China 240-hour visa-free transit checker

The four main conditions

1. Your ordinary passport is on the eligible list. It must have at least three months of validity left, and you must meet the admission rules for your next destination.
2. Your route continues to a different country or region. Compare the country or region immediately before mainland China with the one immediately after it.
3. You hold an onward ticket with a confirmed departure date and seat. Your departure must fit the permitted stay period.
4. You enter through an eligible port and stay within the permitted areas. Confirm that your planned departure port and route accept your transit arrangements.

The policy covers short visits such as tourism, business and visiting family. Work, study and news reporting require the appropriate approvals and visas.

A return trip is different

Think of the route as A → mainland China → C. A and C must be different countries or regions. A is where you come from immediately before entering the mainland. C is where you go immediately after leaving. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan each count as a separate region for this check. Hunan official guide.

London → Shanghai → London returns to the same country and does not meet the third-destination condition. London → Shanghai → Tokyo passes that route check. Your passport, documents, entry port, stay area and timing still need to qualify.

Where you can enter and stay

The table expressly permits cross-province visits within its listed stay areas. This checker screens one selected stay area. For visits across several provinces, multiple mainland entries, uncertain connecting routes or any other complex itinerary, confirm with immigration and your carrier.

The entry list is not an exhaustive exit list. The table expressly allows exits at all open Guangdong ports. Confirm the suitability of your planned departure port and route.

China transit eligible countries

The reviewed list covers ordinary passports from these nationalities.

• 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
• Netherlands
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• United States
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Mexico
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Brunei
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Qatar
• Singapore
• South Korea
• United Arab Emirates
• Vietnam

China transit entry ports

Read the NIA entry-port and stay-area table.

Permitted stay areas

Official sources

• Visa-free transit policies. Published 2026-08-20. Current nationality list, ordinary passports, ticket seats, purposes and table.
• Eligible ports and permitted stay areas. Attached to the NIA policy page dated 20 August 2026. Entry ports and permitted stay areas, including city restrictions.
• Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam addition. Published 2026-08-20. 57 nationality total; new nationalities effective immediately.
• Ten entry measures and transit conditions appendix. Published 2025-11-03. Five added entry ports; passport validity, third-country admission, clock and formalities. Historical 55 nationality count superseded.
• China visa-free policy for foreign travelers. Published 2026-07-01. Explicit Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan third-region semantics. Credits Ministry of Commerce guide; historical 55 nationality count superseded.

This tool screens the details you select. Policy and port arrangements can change. Immigration authorities make the entry decision. Check the official rules before you book or travel.

For an uncertain transit route, contact China Immigration Service Hotline 12367 and your carrier.