Open ChinaTravel · 2026

Visa · 240-hour transit

Ten days in China, no visa, no application.

Since December 2024, passport holders from 55 countries can transit through China for up to 240 hours visa-free — provided they continue to a third country. Here are the actual rules.

Who's eligible

55 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, all EU members, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, South Korea, the UAE, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and most of the Americas and Europe. (If your country is already on the 30-day visa-free list, use that — it's simpler.)

The two hard rules

  1. Third country rule: You must enter from country A and exit to country B (different from A). Round-trips from the same country don't qualify — get a tourist visa instead.
  2. 240 hours = exactly 10 days, counted from 00:00 the day after entry. Plenty for a real trip.

Where you can enter and travel

As of 2024, you can enter at 60+ ports across 24 provinces and municipalities — and travel freely between all of them during your stay. This is the big change: it used to be Beijing-only or Shanghai-only.

Major eligible ports include Beijing (Capital, Daxing), Shanghai (Pudong, Hongqiao), Guangzhou (Baiyun), Shenzhen (Bao'an), Chengdu (Tianfu, Shuangliu), Xi'an, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Qingdao, Xiamen, Kunming. The full list is on China's National Immigration Administration website.

At the airport

  1. Fill out the arrival card (handed out on the plane or in the terminal).
  2. Go to the "Temporary Entry Foreigners" or "240-Hour Visa-Free" lane — separate from the regular immigration queue.
  3. Show your passport, onward ticket to a third country (departing within 240 hours), and the arrival card.
  4. They stamp you in. Free, takes ~5 minutes when the queue is empty.

Gotchas

  • Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan count as third countries — so flying USA → Shanghai → Hong Kong qualifies.
  • Hotel registration within 24 hrs: Big hotels do it automatically. Airbnbs and small inns may require you to do it at the local police station (or via a WeChat mini-program now).
  • You can't extend. If you want longer, get a tourist (L) visa before flying.
  • Onward ticket must be confirmed, not a placeholder. Print a copy.

Should you use it or get an L visa?

  • 240-hour transit: Free, instant, perfect for a 7–10 day trip with a logical onward leg (e.g. continuing to Japan or Thailand).
  • L visa: ~$140 and a week of processing, but lets you stay 30–60 days and re-enter on a round-trip.

Pair with the 7-day itinerary (Beijing + Shanghai, fits 240 hrs perfectly) or the 14-day classic loop if you can stretch to an L visa.