China 24-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies (2026)

Got a long layover in China and want to leave the airport for a few hours? China has a 24-hour visa-free transit policy, and it's open to citizens of almost every country. It comes in two parts.

The first part doesn't require you to do anything. You just stay in the airport where you landed and wait for your next flight. As simple as it sounds.

The second part is when you want to leave the airport and see the city. Then you go through immigration and request a temporary entry permit when you land.

This article tells you exactly how to do that, what the rules are, and when a different visa-free policy is a better way in.

How the policy works

There are two ways to use it, and they're very different.

1. You stay in the airport. If you stay inside the restricted international transit area, you normally don't need a visa or a temporary entry permit. At the 19 designated airports below, qualifying passengers with an international connecting ticket onward to a third country or region can also skip immigration inspection. At other open ports, you may still go through some transit or border checks even while staying airside.

2. You leave the airport. To go into the city, collect checked bags, or change terminals, you ask immigration for a temporary entry permit when you arrive. The officer reviews your documents and decides on the spot.

Who qualifies

The 24-hour transit is open to citizens of almost every country in the world. That's what makes it different: the 240-hour transit covers 55 countries, the 30-day visa-free covers 50, but this one is for almost everyone. It's the route for travelers who aren't on any other visa-free list.

To use it, you need:

A valid passport or other accepted international travel document
A confirmed international connecting (interline) ticket, with a confirmed seat, leaving China for a third country or region within 24 hours
You arrive and depart by international flight, ship, or train

Here's a route that works:

Bangkok → Shanghai → Tokyo. You arrive from Thailand and depart to Japan, a different country. Qualifies.

Bangkok → Shanghai → Bangkok. Same country before and after China. Does not qualify.

Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan count as separate regions here. So Toronto → Beijing → Hong Kong → Toronto works, because after China you depart to Hong Kong, not back to Canada.

Your connection has to be within 24 hours

Your onward flight has to leave within 24 hours of your arrival in China. Unlike the 240-hour policy, there's no extra time that starts at midnight the next day. If you're given a temporary entry permit, follow the exact end time printed on it.

Leaving the airport: how the temporary entry permit works

If you want to go into the city, here's the process:

When you arrive, follow the signs for visa-free transit, temporary entry permits, or immigration. If the signs aren't clear, ask a transfer or immigration officer before you join the ordinary entry line.
Fill in an arrival card. You can do it online before your flight, by scanning a QR code or using a device at the airport, or on a paper card at the port.
Show your passport and your onward ticket.
The officer decides whether to issue the temporary entry permit.

To get the permit, your passport needs at least 3 months of validity left. The officer won't issue it if:

Your passport has a visa-refusal stamp from a Chinese visa office
You have a record of illegal entry, exit, stay, or work in China in the last 5 years
You've seriously broken China's accommodation registration rules in the last 2 years
You're otherwise not allowed to enter China under Chinese law

Preparing all your documents matters, but the final decision is always made by the immigration officer at the port.

Ask your airline before you fly whether your bags are checked through to your final destination. If you have to collect them in China, you'll need permission to leave the restricted transit area first.

Where you can go with the permit

A temporary entry permit lets you leave the restricted port area, but you have to stay within the area and the time the officer authorizes. Don't assume you can take a domestic flight, a train to another city, or travel far from where you arrived. Confirm the allowed area with the immigration officer when your permit is issued.

If you want a real trip around China, you need a different policy. Check whether your passport qualifies for a longer one, like the 240-hour transit, with the Eligibility Finder on our homepage.

The 19 airports where you skip immigration inspection

These 19 airports let qualifying passengers skip immigration inspection, if you hold an international connecting ticket with a confirmed seat, you continue to a third country or region within 24 hours, and you don't leave the airport's restricted transit area. When that's the case, you don't go through immigration, you don't fill in an arrival card, and you don't need a permit. You just wait for your next flight. You may still go through airline document checks and security.

This only applies while you stay inside the airport. The moment you want to leave and go into the city, you go through immigration and apply for a temporary entry permit, the same as anywhere else.

The 19 airports, with their codes:

Beijing Capital (PEK)
Beijing Daxing (PKX)
Shanghai Pudong (PVG)
Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH)
Xiamen Gaoqi (XMN)
Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN)
Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX)
Chengdu Tianfu (TFU)
Xi'an Xianyang (XIY)
Tianjin Binhai (TSN)
Dalian Zhoushuizi (DLC)
Nanjing Lukou (NKG)
Fuzhou Changle (FOC)
Qingdao Jiaodong (TAO)
Wuhan Tianhe (WUH)
Nanning Wuxu (NNG)
Haikou Meilan (HAK)
Chongqing Jiangbei (CKG)
Kunming Changshui (KMG)

At other open Chinese airports and ports, the 24-hour policy still applies, but you may have to go through immigration or transit checks even while waiting for your next flight. Skipping immigration inspection is currently only offered at the 19 airports above.

How it compares to China's other visa-free routes

	24-hour transit	240-hour transit	30-day visa-free
Who it's for	Almost any nationality	55 countries	50 countries
Max stay	Up to 24 hours	10 days	30 days
Departing to a third country?	Required	Required	Not needed, round trips are fine
Can you enter the city?	Yes, with a temporary entry permit	Yes, normal entry	Yes, normal entry
Where you can go	Area authorized by the temporary entry permit	Permitted areas in 24 regions	Almost all of mainland China
Best for	A long layover	A stopover of 2 to 10 days	Any trip, if your country is on the list

The simple way to decide

First, check whether you qualify for ordinary visa-free entry. If your ordinary passport is on China's 30-day visa-free list (currently 50 countries) or covered by a mutual visa-exemption agreement, you normally enter under that policy, with no third-country routing and no temporary entry permit. It's simpler and it lasts longer.

If that doesn't apply, check the 240-hour transit. It currently covers 55 countries and lets eligible travelers stay in the designated permitted areas across 24 provincial-level regions for up to 10 days.

If neither of those applies, the 24-hour transit is your route for a qualifying short connection. Staying airside needs no permit. Leaving the airport needs immigration approval.

Not sure which policy is yours? Find your country in our visa-free countries hub.

What you can and can't do

With the permit, you can use your hours for sightseeing, a meal, and a hotel rest. You can't take paid work, study, or report as a journalist. Those need the right visa.

Getting ready for your layover

Passport and ticket first. A valid passport, and a confirmed international connecting ticket with a seat, leaving for a third country or region within 24 hours. If you plan to leave the airport, your passport needs at least 3 months of validity for the temporary entry permit.
Have a hotel booking or address ready if you plan to leave the airport. It's one of the things the officer may ask about. A booking on Trip.com works, and refundable options protect you if the permit isn't approved or your plans change.
Get mobile data before you go. Grab a China eSIM so you're online the moment you land.
Install a VPN before you enter China. Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, and lots of other websites are blocked in China. Set up a VPN before you arrive so you stay connected, even for one day.

FAQ

Can I use this policy if I'm from any country?
Almost. The 24-hour transit is open to nearly every nationality, unlike the 240-hour policy, which covers 55 countries. But to leave the airport you still need the temporary entry permit, and approval isn't guaranteed.

Do I automatically get to leave the airport?
No. Staying inside the restricted transit area normally doesn't need a visa or a temporary entry permit, though airport and immigration procedures vary. At the 19 designated airports, qualifying direct-transit passengers can skip immigration inspection. Leaving the airport to see the city is the separate step: you request a temporary entry permit from the immigration officers when you arrive.

How long can I stay?
Up to 24 hours. Your onward flight has to leave within 24 hours of your arrival in China.

Does a round trip to the same country work?
No. Your onward ticket has to go to a different country or region than the one you came from. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan count as separate regions, so departing to one of those qualifies.

Can I visit more than one city?
Not necessarily. You can only travel within the area immigration authorizes, so ask the officer before taking a train, a domestic flight, or heading to another city. For a real multi-city trip, use the 240-hour transit.

What if my flight is delayed past 24 hours?
Contact the local immigration office as soon as you know about the delay. There's a process for delays and emergencies, but don't wait until your time is over.

Do I need a visa for my next country?
If the country you're departing to requires a visa, get it before you arrive in China. Immigration may ask to see it.

Where do I book tours and activities in Beijing?
The two platforms most travelers use are Trip.com and Klook. Both list English-language Great Wall tours, Forbidden City skip-the-line tickets, hutong tours, day trips, and airport transfers.

Sources

Bottom line

The 24-hour visa-free transit is the one route into China that's open to almost every nationality, but it's made for short layovers, not real trips. Stay inside the transit area and, at the 19 designated airports, you can skip immigration inspection entirely. To leave the airport, you ask immigration for a temporary entry permit when you arrive, and the final decision is up to the officer. You always need a connecting ticket onward to a different country or region, and your onward flight has to leave within 24 hours of your arrival. If your country is on the 30-day or 240-hour list, one of those is almost always the better choice. This policy is for travelers on no other list who want a hotel near the airport or a few hours in the city between flights.

China 24-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies and How to Leave the Airport