China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit (2026) — The Complete Guide
Since December 17, 2024, China has unified its previous 72-hour and 144-hour transit visa exemption policies into a single, much more generous program: 240 hours (10 full days) of visa-free entry for citizens of 55 countries. The policy covers 65 ports of entry across 24 provinces and has already been used by over 8.8 million foreign visitors in its first three months alone. If you have ever considered a layover in China, there has never been a better time. Here is everything you need to know.
The Basics at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Effective since | December 17, 2024 |
| Stay duration | Up to 240 hours (10 days) |
| Eligible nationalities | 55 countries |
| Entry ports | 65 ports across 24 provinces |
| Permitted activities | Tourism, business visits, visiting friends/family |
| Not permitted | Employment, study, journalism (these require a proper visa) |
| Application | None needed in advance — processed on arrival |
Which 55 Countries Qualify?
Europe (40 countries): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania.
Americas (6): United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile.
Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand.
Asia (7): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia (added June 12, 2025).
Important: Check If You Qualify for an Even Better Deal
Many of the 55 countries above also qualify for China’s unilateral visa waiver (30 days, nationwide) or mutual visa waiver (30 days, nationwide). These are more generous than the transit exemption — no onward ticket required, no third-country requirement, and you can stay anywhere in China. If your nationality qualifies for either of these programs, use that instead.
Countries covered by the unilateral 30-day visa waiver (valid through at least December 31, 2026) include most European nations, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Brunei. Citizens of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, UAE, Qatar, Singapore, and several others enjoy mutual visa-free agreements. Always check the latest status before your trip at cs.mfa.gov.cn.
Entry Ports and Stay Zones
This is where things get interesting. The 65 eligible ports span 24 provinces, but your permitted stay area varies depending on where you enter:
Province-wide access (17 provinces/municipalities): Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guizhou, Shaanxi. If you enter through any port in these provinces, you can travel freely within the entire province.
Limited city access:
- Shanxi Province: Taiyuan and Datong only
- Heilongjiang Province: Harbin only
- Jiangxi Province: Nanchang and Jingdezhen only
- Guangxi Region: 12 cities including Nanning, Guilin, and Beihai
- Sichuan Province: 11 cities including Chengdu, Leshan, and Yibin
- Yunnan Province: 9 cities/prefectures including Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Xishuangbanna
- Chongqing: Entire municipality
Provinces NOT covered: Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang.
Local Tip: Guangdong Province offers the most flexibility — you can exit from any open port in the province, not just the one you entered through. This makes routing through Guangzhou or Shenzhen especially convenient.
Eligibility Requirements
You must meet all four conditions simultaneously:
- Nationality: Citizen of one of the 55 eligible countries.
- Valid passport: At least 3 months of remaining validity.
- Onward ticket: A confirmed, dated ticket (flight, ship, or train) to a third country or region departing within 240 hours of your arrival. The country you arrived from and the country you are traveling to must be different.
- Transit purpose: You are transiting through China to a third destination.
Avoid: The onward destination must differ from your arrival origin. Flying Tokyo → Guangzhou → Tokyo does not qualify. Tokyo → Guangzhou → Bangkok does.
The Application Process (On Arrival)
There is no pre-application. Here is what happens at the port:
- Prepare documents: Your passport, printed onward ticket confirmation, and a basic itinerary.
- Approach immigration: Head to the border inspection counter at your port of entry.
- Submit documents: Present your passport and onward ticket. Fill out the Temporary Entry Card for Foreigners (临时入境外国人入境卡).
- Receive approval: After review, the officer stamps your passport with a temporary entry permit valid for 10 days from midnight of the day after you arrive.
How the 10 days are calculated: If you enter on January 1, your stay begins at midnight on January 2, and you must depart by the end of January 11 (before midnight).
Sample 10-Day Itineraries
Route 1: Beijing - Xi’an - Shanghai (Classic Culture)
A route covering three of China’s most iconic cities, connected by high-speed rail. The Beijing-to-Xi’an leg costs about 515 yuan ($76) for a second-class seat and covers roughly 746 miles in 4.5-5.5 hours. The Xi’an-to-Shanghai segment runs about 670 miles and takes 6-7 hours by train (around 550 yuan / $81) or 2.5 hours by air (around 600-1,000 yuan / $88-148).
| Day | City | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing | Arrive at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX), settle in, explore Wangfujing Street (王府井大街) |
| 2 | Beijing | Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City (book tickets in advance), Jingshan Park |
| 3 | Beijing | Great Wall at Mutianyu (less crowded than Badaling), full-day trip |
| 4 | Beijing | Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, hutong neighborhood walk |
| 5 | Beijing to Xi’an | High-speed rail (~4.5-5.5 hours), arrive and explore Muslim Quarter (回民街) |
| 6 | Xi’an | Terracotta Warriors (book ahead), Huaqing Pool |
| 7 | Xi’an | Cycle the City Wall, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum |
| 8 | Xi’an to Shanghai | High-speed rail (~6-7 hours) or flight (~2.5 hours) |
| 9 | Shanghai | The Bund, Nanjing Road, Yu Garden, City God Temple |
| 10 | Shanghai | Shanghai Tower or Oriental Pearl, Tianzifang, depart from PVG or SHA |
Route 2: Shanghai - Suzhou - Hangzhou (Water Towns of Jiangnan)
All three cities fall within the same visa-free zone (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai), making this route stress-free. The Shanghai-to-Suzhou high-speed train takes just 30 minutes and costs about 40 yuan ($6) for the 62-mile journey. Suzhou to Hangzhou is roughly 100 miles and costs around 80 yuan ($12).
| Day | City | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | Arrive at PVG, walk the Bund at night |
| 2 | Shanghai | Yu Garden, Nanjing Road, Shanghai Museum |
| 3 | Shanghai | Tianzifang, Xintiandi, French Concession |
| 4 | Shanghai to Suzhou | High-speed rail (30 min), Humble Administrator’s Garden, Tiger Hill |
| 5 | Suzhou | Lingering Garden, Zhouzhuang water town, Pingjiang Road |
| 6 | Suzhou to Hangzhou | High-speed rail (1.5 hours), stroll West Lake |
| 7 | Hangzhou | Lingyin Temple, Longjing tea fields, Nine Creeks |
| 8 | Hangzhou | Songcheng performance, Xixi Wetland |
| 9 | Hangzhou to Shanghai | Return by rail, shopping on Nanjing West Road |
| 10 | Shanghai | Free exploration, depart |
Route 3: Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Guilin (South China Explorer)
Guangdong’s flexible exit policy makes this route especially convenient.
| Day | City | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guangzhou | Arrive at CAN, explore Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street (上下九步行街), sample dim sum |
| 2 | Guangzhou | Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, Canton Tower |
| 3 | Guangzhou to Shenzhen | High-speed rail (30 min), Window of the World, Huaqiangbei electronics market |
| 4 | Shenzhen | Dameisha Beach, OCT East theme park |
| 5 | Shenzhen to Guilin | Flight (1.5 hours) |
| 6 | Guilin | Li River cruise to Yangshuo, West Street |
| 7 | Guilin | Elephant Trunk Hill, Longji Rice Terraces |
| 8 | Guilin to Guangzhou | Flight or high-speed rail (3 hours) |
| 9 | Guangzhou | Foshan Ancestral Temple, Shunde food tour |
| 10 | Guangdong | Depart from any open port in the province |
How the Stay Zone System Works in Practice
The stay zone restrictions are more flexible than they first appear. You can enter through any of the 65 eligible ports and exit through any other eligible port — they do not need to be in the same province. What matters is that you remain within your permitted stay area during your visit.
For example, if you enter through Beijing (province-wide access), you can travel anywhere within Beijing municipality. If you then take a high-speed train to Xi’an in Shaanxi Province (also province-wide access), you can travel freely within Shaanxi. The key constraint is that you cannot visit provinces that are not part of the program at all — Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia remain off-limits under transit visa exemption.
Cross-province travel is allowed as long as each province you visit is an eligible stay zone. This means you could fly into Shanghai, take a high-speed train to Beijing, then fly out of Guangzhou — all within the 10-day window, as long as you stay within the permitted zones.
The most common question travelers ask: “Can I visit the Great Wall if I enter in Beijing?” Yes — the Great Wall sections near Beijing (Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling) are all within Beijing municipality or Hebei Province, both of which offer province-wide access.
Key Restrictions to Remember
- Stay within your permitted zone — leaving the designated area is treated as illegal residency and can affect future visa applications.
- Register your accommodation within 24 hours — hotels do this automatically; if staying with friends or in a private rental, you must register at the local police station.
- No employment or study — the exemption is strictly for transit, tourism, and business visits.
- Passport validity: Less than 3 months remaining? Entry will be denied.
- 5-year lookback: If you have a record of illegal entry, overstay, or unauthorized work within the past 5 years, you may be denied.
- If you overstay due to unforeseen circumstances (flight cancellations, natural disasters), contact the local Public Security Bureau Exit-Entry Administration immediately to arrange proper documentation.
Practical Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Immigration hotline | 12367 (24 hours, nationwide) |
| Official policy page | nia.gov.cn |
| Chinese embassy directory | cs.mfa.gov.cn |
| Entry ports list | 65 ports across 24 provinces — full list at the NIA website above |
| Mobile payment | Bind Visa/Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay — covers virtually all spending |
| Attraction booking | The Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Great Wall, and other major sites require advance online reservations, especially May-October |
Using Mobile Payment During Your Transit Stay
Since you are traveling without a visa, you likely do not have a Chinese bank account. Fortunately, both Alipay and WeChat Pay now allow foreign visitors to bind international credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and others). Set this up before you depart so you can pay for meals, transportation, and attraction tickets from the moment you land.
For transactions under 200 yuan (approximately $29), Alipay charges no fees at all. This covers the vast majority of daily purchases — meals, subway rides, coffee, museum tickets. For larger expenses like hotel bills, you may incur a 3% transaction fee, so check whether your hotel accepts direct credit card payment.
WeChat Pay offers a particularly attractive deal for new international users: 60 days of fee-free transactions up to 1,000 yuan per day from your first payment. If you are using the 10-day transit exemption, this covers your entire stay.
Avoid: Do not assume you can buy Terracotta Warriors tickets at the door. From May through October, peak-season slots often sell out days ahead. Book through Trip.com or the official WeChat mini-program at least 3-5 days in advance.
Policy information current as of June 2026. China’s visa policies evolve frequently — always verify through official channels before finalizing travel plans.
The immigration counter at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Related Articles
- China Entry Requirements (2026) — Full visa, customs and arrival guide
- How to Set Up Alipay in China (2026) — Mobile payment for visa-free travelers
- 10 Days in China Itinerary — Fits perfectly within the 10-day transit window