Home / Visa check / 240-hour transit
China's 240-hour visa-free transit, explained
Ten days in China without a visa, if you're on your way somewhere else. Here is exactly what counts.
Last checked against official Chinese sources
240h
Up to 10 days, no visa, on your way elsewhere.
The rules
- Passport: an ordinary passport from one of the 57 eligible countries, valid for at least 3 more months.
- Third country: you arrive from one country or region and leave to a different one. Round trips (A → China → A) do not qualify.
- Onward ticket: confirmed date and seat, leaving within 240 hours.
- Ports: enter and leave through any of the 65 designated ports (they do not have to be the same one).
- Where you can go: the permitted areas of 24 provinces and municipalities. Travel between them is allowed.
- The clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you arrive. Extensions are only possible for illness or force majeure.
- Purpose: tourism, business, visits. Not work, study or journalism.
Routes that work, and routes that don't
| Route | Visa-free? |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles → Shanghai → Tokyo | Yes |
| Seoul → Beijing → London | Yes |
| Singapore → Chengdu → Sydney | Yes Singapore passports are also visa-free for 30 days anyway |
| New York → Shanghai → New York | No same country both ways |
| London → Beijing, stay 11 days → Seoul | No over 240 hours |
Many travellers use a flight to Hong Kong or Macau as the onward leg. The official rule says "third country or region"; confirm with your airline before you book, since it checks eligibility at check-in.
Eligible passports (57)
Passports marked with a 30-day badge do not need transit at all for trips up to 30 days.
Where you can go (24 provinces)
Some provinces are open only in listed cities.
- Beijing
- Tianjin
- Hebei
- Shanxi (Taiyuan, Datong)
- Liaoning
- Heilongjiang (Harbin)
- Shanghai
- Jiangsu
- Zhejiang
- Anhui
- Fujian
- Jiangxi (Nanchang, Jingdezhen)
- Shandong
- Henan
- Hubei
- Hunan
- Guangdong
- Guangxi (12 cities)
- Hainan
- Chongqing
- Sichuan (Chengdu, Leshan and 9 more cities)
- Guizhou
- Yunnan (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Xishuangbanna and 5 more)
- Shaanxi
Show this at the border
Every port you can use (65)
Enter at one, leave from another: they do not have to match. Five ports on the Guangdong side opened on 5 November 2025 and are marked new.
| Beijing | Beijing Capital International AirportBeijing Daxing International Airport |
| Tianjin | Tianjin Binhai International AirportTianjin Port passenger terminal |
| Hebei | Shijiazhuang Zhengding International AirportQinhuangdao Port passenger terminal |
| Shanxi | Taiyuan Wusu International Airport |
| Liaoning | Shenyang Taoxian International AirportDalian Zhoushuizi International AirportDalian Port passenger terminal |
| Heilongjiang | Harbin Taiping International Airport |
| Shanghai | Shanghai Hongqiao International AirportShanghai Pudong International AirportShanghai Port passenger terminal |
| Jiangsu | Nanjing Lukou International AirportSunan Shuofang International AirportYangzhou Taizhou International AirportLianyungang Port passenger terminal |
| Zhejiang | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International AirportNingbo Lishe International AirportWenzhou Longwan International AirportYiwu AirportWenzhou Port passenger terminalZhoushan Port passenger terminal |
| Anhui | Hefei Xinqiao International AirportHuangshan Tunxi International Airport |
| Fujian | Fuzhou Changle International AirportXiamen Gaoqi International AirportQuanzhou Jinjiang International AirportWuyishan AirportXiamen Port passenger terminal |
| Jiangxi | Nanchang Changbei International Airport |
| Shandong | Jinan Yaoqiang International AirportQingdao Jiaodong International AirportYantai Penglai International AirportWeihai Dashuibo International AirportQingdao Port passenger terminal |
| Henan | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport |
| Hubei | Wuhan Tianhe International Airport |
| Hunan | Changsha Huanghua International AirportZhangjiajie Hehua International Airport |
| Guangdong | Guangzhou Baiyun International AirportShenzhen Bao'an International AirportJieyang Chaoshan International AirportNansha Port passenger terminalShekou Port passenger terminalGuangzhou Port newHengqin Port, Zhuhai newZhongshan Port newHong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port newWest Kowloon Station, Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link new |
| Guangxi | Nanning Wuxu International AirportGuilin Liangjiang International AirportBeihai Fucheng AirportBeihai Port passenger terminal |
| Hainan | Haikou Meilan International AirportSanya Phoenix International Airport |
| Chongqing | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport |
| Sichuan | Chengdu Shuangliu International AirportChengdu Tianfu International Airport |
| Guizhou | Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport |
| Yunnan | Kunming Changshui International AirportLijiang Sanyi International AirportMohan Railway Port |
| Shaanxi | Xi'an Xianyang International Airport |
Questions people ask
Is 240-hour transit the same as visa-free entry?
No. Transit needs an onward ticket to a third country or region and limits you to certain provinces. The 30-day visa-free policy has neither condition, but covers fewer passports.
Do Americans qualify for 240-hour transit?
Yes. US passports are on the list of 57 countries. Americans are not on the 30-day visa-free list, so transit is their main visa-free option.
Can I enter in Beijing and leave from Shanghai?
Yes. You can enter and leave through different designated ports, and travel between permitted provinces.
When does the 240 hours start?
At 00:00 on the day after you arrive.
SourcesNational Immigration Administration: 240-hour visa-free transit, 57 countries (20 Aug 2026): https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183412/content.htmlChinese Consulate in Montreal: transit FAQ, passport validity and time count (30 May 2025): https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htmChinese Embassy in Canada: 240-hour transit ports and permitted areas: https://ca.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsyw/lszj/mqzc00/gjmq00/202501/t20250110_11530399.htmState Council: 240-hour transit ports raised from 60 to 65, effective 5 Nov 2025: https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202511/04/content_WS69094ae0c6d00ca5f9a07472.htmlLast checked 17 September 2026