240-hour visa-free transit

What the 240-hour transit covers

If you are a citizen of one of the 54 eligible countries, you can enter China without a visa for up to 240 hours (10 days, counted from midnight on the day after arrival), provided:

1. You hold a confirmed onward air, sea or rail ticket to a **third country or region** (not back to where you came from). Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan count as separate destinations for this purpose. 2. You enter and exit through eligible ports. 3. You stay within the eligible administrative region for that port.

Eligible nationalities

The 54 countries include the EU members, the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, the UAE, Qatar, and others. The full list is published by the National Immigration Administration of the PRC.

Eligible ports

60+ ports of entry across all major regions: Beijing Capital and Daxing; Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao; Guangzhou Baiyun; Shenzhen Bao'an; Chengdu Tianfu and Shuangliu; Hangzhou Xiaoshan; Xi'an Xianyang; Kunming Changshui; Qingdao Jiaodong; Dalian, Shenyang, Harbin, Wuhan, Changsha, Sanya, Haikou; major rail crossings into Hong Kong; several seaports.

Common itinerary patterns

• London → Beijing (4 days) → Tokyo. Eligible.
• New York → Shanghai (3 days) → Shanghai → New York. Not eligible — you must depart to a third country.
• Sydney → Hong Kong → Shenzhen (transit on the train) → Shanghai → Hong Kong. Eligible — Hong Kong is a third destination.

At the airport

On arrival, head to the transit-without-visa counter (separate from the regular passport queue). Show your onward ticket and your passport. The officer issues an entry stamp marked with the transit period.

Overstay

Overstaying the 240 hours is treated as illegal stay. Fines start at ¥500 per day, capped at ¥10,000, and can include a ban from re-entry.