China's 240-hour visa-free transit: who qualifies in 2026

Updated 2026-10-01: New source evidence: Announcement on Adding Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to the List of Countries Eligible for the 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy and the 30-Day Visa-Free Ent 2026-08-20.

If you hold a passport from one of 57 countries and your route is A → mainland China → B, where B is a different country or region from A, you can stay 240 hours — 10 days — without a visa, entering through any of 65 designated ports across 24 provincial-level regions. There is no embassy application: you ask at the border on arrival, and the officer decides on the spot.

Who qualifies

40 European countries (including the UK, Ireland, Russia, Norway, Monaco and the Schengen states), six in the Americas — the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile — plus Australia and New Zealand, and nine in Asia: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan. Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan were added on 20 August 2026, and the list has grown several times in two years, so check your own nationality rather than a list you read last year.

You need a travel document valid for at least three months, and an onward ticket to the third country or region with a confirmed date and a seat, departing within 240 hours.

The route rule that catches people

London → Shanghai → Tokyo works. London → Shanghai → London does not, and neither does Tokyo → Beijing → Tokyo, because you end where you started. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as separate regions, so London → Beijing → Hong Kong qualifies where London → Beijing → London would not. An open-dated or unconfirmed onward booking is not accepted at the counter.

Step by step

1. Get the paperwork right. Passport valid at least three months, confirmed onward ticket, and travel insurance that covers mainland China, arranged before you fly. Faye Travel Insurance You can compare all the main policies in one place.
2. Check that your port and your region line up. Anhui, Hainan, Guizhou, Fujian, Hubei and Shaanxi are whole-province. Shanxi is limited to Taiyuan and Datong, Jiangxi to Nanchang and Jingdezhen, Heilongjiang to Harbin, Sichuan to 11 cities, Yunnan to nine cities and prefectures, and Guangxi to 12 cities. You may cross provincial borders between the 24 permitted regions, but not go beyond them.
3. Fill in the arrival card. Since 20 November 2025 you can do it online — National Immigration Administration website, the NIA 12367 app, or its WeChat and Alipay mini programs. Paper cards are still available at the port.
4. Apply at the 240-hour counter. Follow the signs at immigration, show your passport and onward ticket, and answer the questions. If you already hold a Chinese visa and don't want to use it on this trip, say so. The permit is stamped into your passport with the date you must leave by.
5. Register where you are staying. Hotels do it for you. In a private home, you or your host must register at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.
6. Count the days properly. The 240 hours start at 00:00 on the day after you arrive, so landing at 6am on 1 July means leaving by 23:59 on 11 July.

What it does not cover

Tourism, business, visits and family reunions are allowed. Work, study and news reporting are not — those still need a visa obtained in advance. Overstaying is treated seriously; if a cancellation or illness pushes you past 240 hours, apply to the local exit-entry administration for an extension rather than turning up at the airport late.

Last checked: 2026-10-01