YouChina
Transit Policy · Updated 2026-07-10

240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Pass through China to a third country without a visa — up to 240 hours. Check eligible ports and routing on the official source before booking.

How it works Need a visa instead?

Not sure? Use the entry path tool →

How 240-hour transit works

1
Confirm eligibility before booking — Transit-free is decided before you buy a ticket. Confirm all conditions on the official source first, because the airline and border will check them. Not every airport allows 240-hour transit.
2
Prepare your documents — Have everything ready before you reach the desk — missing the onward ticket is the most common reason transit-free is refused. The onward flight must leave within the allowed window, to a different country/region from where you came.
3
Airline check-in — Tell the check-in agent you will use the 240-hour visa-free transit. Some desks and systems still call it "144-hour". "144-hour" and "240-hour" may be used interchangeably by staff.
4
On arrival at the border — Use the dedicated counter for visa-free transit and apply for the temporary entry permit on arrival. The 240-hour count starts at 00:00 the day after you enter (confirm officially).
5
During your stay & exit — Stay inside the allowed area, keep to transit activities, and leave on time from an eligible port. If you need to stay longer or change purpose, you may need a regular visa instead.

Which transit applies to you

✈
Current main policy

240-hour visa-free transit

For eligible nationalities transiting to a third country/region via an eligible port. You may leave the airport and stay within the allowed area for up to 240 hours.

  • Genuine A → China → B only (A and B are different countries/regions)
  • Entry and exit at an eligible port; stay within the permitted area
  • Temporary entry permit issued at the border on arrival

Eligible nationality, ports and stay areas are set by the official source. We do not publish a full port list here — confirm the current list on gov.cn / NIA.

Where 240-hour transit applies

Transit-free is port-restricted — entry must be through a designated port, and the area you may stay in is tied to that port.

65 eligible ports nationwide — verify the current list officially

North China

Beijing · Tianjin · Hebei region

Beijing PEKBeijing Daxing PKXTianjin TSNShijiazhuang SJW

East China

Shanghai · Jiangsu · Zhejiang · Anhui · Shandong

Shanghai PVGHangzhou HGHNanjing NKGQingdao TAOHefei HFE

South China

Guangdong · Fujian · Guangxi

Guangzhou CANShenzhen SZXXiamen XMNGuilin KWL
Show 3 more regions

Southwest

Sichuan · Chongqing · Yunnan

Chengdu CTUChongqing CKGKunming KMG

Central China

Hubei · Hunan · Henan

Wuhan WUHChangsha CSXZhengzhou CGO

Northeast & Northwest

Liaoning · Heilongjiang · Shaanxi

Dalian DLCShenyang SHEHarbin HRBXi'an XIY

Major hubs shown for orientation only. Full port list and stay-area boundaries must be verified on the official NIA / gov.cn source before travel.

Before you rely on transit-free

Transit-free is a privilege, not a right. The border officer makes the final call — verify all conditions on the official source before you book.

What a qualifying route looks like.+
The shape is: depart Country A → arrive China (eligible port) → depart to Country B, where A and B are different countries or regions. You stay within the permitted area and exit within 240 hours. This is the general pattern — confirm your specific ports and nationality against the official NIA source before you book anything.
It must be a genuine transit — not a round trip.+
You must travel A → China → B, where A and B are different countries or regions. Flying in and back out to the same country you came from is not a transit and does not qualify — even if your stay is short.
Nationality, port and stay area must all be met.+
All three conditions apply together: your nationality is on the list, your entry and exit ports are eligible, and you stay within the permitted area. Missing any one means transit-free does not apply.
Hong Kong / Macao / Taiwan routings are easily confused.+
Whether HK, Macao or Taiwan counts as the "third region" depends on the official rules and your exact routing. Do not assume — these cases are the most commonly misjudged. Verify officially for your specific itinerary.
Airlines may still say "144-hour".+
Staff and systems may use the old name. The current official wording is "240-hour visa-free transit". If a desk quotes a different number, ask them to check the current policy.
No work, study, journalism, or overstay.+
Transit-free entry is for transit only. Working, studying, reporting, or staying past the deadline are violations that can lead to fines, detention or a future entry ban.

Sources

240小时过境免签 — stay period calculation start time — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada (content sourced from the National Immigration Administration) · Reviewed 2026-07-10

China expands 240-hour visa-free transit policy — The State Council of the People's Republic of China · Reviewed 2026-05-18

Visa-free entry to China — eligible nationalities (latest update) — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China · Reviewed 2026-05-18

Frequently Asked Questions on Visa-free Entry into China (Updated February, 2026) — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America · Reviewed 2026-06-06

Source-bound facts (gov.cn / NIA / US Embassy): the 72/144-hour transit was expanded to 240 hours (2024-12-17); 55 countries eligible as of June 2025 (Indonesia added 2025-06-12, NIA); 65 eligible ports confirmed (US Embassy document, June 2026). Counts, ports and country lists must be re-checked on the official source before use. Last checked: 2026-07-10.

Not transiting? Check your visa path

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