240-hour visa-free transit in China: who qualifies and what the policy allows

2026-10-11

The National Immigration Administration's 240-hour visa-free transit policy covers nationals of 57 listed countries who are transiting to a third country or region, and this guide sets out who may use it, the 10-day stay limit and the activities allowed.

Nationals of the 57 countries listed by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) may enter China visa-free under the 240-hour transit policy if they are transiting to a third country or region, hold ordinary passports and hold onward tickets with confirmed seats and departure dates. They may stay in the permitted areas for no more than 10 days, and during that stay they may take part in travel, business, visits and family reunions within the designated areas. Work, study and news reporting still require prior approvals and appropriate visas.

Who the policy covers

The NIA page on Visa-Free Transit Policies, dated 20 August 2026 and checked on 11 October 2026, says that China is implementing this policy for nationals of 57 countries, including Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The eligibility conditions are printed in the same section. The table below lists each condition and where it is printed.

Condition as printed	Where it is printed
Nationals of one of the 57 countries	NIA page, Section II, part (I)
Transit through China to a third country or region	NIA page, Section II
Ordinary passports	NIA page, Section II
Onward tickets with confirmed seats and departure dates	NIA page, Section II
Entry through one of the designated exit-entry ports	NIA page, Section II (the ports are named in part (II) of the page)
Stay in the permitted areas for no more than 10 days	NIA page, Section II

Confirm the current list and the port and area table on the official NIA page before you travel.

The 57 countries

The NIA page lists the 57 countries by region as follows.

Europe (40 countries): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

North America (2 countries): Canada, United States

South America (4 countries): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico

Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand

Asia (9 countries): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

The regional headings and the country placements above follow the NIA page as printed.

Entry, transit and the 10-day stay

The NIA page says that nationals of these countries, who need to transit through China to third countries or regions, "may enter visa-free through any of the designated 65 open exit-entry ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government". The same passage says they may "stay in the permitted areas for no more than 10 days". The page dates the 65 ports and 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities to 20 August 2026, so check the current figures on the official page before you plan a trip.

The page makes entry and stay conditional on holding ordinary passports and onward tickets with confirmed seats and departure dates.

What the policy allows

According to the NIA page, foreign nationals covered by this policy "may, within the designated areas, engage in activities like travel activities, business activities, visits, family reunions, etc., during their stay periods." The phrase "etc." in the official text means the list is not closed, so check the wording of the page if you are unsure whether an activity fits.

What still needs approval and a visa

The NIA page states: "Activities such as work, study, or news reporting still require prior approvals and appropriate visas." If your trip involves any of these three activities, the transit policy does not replace the approvals and visas the page names.

Article 22, item (3) of the Exit and Entry Administration Law

Article 22 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law is a separate provision from the NIA transit policy. Its lead-in reads: "Under any of the following circumstances, foreigners may be exempt from applying for visas". Item (3) reads: "Hold connected passenger tickets and are in transit to a third country or region by an international aircraft, ship or train via China, will stay for not more than 24 hours in China without leaving the port of entry, or will stay in the specific zones approved by the State Council within the prescribed time limit". The English text is the version the National Immigration Administration publishes on its website.

Item (3) sets a different time limit, "not more than 24 hours", and a different place of stay, namely the port of entry or the specific zones approved by the State Council. The NIA page sets 10 days in permitted areas. The two provisions are printed separately, and each should be read on its own terms.

Questions people ask

Can I work during my transit stay under this policy?

The NIA page says that work "still require[s] prior approvals and appropriate visas". The policy itself does not authorise work.

Do I need an onward ticket?

The NIA page makes the policy available to those who hold "onward tickets with confirmed seats and departure dates".

How long may I stay?

The NIA page says the stay in the permitted areas is "no more than 10 days".

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by or affiliated with the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, any embassy, consulate or visa application service centre, is not legal or immigration advice, and the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case prevail if they differ.