inspection conditions.
- 01
Citizenship of one of the 57 countries in the current NIA list.
- 02
A valid international travel document with at least three months of validity.
- 03
Permission to enter the onward country or region.
- 04
Confirmed onward arrangements and a departure date within 240 hours, or other accepted proof.
- 05
Entry through a designated port and travel only inside official permitted stay areas.
- 06
Completion of the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners and cooperation with inspection.
Meeting this checklist allows a traveler to apply; it does not guarantee temporary entry.
All 57 transit-eligible passport countries
Official transit country listAlbania · 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
Argentina · Brazil · Canada · Chile · Mexico · United States
Australia · New Zealand
Brunei · Indonesia · Japan · Kyrgyzstan · Qatar · Singapore · South Korea · United Arab Emirates · Vietnam
Compare countries and regions—not cities.
Use the last international point immediately before mainland China and the first international point immediately after it. Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan can be treated as third regions for this rule. Official region guidance
A and B are different countries. Every other policy condition still needs to be checked.
Hong Kong is the onward region in this route-shape example. Admission is still not automatic.
Different U.S. cities or airports do not turn a same-country return into third-country transit.
The 240-hour stay is calculated from 00:00 on the day after entry, not from the aircraft’s landing time. If immigration records entry on May 1, the official count begins at 00:00 on May 2. Always check the departure deadline recorded when temporary entry is granted. Official timing answer
65 entry ports do not mean nationwide travel.
Each designated port is tied to an official permitted stay area. Some cover a whole province; Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan are limited to named places in the current table.
Beijing Capital International Airport · Beijing Daxing International Airport
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport · Shanghai Pudong International Airport · Shanghai Port (Passenger)
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport · Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport · Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport · Nansha Port (Passenger) · Shekou Port (Passenger) · Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal · Zhongshan Port (Passenger) · Hengqin Port · Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port · West Kowloon Station Port of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport · Chengdu Tianfu International Airport
Open the complete searchable tableAll 65 designated entry ports＋
| No. | Province / region | Designated entry port | Permitted stay area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Beijing | Beijing Capital International AirportAirport | Beijing Municipality |
| 02 | Beijing | Beijing Daxing International AirportAirport | Beijing Municipality |
| 03 | Tianjin | Tianjin Binhai International AirportAirport | Tianjin Municipality |
| 04 | Tianjin | Tianjin Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Tianjin Municipality |
| 05 | Hebei | Shijiazhuang Zhengding International AirportAirport | Hebei Province |
| 06 | Hebei | Qinhuangdao Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Hebei Province |
| 07 | Liaoning | Shenyang Taoxian International AirportAirport | Liaoning Province |
| 08 | Liaoning | Dalian Zhoushuizi International AirportAirport | Liaoning Province |
| 09 | Liaoning | Dalian Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Liaoning Province |
| 10 | Shanghai | Shanghai Hongqiao International AirportAirport | Shanghai Municipality |
| 11 | Shanghai | Shanghai Pudong International AirportAirport | Shanghai Municipality |
| 12 | Shanghai | Shanghai Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Shanghai Municipality |
| 13 | Jiangsu | Nanjing Lukou International AirportAirport | Jiangsu Province |
| 14 | Jiangsu | Su'nan Shuofang International AirportAirport | Jiangsu Province |
| 15 | Jiangsu | Yangzhou Taizhou International AirportAirport | Jiangsu Province |
| 16 | Jiangsu | Lianyungang Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Jiangsu Province |
| 17 | Zhejiang | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International AirportAirport | Zhejiang Province |
| 18 | Zhejiang | Ningbo Lishe International AirportAirport | Zhejiang Province |
| 19 | Zhejiang | Wenzhou Longwan International AirportAirport | Zhejiang Province |
| 20 | Zhejiang | Yiwu AirportAirport | Zhejiang Province |
| 21 | Zhejiang | Wenzhou Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Zhejiang Province |
| 22 | Zhejiang | Zhoushan Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Zhejiang Province |
| 23 | Anhui | Hefei Xinqiao International AirportAirport | Anhui Province |
| 24 | Anhui | Huangshan Tunxi International AirportAirport | Anhui Province |
| 25 | Fujian | Fuzhou Changle International AirportAirport | Fujian Province |
| 26 | Fujian | Xiamen Gaoqi International AirportAirport | Fujian Province |
| 27 | Fujian | Quanzhou Jinjiang International AirportAirport | Fujian Province |
| 28 | Fujian | Wuyishan AirportAirport | Fujian Province |
| 29 | Fujian | Xiamen Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Fujian Province |
| 30 | Shandong | Jinan Yaoqiang International AirportAirport | Shandong Province |
| 31 | Shandong | Qingdao Jiaodong International AirportAirport | Shandong Province |
| 32 | Shandong | Yantai Penglai International AirportAirport | Shandong Province |
| 33 | Shandong | Weihai Dashuipo International AirportAirport | Shandong Province |
| 34 | Shandong | Qingdao Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Shandong Province |
| 35 | Henan | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International AirportAirport | Henan Province |
| 36 | Hubei | Wuhan Tianhe International AirportAirport | Hubei Province |
| 37 | Hunan | Changsha Huanghua International AirportAirport | Hunan Province |
| 38 | Hunan | Zhangjiajie Hehua International AirportAirport | Hunan Province |
| 39 | Guangdong | Guangzhou Baiyun International AirportAirport | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 40 | Guangdong | Shenzhen Bao'an International AirportAirport | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 41 | Guangdong | Jieyang Chaoshan International AirportAirport | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 42 | Guangdong | Nansha Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 43 | Guangdong | Shekou Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 44 | Guangdong | Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry TerminalFerry terminal | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 45 | Guangdong | Zhongshan Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 46 | Guangdong | Hengqin PortLand port | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 47 | Guangdong | Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge PortLand port | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 48 | Guangdong | West Kowloon Station Port of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail LinkRail port | Guangdong ProvinceExits are available at all open ports across Guangdong Province. |
| 49 | Hainan | Haikou Meilan International AirportAirport | Hainan Province |
| 50 | Hainan | Sanya Phoenix International AirportAirport | Hainan Province |
| 51 | Chongqing | Chongqing Jiangbei International AirportAirport | Chongqing Municipality |
| 52 | Guizhou | Guiyang Longdongbao International AirportAirport | Guizhou Province |
| 53 | Shaanxi | Xi'an Xianyang International AirportAirport | Shaanxi Province |
| 54 | Shanxi | Taiyuan Wusu International AirportAirport | Taiyuan and Datong only |
| 55 | Heilongjiang | Harbin Taiping International AirportAirport | Harbin only |
| 56 | Jiangxi | Nanchang Changbei International AirportAirport | Nanchang and Jingdezhen only |
| 57 | Guangxi | Nanning Wuxu International AirportAirport | Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi and Laibin |
| 58 | Guangxi | Guilin Liangjiang International AirportAirport | Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi and Laibin |
| 59 | Guangxi | Beihai Fucheng AirportAirport | Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi and Laibin |
| 60 | Guangxi | Beihai Port (Passenger)Passenger port | Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi and Laibin |
| 61 | Sichuan | Chengdu Shuangliu International AirportAirport | Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan and Ziyang |
| 62 | Sichuan | Chengdu Tianfu International AirportAirport | Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan and Ziyang |
| 63 | Yunnan | Kunming Changshui International AirportAirport | Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dali and Lijiang |
| 64 | Yunnan | Lijiang Sanyi International AirportAirport | Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dali and Lijiang |
| 65 | Yunnan | Mohan Railway PortRail port | Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dali and Lijiang |
The table transcribes the NIA port-area image linked below. English spacing and the common apostrophe in “Xi’an” are normalized for readability. Check the current official table before relying on an entry port or stay area.
Check the current NIA port-area tableCheck before departure, again at the port.
Work, study, news reporting and other activities requiring prior approval are outside this transit permission and require the appropriate visa in advance.
Before departure
Verify nationality, document validity, entry rights for B, confirmed onward travel, both ports and every planned mainland China stop.
At immigration
Follow port instructions, present the travel document and onward proof, complete the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners and request temporary entry.
After admission
Read the recorded deadline, remain inside the permitted area and complete accommodation registration through the hotel or local police as required.
Seven assumptions to remove before booking.
- Treating A → China → A as a third-destination transit.
- Assuming an eligible passport is sufficient by itself.
- Relying on an open, standby or unconfirmed onward plan.
- Confusing 240-hour temporary entry with 24-hour airside transit.
- Counting from landing time instead of the next day at 00:00.
- Assuming the 24 covered regions allow travel everywhere in mainland China.
- Ignoring B’s entry rules or using the policy for work, study or news reporting.
Check the international pattern before choosing the China city.
These examples illustrate the policy route shape and city gateways; they do not prescribe trip length or guarantee a traveler’s temporary entry.
Shanghai · Suzhou · Hangzhou
United States → mainland China → JapanShanghai → Suzhou → Hangzhou → Shanghai
Route-shape example only. The traveler must still satisfy every other official condition.Open the route exampleBeijing · Chengde · Tianjin
United States → mainland China → South KoreaBeijing → Chengde → Tianjin
Route-shape example only. Confirm the actual tickets, ports, timing and permitted area.Open the route exampleConsidering Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou? Use the Lower Yangtze city-combination guide for logistics, then check your own international sequence separately.
A normal return or a longer multi-region holiday may instead need a tourist visa. Compare the Shanghai-starting city idea or the Beijing-starting city idea.
Eight direct answers before you buy.
Common questions about this entry policy.
01Can U.S. citizens use China’s 240-hour visa-free transit?＋
Yes. The United States is one of the 57 countries listed by China’s National Immigration Administration. U.S. citizens must still meet every other condition, including passport validity, confirmed onward travel to a third country or region, use of a designated port, and the permitted-stay-area rules.
02Is the policy a general 10-day visa-free visit to China?＋
No. It is a transit policy for a journey through mainland China to a third country or region, not a general tourist visa waiver. Eligible travelers apply for temporary entry at immigration inspection, and admission is not automatic.
03Does United States → mainland China → United States meet the transit rule?＋
No. That itinerary returns to the same country instead of continuing to a third country or region. United States → mainland China → Japan matches the A–China–different-B route condition, but all other policy requirements still apply.
04Do Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as third regions?＋
Yes. Current official government guidance states that Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan are treated as third regions for this transit policy. The traveler must still meet every other condition and the entry requirements for that next region.
05When does the 240-hour period begin?＋
The National Immigration Administration states that the visa-free stay is calculated from 00:00 on the day after entry. Travelers should check the departure deadline recorded by immigration when temporary entry is granted.
06Can I travel anywhere in mainland China during the 240 hours?＋
No. Travelers must remain within the official permitted stay areas linked to the designated ports. The policy covers ports in 24 provincial-level regions, but some permitted areas are narrower than an entire province.
07What onward-travel proof is required?＋
The official conditions require confirmed onward arrangements and a departure date within 240 hours, or other accepted proof, for travel to a third country or region. The traveler must also meet that destination’s entry requirements.
08Is temporary entry guaranteed if I meet the checklist?＋
No. Meeting the published conditions allows a traveler to apply for visa-free temporary entry. Immigration inspection authorities review the documents and handle temporary-entry formalities at the port.
Claim-level links, not a copied policy blog.
Nationality lists and the August expansion checked 8 Sep 2026. Other policy details retain their earlier source-review date of August 19, 2026. Rules can change; verify the current NIA guidance and your exact itinerary before purchase. For official consultation, contact the China Immigration Service hotline at 12367.
Dec 2024 240-hour policy expanded to 60 ports in 24 provincial-level regions.
Jun 2025 Indonesia added, bringing the nationality list to 55.
Nov 2025 Five Guangdong ports added, bringing the designated entry-port list to 65.
20 Aug 2026 Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added, bringing the transit nationality list to 57.
8 Sep 2026 ChinaTrip checked the updated nationality lists and expansion announcement. Other policy details retain their earlier review date.