Living in China

China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies and How to Use It (2026)

By the 17Talk teaching team - certified Mandarin teachers, 8+ years of classroom experience, 3,500+ students in 40 countries
Last updated: 2026-09-23

Quick answer

Citizens of 57 countries flying through China to a third country can enter visa-free for up to 240 hours (10 days) via 65 approved ports. You need a passport valid for at least three months and a confirmed onward ticket to a different country. There is no application - eligibility is assessed at the port.

What the 240-hour transit policy actually is

It is not a tourist visa and it is not visa-free entry: it is permission to pass through China on the way to somewhere else. The National Immigration Administration extended transit visa-free stays from 72 and 144 hours to a uniform 240 hours (10 days) with effect from 17 December 2024, and the list of eligible countries has grown since - reaching 57 countries on 20 August 2026, when Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added.

The single most important word in the rule is third country. You must be travelling to a country or region different from the one you departed from. Fly London to Shanghai to London and you do not qualify; fly London to Shanghai to Tokyo and you do.

The two mistakes that get people turned away

Almost every refusal at the transit counter comes down to the same two things: the onward ticket, and the direction of travel. Check both before you book anything else - they are the only conditions most people fail.

Mistake	What it looks like	What the rule requires
Returning to where you came from	London - Shanghai - London	The onward flight must go to a third country or region
No confirmed onward ticket	An open plan to 'decide later'	A confirmed, dated ticket out of China within 240 hours
Entering at a non-approved port	Landing at a small airport with no transit arrangement	Entry and exit at one of the 65 approved ports
Staying past 240 hours	Overstaying by a day	Exit within 240 hours - overstay is treated as illegal residence

Who qualifies, and how to check your country

Eligibility is by nationality, and the list is published and updated by the National Immigration Administration. As of 20 August 2026 it covers 57 countries, including (per the announcement and earlier coverage) the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, Australia and most of the Schengen area.

We deliberately do not print the whole list: it changes - it was 54 countries in December 2024, 55 by mid-2025 and 57 by August 2026. Check the current list on the National Immigration Administration's site before you book, because a ticket bought on an outdated list is money lost.

Where you can enter, and how far you can travel

The policy works at 65 approved open ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities - the count went from 39 to 60 with the December 2024 expansion, and grew again with five additional ports in Guangdong.

Staying inside the permitted area is the part visitors misunderstand. The 240-hour permit is tied to the region(s) the policy allows for the port you use; it is not an open licence to tour the entire country. If your plan is a multi-province trip, confirm the permitted area for your entry port first.

Fact	Number / value
Maximum stay	240 hours (10 days)
Eligible countries	57 (as of 20 August 2026)
Approved ports	65 open ports
Provinces / regions covered	24
Passport validity	At least three months remaining, in practice
Application needed	None - assessed at the port on arrival

What actually happens at the border

You land, and instead of joining the normal foreign-passport queue you look for the dedicated transit visa-free counter (signed in English at the major airports). You fill in an arrival card, hand over your passport and the onward ticket, and the officer records the 240-hour window. There is no fee.

Carry the onward ticket as a printed copy or make sure it opens offline on your phone: this is the single document most likely to be asked for, and mobile data is not available until you have a SIM or an eSIM.

Hainan is a different, longer rule

Do not confuse the two. Hainan island runs its own visa-free entry scheme with a 30-day stay, and its eligible-country list is separate - it reached 61 countries with the same August 2026 announcement that added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam. If your destination is Sanya or Haikou rather than a transit through the mainland, the Hainan rule is the one that applies.

If you want to do this properly

Three steps, in order: confirm your nationality is on the current list, book a routing that genuinely passes through China to a third country, and check that your entry airport is one of the approved ports for that. Then everything else is ordinary arrival admin - the same things you would need on any China trip.

One practical note if the 10 days are not enough: the transit window cannot be extended from inside China, and leaving to a neighbouring country resets nothing unless you genuinely transit again to a third destination.

Common questions

Do I need to apply for the 240-hour transit visa-free entry in advance?

No. There is no application, no fee and no pre-approval. Eligibility is assessed by the immigration officer at the port when you arrive, based on your nationality, your onward ticket and the port you use.

Can I leave the airport and travel around China?

Yes, within the permitted area attached to your entry port - that is the point of the 10-day window. It is not unlimited travel across the whole country, so if you plan to visit several provinces, check the permitted area for your port before booking.

My trip starts and ends in the same country - do I qualify?

No. The onward flight must go to a third country or region, different from where you departed from. A return to your starting country does not count, even if the stop in China is several days long.

Which ports can I use?

Sixty-five approved open ports across 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Major international airports such as Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Capital and Daxing, Guangzhou Baiyun and Chengdu Tianfu all operate the scheme; small regional airports generally do not.

How long is the stay - is 240 hours exactly 10 days?

Yes, 240 hours is 10 days, and it is counted from the moment of entry. It cannot be extended from inside China, and overstaying is treated as illegal residence rather than a minor paperwork issue.

Is the Hainan 30-day visa-free entry the same thing?

No. Hainan has its own visa-free scheme with a 30-day stay and its own country list (61 countries as of August 2026). The 240-hour transit rule applies when you are passing through the mainland to a third country.

What if my nationality is not on the list?

Then you need a normal visa, or a different visa-free arrangement if one applies to you. Do not book a transit trip hoping to be admitted at the counter - eligibility is by nationality and the officer has no discretion to waive it.

Sources

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