Explore China for 240 hours without a visa

Visitors from 54 countries are allowed visa-free stays of up to 240 hours in Chinese metropolitan areas.

China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) has announced important changes to its visa-free transit policy, effective December 17, 2024. Under the new initiative, foreign travelers eligible for visa-free transit will be able to stay in China for up to 240 hours (10 days), a significant increase from the previous limits of 72 and 144 hours.

Also, 21 new ports have been added to increase the total number of visa-free entry and exit points into the country. There are now 60, spread across 24 provinces.

Transit travelers have the opportunity to use stops in China for exciting study tours, immersing themselves in Chinese culture and exploring permitted regions. For business travelers with local trading partners, there are opportunities to arrange meetings. However, it is not only travelers who benefit from the 240-hour rule, but also Chinese provinces. Foreign visitors contribute to tourism and economic development.

A visa-free transit stay of up to 240 hours is subject to several conditions:

• Travelers come from one of the countries covered by the 240-hour rule.
• Travelers must enter the country through one of the designated airports.
• Travelers must have valid international travel documents (passport valid for more than three months from the date of arrival) and provide proof of valid airline tickets for onward travel to a third country. It is not allowed that the country of departure and the country of destination coincide.

Foreign tourists entitled to a visa-free stay of up to 240 hours (10 days) and transiting China can now visit 24 provinces in the country:

• Anhui
• Beijing
• Chongqing
• Fujian
• Guangdong
• Guangxi (12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi and Laibin)
• Guizhou
• Hainan
• Hebei
• Heilongjiang (Harbin)
• Henan
• Hubei
• Hunan
• Jiangsu
• Jiangxi (Nanchang, Jingdezhen)
• Liaoning
• Qingdao (Shandong Province)
• Shaanxi
• Shanghai
• Shanxi (Taiyuan, Datong)
• Sichuan (11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Suining, Leshan, Deyang, Neijiang, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan and Ziyang)
• Tianjin
• Yunnan (9 cities: Kunming, Chusyun, Yuxi, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dali and Lijiang)
• Zhejiang

If you are planning a visa-free stay, inform the airline during check-in at the departure airport so that you can be assigned a seat for onward travel to a third country of your choice. It is not possible to purchase an airline ticket in China. The airline records your passport details and applies for visa-free stay to the immigration authorities at the destination airport. In case of a positive decision at the airport in China, the tourist receives a visa-free entry permit, which more precisely corresponds to a transit visa for 240 hours.

Tourists who have taken advantage of the 240-hour rule are not allowed to stay outside the authorized provinces (cities and districts). Those arriving in Guangzhou may visit Guangdong Province. Those with a short stay in Qingdao are allowed to travel to Shandong Province. Thus, the airport of arrival in China corresponds to the airport of departure when travelers enjoy 240-hour visa-free travel.

A visa to China is required for all travel outside urban areas and for stays of more than 240 hours. This also applies if one of the conditions is not met.