China 240-hour visa-free transit: countries, ports and rules
Passport holders from 57 countries can stop in China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa, as long as they are passing through to another country or region. Here is who qualifies, which ports and areas count, and the rules that trip people up.
In short: You must be travelling on to a third country or region (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count) with a confirmed onward ticket. Stay inside the permitted areas, up to 240 hours. Work, study and journalism still need a visa.
Last checked: 25 October 2026
Check your own trip in GoHaode (works offline) →The rules
- Hold an ordinary passport from one of the 57 countries listed below.
- Travel from one country or region, through China, on to a different one. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as separate regions. Flying back to where you started does not qualify.
- Have an onward ticket with a confirmed date and seat that leaves China within 240 hours.
- Enter and leave through one of the 65 designated ports, and stay inside the permitted areas of the 24 provinces below.
- Tourism, business, visits and family trips are fine. Work, study and news reporting still need a visa.
Who qualifies (57 countries)
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam
49 of these countries can also enter visa-free for up to 30 days with no onward ticket. Open your country to see which route fits your trip.
Ports and permitted areas
65 ports in 24 provinces. You may only travel inside the permitted area listed for each province.
| Province | Permitted area | Designated ports |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | All of Beijing | Beijing Capital International Airport (airport) Beijing Daxing International Airport (airport) |
| Tianjin | All of Tianjin | Tianjin Binhai International Airport (airport) Tianjin Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Hebei | All of Hebei | Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport (airport) Qinhuangdao Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Liaoning | All of Liaoning | Shenyang Taoxian International Airport (airport) Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (airport) Dalian Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Shanghai | All of Shanghai | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (airport) Shanghai Pudong International Airport (airport) Shanghai Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Jiangsu | All of Jiangsu | Nanjing Lukou International Airport (airport) Sunan Shuofang International Airport (airport) Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport (airport) Lianyungang Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Zhejiang | All of Zhejiang | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (airport) Ningbo Lishe International Airport (airport) Wenzhou Longwan International Airport (airport) Yiwu Airport (airport) Wenzhou Port (passenger) (seaport) Zhoushan Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Anhui | All of Anhui | Hefei Xinqiao International Airport (airport) Huangshan Tunxi International Airport (airport) |
| Fujian | All of Fujian | Fuzhou Changle International Airport (airport) Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (airport) Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport (airport) Wuyishan Airport (airport) Xiamen Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Shandong | All of Shandong | Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (airport) Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (airport) Yantai Penglai International Airport (airport) Weihai Dashuipo International Airport (airport) Qingdao Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Henan | All of Henan | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (airport) |
| Hubei | All of Hubei | Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (airport) |
| Hunan | All of Hunan | Changsha Huanghua International Airport (airport) Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport (airport) |
| Guangdong | All of Guangdong (exit from any open port in the province) | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (airport) Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (airport) Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport (airport) Nansha Port (passenger) (seaport) Shekou Port (passenger) (seaport) Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal (seaport) Zhongshan Port (passenger) (seaport) Hengqin Port (land crossing) Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge Port (land crossing) West Kowloon Station (Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed rail) (railway port) |
| Hainan | All of Hainan | Haikou Meilan International Airport (airport) Sanya Phoenix International Airport (airport) |
| Chongqing | All of Chongqing | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (airport) |
| Guizhou | All of Guizhou | Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport (airport) |
| Shaanxi | All of Shaanxi | Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (airport) |
| Shanxi | Taiyuan and Datong only | Taiyuan Wusu International Airport (airport) |
| Heilongjiang | Harbin only | Harbin Taiping International Airport (airport) |
| Jiangxi | Nanchang and Jingdezhen only | Nanchang Changbei International Airport (airport) |
| Guangxi | 12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin | Nanning Wuxu International Airport (airport) Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (airport) Beihai Fucheng Airport (airport) Beihai Port (passenger) (seaport) |
| Sichuan | 11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya’an, Meishan, Ziyang | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (airport) Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (airport) |
| Yunnan | 9 cities/prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang | Kunming Changshui International Airport (airport) Lijiang Sanyi International Airport (airport) Mohan Railway Port (railway port) |
Questions travellers ask
Which countries can use China’s 240-hour visa-free transit?
57 countries: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, 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, Canada, United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.
Can I fly into China and back to the same country visa-free?
Travel from one country or region, through China, on to a different one. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as separate regions. Flying back to where you started does not qualify.
Which airports and ports allow 240-hour transit?
65 designated ports in 24 provinces, including Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing Daxing International Airport, Tianjin Binhai International Airport, Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport, Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport. The full list is on this page.
Can I travel to other cities during a 240-hour transit?
Yes, within the permitted areas listed on this page. Some provinces allow the whole province, others only named cities.
What ticket do I need for 240-hour visa-free transit?
Have an onward ticket with a confirmed date and seat that leaves China within 240 hours.
Can I work or study on a 240-hour transit stay?
Tourism, business, visits and family trips are fine. Work, study and news reporting still need a visa.
Check your own trip in GoHaode (works offline) →Border officers make the final decision. Carry your onward ticket and check the National Immigration Administration before you fly.
Official sources
- National Immigration Administration · 2026-08-20
- National Immigration Administration · 2026-08-20
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