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240-Hour Visa-Free Transit China: 2026 Rules

Published 2026-09-13 · Updated 2026-10-15 · Entry

Written by China On Arrival Editorial Desk · Research basis: Editor research, fact-checked

TL;DR

A: 57 nationalities can enter China without a visa for up to 10 days (240 hours) when flying from country A through China and onward to a different country C — Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as C. You need a confirmed onward ticket before boarding. Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined in August 2026.

What’s the short answer?

The 240-hour visa-free transit policy lets citizens of 57 countries enter China without a visa for up to 10 days, provided you are flying from one country (A), transiting China, and continuing to a different country or region (C). It replaced the older 72-hour and 144-hour schemes on December 17, 2024. Your onward ticket is checked twice — at airline check-in and at Chinese immigration — and it cannot be a simple return to A.

Who qualifies for the 240-hour visa-free transit?

57 nationalities qualify, including the US, UK and most of Europe. The list covers: 40 European countries, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, the UAE, Qatar and Indonesia — with Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam the latest additions, effective August 20, 2026. If your passport is also on the 30-day unilateral visa-free list (50 countries as of February 17, 2026), you don’t need transit at all — you can just enter.

What are the routing rules that trip people up?

Your trip must be A → China → C, where C is a different country or region from A. The rules:

  1. A → China → C, where C ≠ A. Fly London → Shanghai → Tokyo: fine. Fly London → Shanghai → London: not transit.
  2. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as third regions. The classic move is flying into Shanghai and out of Hong Kong — both count, and the high-speed train from Shanghai to West Kowloon completes the arc.
  3. You can move between permitted provinces, not just the city you landed in. The transit zones have expanded repeatedly; most of eastern and southern China is now connected.
  4. The clock is generous: 240 hours from entry, so a Friday-to-Sunday-next-week trip fits.

Not sure your routing qualifies? The entry checker sharpens the answer with your trip shape. Planning a visa-free “reset run” via Hong Kong? The full official text and border reality are in re-entering China visa-free after 30 days.

What do you need ready for the transit?

A passport valid 6+ months and a confirmed onward ticket to a third country. Also pack:

  • Passport valid 6+ months with blank pages
  • Confirmed onward ticket to a third country (print it)
  • The arrival card, submitted online before boarding since November 2025 (how it works) — paper cards still exist at the border as fallback
  • Proof of funds and hotel address — occasionally asked, rarely
  • The address of your first night written down (immigration forms)

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Common questions

How does the 240-hour visa-free transit work?

It replaced the old 72/144-hour schemes on December 17, 2024. You fly from country A into China and continue to a different country or region C—your onward ticket is checked at check-in and at immigration, and it cannot be a return to A. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as third regions, which is why 'fly into Shanghai, out of Hong Kong' has become the most popular open-jaw routing. You may travel between permitted provinces during the 10 days, not just the arrival city.

Do US citizens need a visa for China?

US citizens cannot use China's 30-day unilateral visa-free entry (the US is not on that list), but they can use the 240-hour visa-free transit: fly from country A into China, then onward to a different country C (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as third regions) with a confirmed onward ticket, and stay up to 10 days. For longer or A-to-A-round trips, a visa or a cruise/other special policy is required.

Who can enter China without a visa in 2026?

Citizens of 50 countries—including nearly all of the EU, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico—can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits or transit, under the unilateral exemption policy in force as of February 17, 2026. Separately, 57 nationalities (Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined in August 2026) including the US and Canada can use the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit when flying into China and onward to a third country. Source: National Immigration Administration, en.nia.gov.cn.

Can I use 240-hour transit if my trip is obviously tourism, not a connection?

Yes. The rule tests your routing, not your motive: NIA's policy text requires that you transit China to a third country or region with an onward ticket carrying confirmed seats and departure dates — Prague to Chengdu to Vienna qualifies, because Austria is a different country from the departure country and the Czech Republic is on the 57-country list. Prague to Chengdu to Prague does not qualify. Your onward ticket is verified at airline check-in and again at immigration — carry it printed and tell check-in you are using visa-free transit. Source: NIA Visa-Free Transit Policies (updated Aug 20, 2026).

Can I reset my visa-free time in China with a trip to Hong Kong?

Each visa-free entry is assessed on its own: the 30-day unilateral policy grants up to 30 days per entry, and the 240-hour transit policy grants up to 10 days per qualifying journey from country A through China to a different country or region C. Neither published rule grants a 'reset' or addresses repeated re-entries — Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as region C, so Shanghai-in then Hong Kong-out completes one transit stay, but repeated back-to-back entries are at the discretion of border officers, who may question or refuse re-entry. Sources: NIA Announcement No. 4 of 2026; NIA Visa-Free Transit Policies.

Is the 144-hour visa-free transit still available in China?

No - the old 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit policies were replaced on December 17, 2024 by the 240-hour (10-day) policy, which now covers 57 nationalities across 65 entry ports in 24 provinces. Guides citing 144 hours are outdated: today's rules give more time, a bigger permitted area, and the same A-to-China-to-C onward-ticket logic. Source: NIA Visa-Free Transit Policies.

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