China 240-hour visa-free transit: 10 days, 57 countries, three rules that trip people up
If your passport is not on the 30-day visa-free list — the US, UK and Canada included — this is usually your way in without a visa. Ten days, through 65 ports.
Who it covers
57 nationalities, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia and most of Europe. Full list on the NIA notice.
The three rules
You must be going to a third country
China is a stopover, not the destination. The test: you arrive from country A and leave to country B, and A and B must be different. "Third country" includes Hong Kong and Macao.
Broken most often: a round trip London → Shanghai → London. That is A → China → A, and it does not qualify.
Confirmed onward ticket, with a seat and a date
Waitlist and open-ended tickets are refused. The onward flight, train or ship must be booked and confirmed before you land.
Enter through an approved port, and stay inside the allowed area
65 open ports across 24 provinces. You must arrive and depart through the port listed for your route, and you may only travel within the area attached to that port. Turning up at a different airport from the one your transit was approved for is a refusal.
What you can do during the 10 days
Tourism, business meetings, visiting people and family reunions are all fine within the permitted area. Work, study and news reporting need prior approval and a proper visa.
Not the same as the 24-hour rule
| Rule | Who | Stay | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-hour direct transit | All nationalities | Up to 24 hours | Onward ticket, must not leave the port's restricted area |
| 240-hour transit | 57 nationalities | Up to 10 days | Third country, confirmed ticket, approved port and area |
| Hainan entry | 61 nationalities | 30 days | Hainan province only |
| 30-day visa-free | 50 nationalities | 30 days | See the main guide |
If you need to leave the restricted area of the airport under the 24-hour rule, you must first get a temporary entry permit from the immigration inspection authority at that port.
At the airport
- Follow the signs for 240-hour visa-free transit — not the regular foreigners' queue.
- Have printed: onward ticket, hotel booking, and the address on day one.
- You will be asked where you are going. Name a city inside your permitted area.
- Keep the paper slip they give you. You need it at the hotel and when you leave.
Source: National Immigration Administration, Visa-Free Transit Policies (20 August 2026). Port lists and eligible areas are updated separately from this policy page.
Landed, and nothing works?
The payment, SIM and phone-number traps hit transit travellers hardest because you have less time to sort them out.
See the cards