240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

What changed in December 2024

The 240-hour policy replaces the 144-hour policy almost entirely. Two things changed that matter:

1. Stay extended from 144 to 240 hours — 10 full days instead of 6
2. Same-port exit rule removed — you can arrive in Shanghai and depart from Beijing. No more being locked to one city cluster

Travel is now permitted across 24 provinces. The policy still requires a genuine third-country transit itinerary.

The non-negotiable rules

Third-country routing required. Your itinerary must follow Country A → China → Country B, where B is different from A. Paris → Beijing → Paris is not eligible. Paris → Beijing → Tokyo is eligible. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan count as separate “third regions.”

No extensions. 240 hours is the hard limit. Overstaying carries fines of ¥500–¥10,000, detention, or a future entry ban. If you miss your flight due to illness or force majeure, contact the local Exit-Entry Administration immediately.

Transit purposes only. Tourism, business meetings, and family visits are permitted. Employment, study, journalism, and paid performances require a formal visa.

Eligible countries (54)

Already on the visa-free list? If your country qualifies for China’s 30-day unilateral visa-free entry (France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, UK, Australia, and others) you don’t need transit visa-free at all — you can enter directly for 30 days without any visa. See the Visa-Free Entry Policy guide.

How the 240-hour clock works

The clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you clear immigration — not when you land, not when the plane doors open.

Example:

• Flight lands 23:30 on May 20
• Immigration cleared 00:15 on May 21
• 240-hour period begins 00:00 on May 22
• Must depart by 23:59 on May 31

You get a full 10-day window regardless of arrival time.

Entry, exit, and where you can travel

Eligible ports — 60+ across 24 provinces. Key hubs:

Airports: Beijing Capital / Daxing, Shanghai Pudong / Hongqiao, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao’an, Chengdu Tianfu, Xi’an Xianyang, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Zhengzhou Xinzheng

Seaports: Shanghai Wusongkou, Tianjin Cruise Terminal, Qingdao Port, Xiamen Wutong Wharf

Rail: Beijing West Railway Station, Kunming Mohan Railway Port

You can enter one port and exit a different one. Shanghai arrival + Beijing departure is valid.

Travel regions. All 24 participating provinces are open, with minor restrictions in four:

• Shanxi — Taiyuan and Datong only
• Jiangxi — Nanchang and Jingdezhen only
• Guangxi — 12 cities including Nanning, Guilin, and Beihai
• Yunnan — 9 cities including Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, and Xishuangbanna

Tibet and Xinjiang are not covered by the transit policy.

✅ Valid: Shanghai → Suzhou → Hangzhou → Huangshan → depart Beijing

❌ Invalid: Any itinerary including Lhasa or Ürümqi

Step by step

1. Book your flights correctly. Your onward ticket must show a confirmed seat and a departure date within 240 hours of arrival. Airlines verify this at check-in — carry a printed copy in addition to your phone.

2. Complete the Digital Arrival Card — mandatory since November 2025. Fill it within 72 hours before arrival via the National Immigration Administration website (s.nia.gov.cn), the NIA 12367 app, or the WeChat/Alipay mini-programs. You’ll need: passport details, flight numbers, accommodation address, emergency contact. Save the QR code to your phone and print a physical backup — airport kiosks and mobile networks fail more often than they should.

3. Clear immigration. Go to the “Transit Without Visa / 过境免签” lane — not the regular visa queue. Present:

• Passport (minimum 6 months validity from your China departure date; at least 1 blank page)
• Onward ticket (printed or on phone)
• Digital Arrival Card QR code
• Hotel booking (optional but recommended)

Your stamp shows the permitted departure date. Photograph it immediately. Do not lose this stamp — you will need it to exit.

4. Get to your accommodation. Key airport transfers:

• Shanghai PVG → city: Maglev to Longyang Rd (¥50, 8 min) + Metro Line 2. Total ~50 min, ¥60
• Beijing PEK → city: Airport Express to Dongzhimen. Total ~45 min, ¥25
• Beijing PKX (Daxing) → city: Daxing Airport Express. Total ~30 min, ¥35

5. Hotel check-in. The hotel must register your foreign passport with local police within 24 hours — compliant hotels do this automatically when they take your passport at check-in. If told “we don’t accept foreigners,” this is illegal at any licensed hotel. Ask for the manager or book elsewhere.

Common mistakes that cause denial

• Round-trip routing — Country A → China → Country A is not eligible under any circumstances
• Unconfirmed onward ticket — open-jaw, standby, or tickets without a confirmed seat are rejected
• No Digital Arrival Card — inability to produce the QR code causes delays or denial at the immigration counter
• Travel outside permitted regions — Tibet and Xinjiang are not covered; travelling there during a transit stay violates the terms
• Passport validity under 6 months — calculated from your planned departure date from China, not from arrival

The 72-hour exceptions

Three airports remain on the old 72-hour cap. The same clock calculation applies, but stays are capped at 3 full days:

• Guilin Liangjiang International — travel limited to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
• Harbin Taiping International — travel limited to Heilongjiang Province
• Changsha Huanghua International — travel limited to Hunan Province

A few more things

Leaving early — no penalty for departing before 240 hours expire.

Multiple transits — the policy can be used multiple times per year; each trip must independently satisfy the third-country routing requirement.

Airside transit under 24 hours — if you stay in the international transit area without clearing immigration, no card, stamp, or transit visa-free status is needed at all.

Emergency missed flight — contact the local Exit-Entry Administration before your stamp expires; they issue temporary stay permits in genuine force majeure cases.