China’s 240-hour visa-free transit, explained
The 240-hour transit policy is the most useful — and the most misunderstood — way into China. It gives nationals of 57 countries up to ten days in the country without a visa, but only if the trip is genuinely in transit.
Most refusals at check-in happen not because of nationality, but because the ticket does not prove onward travel. This page covers what airlines and border officers actually look at.
The route rule: A → China → B
You must arrive from country A and depart to country B, where B is a third country or region — not the one you came from. A return trip that goes home the same way does not qualify.
Flying London → Shanghai → London is not transit. London → Shanghai → Tokyo is. London → Shanghai → Hong Kong is also third-region and generally accepted, as is London → Shanghai → Bangkok.
If you are a national of a country that already has 30-day visa-free entry, you do not need the transit scheme at all — the 30-day policy is simpler and has no route requirement.
The ticket rule
- A confirmed onward ticket with a fixed date and itinerary is required. A reservation on hold is not enough.
- The onward flight must leave China for a third country or region — not return to your starting country.
- A one-way ticket into China with no onward booking is the single most common reason people are refused boarding.
- Printed or offline copies help: check-in staff often want to see the onward booking at the counter.
Where you can go
The 240-hour scheme is available at 65 designated ports across 24 provinces. Each port comes with a defined stay area, normally the province or city cluster around your arrival point.
In practice this means you can usually travel within a region rather than the whole country. Entering through Beijing, you would typically be limited to the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei area; entering through Shanghai, to Shanghai plus Jiangsu and Zhejiang; entering through Guangzhou, to Guangdong.
Stay areas are set per port and do change. Confirm the area for your specific arrival port with the airline or the local exit-entry administration before you build an itinerary that crosses provinces.
How the 240 hours are counted
The clock starts on the day you enter, and the permitted end date is written on your entry stamp or arrival card. Ten days sounds generous, but an evening arrival effectively costs you most of day one.
If you are close to the limit, count backwards from the stamp rather than forwards from your flight.
What is not allowed
- Work, study and news reporting — these need a visa obtained in advance, even for short assignments.
- Leaving the designated stay area.
- Staying beyond the 240 hours. Overstaying is treated as a visa violation, with fines and possible detention, regardless of how the trip started.
Checklist before you fly
- Passport from one of the 57 eligible countries, valid well beyond your stay.
- Confirmed onward ticket to a third country, with a date inside the 240-hour window.
- An itinerary that stays inside the designated area for your arrival port.
- A hotel address for your first night.
- A printed copy of the onward booking in your hand luggage.
Frequently asked
Does the 240-hour visa-free transit apply to US citizens?+
Yes. The United States is on the 57-country transit list. US travellers who are flying onward to a third country can use the 240-hour scheme even though there is no 30-day visa-free entry for US passports.
Can I enter China twice under the transit scheme on one trip?+
Each entry is assessed separately and each requires its own qualifying onward ticket. Two separate transits are possible in principle, but the second entry needs the same A → China → B proof. Do not assume a return leg through the same city will be waved through.
Can I leave the airport during a 240-hour transit?+
Yes — that is the point of the scheme. You clear immigration under the transit policy and may travel within the designated stay area. The separate 24-hour exemption, by contrast, does not allow you to leave the port area.
What if my onward flight is cancelled?+
Keep the original booking and get written confirmation of the cancellation and rebooking. In practice, immigration looks at whether you genuinely intended to travel onward, and documentation matters. Contact the local exit-entry administration before your permitted stay expires.
Check your own passport
The guides explain the rules. The checker applies them to your nationality and shows the exact date your policy runs to.
Visa rules by nationality
The 30-day visa-free policy covers 18+ of these nationalities. Pick yours:
Read next
Where can you actually go on a 240-hour transit?
Your transit stay area depends on the port you land at, not on the visa policy. Here is how the areas work and how to plan a ten-day route that stays legal.
Is China visa-free for US citizens?
No 30-day visa-free entry for US passports — but US citizens can use the 240-hour transit scheme or enter Hainan visa-free for 30 days. Here is how each works.
240-hour transit vs 30-day visa-free entry
Two different schemes, two different sets of rules. Picking the wrong one at check-in is the most common avoidable problem for China-bound travellers.
This guide is compiled from publications by China’s National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese visa application centres. Entry decisions rest with the border inspection authority. Confirm your own case with your airline and the nearest Chinese embassy before booking.