Everything you need to know about entering China without a visa for up to 10 days (240 hours) — eligible nationalities, allowed ports, required documents, and step-by-step application. Last verified: September 2026.
China's visa-free transit policy allows travelers from 57 eligible countries to enter and stay in designated areas across 24 provinces for up to 10 days (240 hours) without applying for a Chinese visa — as long as you are transiting onward to a third country or region. Entry is possible through any of 65 open ports (air, sea, rail and land) in 24 provinces.
Policy updates (Dec 2024 – Aug 2026): The previous 72-hour and 144-hour transit policies were unified and extended to 240 hours (10 days) in December 2024. The eligible-country list has since grown to 57 (Indonesia and Vietnam joined in 2025 and 2026; Kyrgyzstan in August 2026), and the port list grew to 65 in November 2025 with the addition of Guangzhou Pazhou passenger port, Hengqin, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, Zhongshan port and Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed rail West Kowloon station.
This is one of the most convenient ways to add a short China stopover to a longer Asia itinerary — perfect when flying between Europe and Southeast Asia, or combining mainland China with Hong Kong, Japan, or South Korea.
No advance application, no fees, no appointment. The whole process is completed on arrival at the airport or port in under 15 minutes — just walk to the dedicated lane with your documents ready.
Citizens of the following countries automatically qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit. If you hold dual citizenship, use whichever passport is on this list.
If your nationality is not on this list, you may still qualify for one of the 30-day visa-free programs below, or you will need a regular Chinese visitor visa (L-type) — or you can use the 24-hour international-to-international transit (no need to leave the airport). Eligible country lists and port availability can change — always confirm with the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy before departure. You can also contact us via the sidebar and we will point you to the official source for your specific case.
Separate from the transit policy, China unilaterally allows ordinary-passport holders from 50 countries to enter for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchange and transit — no onward ticket to a third country required. The United Kingdom and Canada joined on February 17, 2026 (both policies currently run until December 31, 2026).
A separate 30-day visa-free program applies to ordinary-passport holders from 61 countries entering Hainan Province directly through its open ports — useful for Sanya and Haikou beach stops or combining Hainan with mainland clusters afterward.
Travel is permitted within these designated port-city clusters. You may move freely between cities inside the same cluster using high-speed rail, domestic flights, or private transfers.
Transit travelers may move freely across the 24 permitted provinces (cross-province travel within the allowed area is permitted — this is no longer a "one-city cluster" policy).
Our Guizhou Ethnic Villages Tour, Pingyao Ancient City, and Xinjiang Panorama itineraries can all be entered through a visa-free gateway city — each route guide shows which gateway pairs best and how to time your onward ticket within the 240-hour window.
Prepare all 4 required documents (next section). Fill in your arrival/departure card on the plane, noting the full address of your first hotel.
Look for the lane clearly marked "Visa-Free Transit" (it is separate from the regular visitor-immigration lanes). Hand over your documents — processing typically takes 10–15 minutes.
The officer stamps your passport with a dated entry-exit stamp and attaches a peel-off sticker showing the exact start date, deadline, and permitted travel area. Keep the sticker in your passport — hotels may ask for it at check-in.
You must leave China from any port of departure within the 240-hour (10-day) window. Overstaying by even 1 day incurs a 500 RMB/day fine and may result in future entry bans.
Your onward flight must depart for a different country or region than you arrived from. Example: USA → Shanghai → USA does not qualify (same country round-trip). USA → Shanghai → Japan does qualify. Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR both count as separate third regions.