China 240-Hour Transit Visa-Free Policy 2026: Full Guide & Rules

Flying through China on your way somewhere else? You may be able to step out of the airport and stay up to 10 days without applying for a visa. This is called the 240-hour visa-free transit policy.

On paper, around 55 countries qualify, and 10 days is enough time for a proper trip — not just an extended airport stop. But for most of those countries, China has a simpler 30-day visa-free policy that doesn't even need an onward ticket. For the countries below, this transit policy is the main way to visit China without applying for a visa.

Who This Article Is For

Czech Republic
Indonesia
Lithuania
Mexico
Ukraine
United States

If your country is on this list, keep reading — the rest of the article is for you. If you don't see your country, check our Visa-Free Ways to Enter China hub — there may be a simpler way in, or you may need to apply for a regular visa.

The Rule That Confuses Most Travelers

The country you arrive in China from and the country you fly out to must be different. Arriving from Korea and flying back to Korea, for example, doesn't count — China has to sit between two different countries on your itinerary.

Here's a common example that doesn't qualify:

JFK → Seoul → Shanghai → Seoul → JFK ❌ You arrived from South Korea and you're leaving back to South Korea. Same country before and after China. Does not qualify.

Same trip with one change:

JFK → Seoul → Shanghai → JFK (fly home direct from Shanghai) ✅ You arrived from South Korea and you're leaving to the USA. Two different countries. Qualifies.

The fix is almost always the same: fly home directly from China, or continue onward to a third country (Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong — anywhere that isn't where you came from).

Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan count as separate regions for this rule, so:

New York → Beijing → Hong Kong ✅ qualifies, because Hong Kong is treated as a different region from mainland China.

When the 240 Hours Actually Start

Your 10-day clock does not start the moment you land. It starts at 00:00 on the day after you enter China.

So if you land in Shanghai on a Monday afternoon, the clock starts at midnight going into Tuesday. That gives you a little bonus time on arrival day, which most people don't realize.

Where You Can Enter

You have to enter through one of the 65 eligible ports. The major ones cover most international travelers: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Xiamen, Chongqing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Kunming, Harbin, and Dalian.

In November 2025, five new ports in the Guangdong area were added — including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port and the West Kowloon high-speed rail station — which makes overland entry from Hong Kong much easier than it used to be.

Not sure if your specific port qualifies? Use the checker below.

Where You Can Travel Inside China

The policy covers 24 provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Fujian, Hainan, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang. You can cross between them within the permitted area.

You can't go everywhere in China under this policy. Some regions are off-limits. Don't assume a city is allowed just because it's in China. Always check before you book.

Not sure if your destination is in the permitted area? Use the checker below.

What You Can and Can't Do

You can use the 240 hours for tourism, business meetings, visiting friends or family, exchange visits, and short trips between permitted cities.

You can't use it for paid work, long-term study, or news reporting that requires approval. If that's what you're coming for, you need the proper visa — this policy isn't a workaround.

Documents You Need

Have these with you when you arrive in China:

Your passport, valid for at least 3 months
A confirmed ticket out of China to a third country, leaving within 240 hours
A hotel booking or the address where you'll be staying
A rough plan of where you'll go in China and when you'll leave

You don't apply for this policy in advance. You just bring these documents and the immigration officer processes you under the policy when you arrive.

At the airport, you'll go through normal immigration. When the officer asks why you're entering China or how long you'll be staying, mention you're using the 240-hour visa-free transit policy. That way they apply the right rules to your entry.

Approval is always at the discretion of the immigration officer at the border. Meeting all the conditions above makes it very likely, though not guaranteed.

A Few Notes

The 90-day-per-180-day rule from the mutual-exemption policy doesn't apply here. The 240-hour transit is a per-trip rule — you can use it again on a separate qualifying trip.
If China expands its 30-day visa-free policy to add your country in the future, that'll be the simpler option (longer stay, no onward ticket required). For now, this is the way.

FAQ

Is this a tourist visa? No. It's a transit policy — you use it when China isn't your final destination. There's no application, no fee, no advance approval. You just qualify at the border.

Can I stay exactly 10 days? Up to 10 days. The clock starts at midnight the day after you arrive, so your arrival day is essentially a bonus.

Can I fly in and out of the same country? No. The country you arrive from and the country you leave for must be different. See the JFK → Seoul example above.

Does Hong Kong count as a third region? Yes. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are treated as separate regions from mainland China for this policy. New York → Beijing → Hong Kong qualifies.

Can I visit more than one mainland Chinese city? Yes, as long as all the cities are inside the permitted area. Check the official list before booking multi-city travel.

Can I do business meetings? Yes. Short business activities are allowed. Actual employment is not.

Do I need to apply before traveling? No. You request temporary entry at the border when you arrive. The immigration officer decides on the spot.

Sources

Visa policies can change. Always verify requirements with official Chinese government sources before traveling.

China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Stay Up to 10 Days Without a Visa