VISA-FREE TRANSIT · TRACKED AT SOURCE
240-Hour Visa-Free Transit
As of 2026-09-12: citizens of 56 countries (56 verified against official announcements, official count 57) can enter China visa-free for up to 240 hours (10 days) in transit, through 22 listed ports plus more at the source, in 24 provinces — if they hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country.
THE CLOCK · HOW 240 HOURS ACTUALLY WORK
How the 240-Hour Clock Works
The clock starts at 00:00 the NEXT day
Land at any time on Monday — your 240 hours begin Tuesday 00:00. Even a Monday 23:00 arrival gives you until the FOLLOWING Thursday 23:59.
That means up to 11 calendar days
10 full days of clock time + the arrival-day remainder. This is why "10-day visa-free" undersells it slightly.
Exit before the clock hits zero
You must be THROUGH border control, not just at the gate. A 23:50 flight with a 00:10 immigration queue = overstay. Buffer the last half-day.
Province scope applies the whole stay
You may move freely within permitted provinces but cannot cross into non-permitted ones — even for a 1-hour train hop. Crossing scope = visa required.
HK/Macau count as third regions
Your onward ticket to Hong Kong, Macau, or any third country satisfies the transit requirement. Same-country returns are the risky pattern.
DATA · COUNTRIES
Eligible Countries (56)
Europe (40)
- AT Austria 奥地利
- BE Belgium 比利时
- BG Bulgaria 保加利亚
- HR Croatia 克罗地亚
- CY Cyprus 塞浦路斯
- CZ Czechia 捷克
- DK Denmark 丹麦
- EE Estonia 爱沙尼亚
- FI Finland 芬兰
- FR France 法国
- DE Germany 德国
- GR Greece 希腊
- HU Hungary 匈牙利
- IS Iceland 冰岛
- IE Ireland 爱尔兰
- IT Italy 意大利
- LV Latvia 拉脱维亚
- LT Lithuania 立陶宛
- LU Luxembourg 卢森堡
- MT Malta 马耳他
- MC Monaco 摩纳哥
- ME Montenegro 黑山
- NL Netherlands 荷兰
- MK North Macedonia 北马其顿
- NO Norway 挪威
- PL Poland 波兰
- PT Portugal 葡萄牙
- RO Romania 罗马尼亚
- RU Russia 俄罗斯
- RS Serbia 塞尔维亚
- SK Slovakia 斯洛伐克
- SI Slovenia 斯洛文尼亚
- ES Spain 西班牙
- SE Sweden 瑞典
- CH Switzerland 瑞士
- UA Ukraine 乌克兰
- GB United Kingdom 英国
- BA Bosnia & Herzegovina 波黑
- AL Albania 阿尔巴尼亚
- BY Belarus 白俄罗斯
Americas (6)
- US United States 美国
- CA Canada 加拿大
- BR Brazil 巴西
- MX Mexico 墨西哥
- AR Argentina 阿根廷
- CL Chile 智利
Oceania (2)
- AU Australia 澳大利亚
- NZ New Zealand 新西兰
Asia (8)
- KR South Korea 韩国
- JP Japan 日本
- SG Singapore 新加坡
- BN Brunei 文莱
- AE UAE 阿联酋
- QA Qatar 卡塔尔
- KG Kyrgyzstan 吉尔吉斯斯坦
- VN Vietnam 越南
DATA · PORTS
Open Ports (22 shown, full list at source)
| Port (EN) | Port | Province | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing Capital (PEK) | 北京首都机场 | 北京 | air | — |
| Beijing Daxing (PKX) | 北京大兴机场 | 北京 | air | — |
| Shanghai Pudong (PVG) | 上海浦东机场 | 上海 | air | — |
| Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) | 上海虹桥机场 | 上海 | air | — |
| Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) | 广州白云机场 | 广东 | air | — |
| Shenzhen Baoan (SZX) | 深圳宝安机场 | 广东 | air | — |
| Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) | 成都天府机场 | 四川 | air | — |
| Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU) | 成都双流机场 | 四川 | air | — |
| Chongqing Jiangbei (CKG) | 重庆江北机场 | 重庆 | air | — |
| Xi'an Xianyang (XIY) | 西安咸阳机场 | 陕西 | air | — |
| Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH) | 杭州萧山机场 | 浙江 | air | — |
| Nanjing Lukou (NKG) | 南京禄口机场 | 江苏 | air | — |
| Wuhan Tianhe (WUH) | 武汉天河机场 | 湖北 | air | — |
| Xiamen Gaoqi (XMN) | 厦门高崎机场 | 福建 | air | — |
| Kunming Changshui (KMG) | 昆明长水机场 | 云南 | air | — |
| Urumqi Diwopu (URC) | 乌鲁木齐地窝堡机场 | 新疆 | air | — |
| Tianjin Binhai (TSN) | 天津滨海机场 | 天津 | air | — |
| Harbin Taiping (HRB) | 哈尔滨太平机场 | 黑龙江 | air | — |
| Shenzhen Bay Port | 深圳湾口岸 | 广东 | land | — |
| Gongbei Port (Zhuhai) | 拱北口岸 | 广东 | land | 珠海—澳门 |
| Hekou Port | 河口口岸 | 云南 | land | 中越边境 |
| West Kowloon (HKG→SZ) | 西九龙站口岸 | 香港 | rail | 高铁内地段 |
SOURCE · OFFICIAL TEXT
What the Official Text Says
「自2026年8月20日起，对吉尔吉斯斯坦、越南公民实施240小时过境免签政策和海南30天入境免签政策。240小时过境免签政策适用国家增至57国，海南30天入境免签政策适用国家增至61国。」
EN · From August 20, 2026, the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and the 30-day Hainan visa-free entry policy apply to citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam. The 240-hour transit list grows to 57 countries; the Hainan 30-day list grows to 61.
AMBIGUITY · WHAT IS UNCLEAR
Where the Text Is Unclear
FAQ · FAQ
Frequently Asked
Do I need a visa for a 10-day China trip under 240-hour visa-free transit?
No visa needed if you qualify: passport from an eligible country + confirmed onward ticket to a third country (not the one you came from) + entry at an open port. Hong Kong/Macau count as third regions for this purpose.
How is the 240 hours calculated?
From 00:00 the day AFTER your entry. Enter any time on day 0, and your 240 hours start at midnight — effectively up to 10+ calendar days on the ground.
Can I leave through a different port than I entered?
Generally yes — any of the open ports, but your movement scope is limited to the permitted provinces. Cross-scope travel requires a visa. Check the port list below before booking.
Which countries are eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit?
56 countries on the published list (see table below). The list was 54 at the 2024-12 policy announcement and has been expanded since; we track additions at the source.
What if my nationality is not on the list?
Check unilateral visa-free entry (30 days, 50+ countries) or apply for a regular visa. Some nationalities also have 15-day visa-free access to Hainan or tour-group entry to specific regions.
Do I need to leave through the same port I entered?
No — you can exit at any of the 65 designated ports, different from your entry port. Enter at Shanghai Pudong, exit via West Kowloon to Hong Kong: perfectly standard. What you CANNOT do is let the 240h clock run out mid-journey.
Can I visit Hong Kong or Macau and come back within the 240 hours?
No. Leaving for HK/Macau ends the transit — re-entering mainland starts a NEW entry that needs its own basis (another transit with a fresh third-country ticket, or 30-day visa-free if eligible). The in-out-in same-day pattern gets extra scrutiny.
Which provinces can I move between?
The 240h policy permits travel across the 24 approved provinces/regions — effectively the whole main tourist corridor: Beijing–Shanghai–Xi'an–Chengdu–Chongqing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Kunming and everything between. Tibet and some border areas need permits regardless of your visa status.
Is the 240-hour transit really free? Any fees?
No visa fee, no entry stamp fee. Your costs are just travel: the onward ticket, trains and hotels. Budget ¥3,000–5,000 (≈US$420–700) per person for 10 days beyond hotels and international flights — our 10-day route breakdown is linked below.
What documents do I show at the transit counter?
Passport (6+ months validity is the safe rule), the confirmed onward ticket to a third country, and your first night's hotel booking printed. Airlines check the ticket at boarding; border officers occasionally ask for the hotel. Paper beats phone screenshots at counters.
CHANGELOG · 变更史
Change History
SPONSORED · 含推广链接
Travel insurance for China (SafetyWing) — visa-free entry does not include medical cover; insurance is strongly recommended. （W1 占位，affiliate 接入后替换）
Based on public announcements and our manual verification. Informational only — not legal, visa, or tax advice. Every page cites its official source and verification date.
Last updated: 2026-09-12 · Next re-check: 2026-09-19 · Maintainer: u8.fyi