The China 240-hour visa-free transit policy lets passport holders from 55 eligible countries spend up to 10 days in mainland China without a visa — provided they transit to a third country. No application, no fee, no consulate queue. For Americans, Australians, Japanese, Singaporeans, and most eligible nationalities, this is the fastest route to a full week in Beijing without touching a visa form. Valid passport, onward ticket, one of 65 approved entry ports — you are already qualified.
The policy expanded significantly in late 2024 and was refined again in 2025. This page covers who qualifies, exactly how the clock works, what to carry at immigration, which ports are approved, where travellers trip up, and how to string 10 days into a worthwhile multi-city itinerary. See the full picture of China entry options at our Beijing visa requirements guide.
China 240-hour visa-free at a glance
- Duration: Up to 240 hours (10 days) in mainland China
- Eligibility: Citizens of 55 countries (full list below)
- Trip type required: Transit to a third country or region — not a return to your origin
- Eligible entry ports: 65 air, sea, and rail ports across 24 Chinese provincial regions
- Free movement: All 24 eligible provincial regions including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangdong
- Cost: Free
- Application: None — granted on arrival at immigration
- Restrictions: No paid work, study, or journalism activities
How the China 240-hour visa-free policy works
The structure is simple: fly from Country A to China to Country C, where C is a different country from A. The 240-hour clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you land — so an 8 PM arrival gives you nearly 11 calendar days inclusive. Most travellers miss this nuance until they are counting hours. Note it now.
Unlike the older 144-hour transit rules, which tied you to a single city, the 240-hour version allows free travel across 24 provincial regions — Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin all in one trip. You can also enter and exit through different ports: fly into Beijing Capital, exit through Shanghai Pudong.
At immigration you receive a 240-hour visa-free transit stamp. No advance paperwork, no fee, no agency involved. Present your passport, onward ticket, and arrival card. The whole process typically takes 20 to 40 minutes at Beijing airports during normal hours.
Which countries qualify?
As of 2026, citizens of 55 countries qualify for the 240-hour visa-free transit.
Schengen Area (24 countries)
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Other European countries (16)
Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Monaco, Norway.
North America (3)
United States, Canada, Mexico.
South America (3)
Brazil, Argentina, Chile.
Asia (7)
Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia.
Oceania (2)
Australia, New Zealand.
If your passport is on this list, you qualify regardless of departure country. If your country is not listed, you will need a Chinese tourist visa — see the China tourist visa application guide for the full process.
UK, EU, Australian, and Canadian passport holders also qualify for the China 30-day visa-free entry — simpler if you are not routing through a third country. Check both policies before booking.
Eligible entry ports (65 total)
You must enter China through one of the 65 designated ports. Arriving at an unapproved port — even on an otherwise qualifying itinerary — results in refusal. Both Beijing airports are approved.
Beijing and surrounding region
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
- Tianjin Binhai Airport
Shanghai region
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport
- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
- Shanghai Port (cruise)
Other major approved ports
Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao’an, Chengdu Tianfu, Xi’an Xianyang, Qingdao Jiaodong, Kunming Changshui, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Nanjing Lukou, Wuhan Tianhe, Xiamen Gaoqi, Fuzhou Changle, and dozens more sea and rail ports across Guangdong, Fujian, Shandong, and Heilongjiang. Always verify the current list with your airline or on the National Immigration Administration website (en.nia.gov.cn) before booking — the list can change.
Step-by-step: using the 240-hour visa-free transit at Beijing airports
Before you fly
- Book a qualifying itinerary. A clear A to China to C routing where C differs from A. Round-trips (A to China to A) do not qualify.
- Print your onward ticket. A confirmed booking to a third country, printed or clearly visible on screen. Verbal assurances do not help at the counter.
- Check passport validity. At least 6 months beyond your planned exit from China.
- Book accommodation. Save hotel confirmations to show if asked on the arrival card.
- Plan your regions. All 24 eligible provinces are open to you. Tibet is not covered under this policy.
At Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) or Daxing (PKX)
- Fill in the Arrival Card on the plane — English provided. Write your first night’s hotel address.
- Follow signs to Foreign Passports or Immigration.
- Look for a Visa-Free Transit or Transit Without Visa lane. If not visible, the standard foreign passports lane handles 240-hour cases.
- Present passport, arrival card, and onward ticket. The officer may ask your plans and next destination.
- Over-14s are fingerprinted and photographed. Under-14s are exempt.
- The officer stamps your passport with a 240-hour transit entry showing the departure deadline — which starts from 00:00 the following day.
- Proceed to baggage and customs.
For airport navigation details — transport into central Beijing, terminal layouts, and SIM card options — see the Beijing Capital Airport guide and the Beijing Daxing Airport guide.
Common mistakes that get travellers refused
The refusal rate is higher than people expect — not because the rules are complex, but because specific requirements are easy to misread. These are the most common errors.
1. Round-trip itinerary
The most frequent reason for refusal. New York to Beijing to New York is a return trip. Fix it: book New York to Beijing to Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, or anywhere outside your origin country.
2. No printed onward ticket
Having a booking in a system somewhere is not the same as showing a ticket at the counter. Print it, or have it clearly displayed on an unlocked screen. Do not rely on airport Wi-Fi to pull it up.
3. Entering through a non-approved port
If your connection routes through an airport not on the 65-port list, the policy does not apply even if everything else is correct. Check the port list before booking your flights.
4. Miscounting the 240 hours
The clock starts at 00:00 the day after arrival, not at landing time. An 11 PM arrival still gives you almost a full extra day. Write the exit deadline in your wallet when you get the stamp — do not trust memory alone.
5. Planning a Tibet leg
Tibet requires a separate Tibet Travel Permit that cannot be issued under the 240-hour policy. Keep your itinerary within the 24 approved provincial regions.
6. Passport expiring too soon
Officers check that your passport remains valid for at least 6 months past your planned China exit. If it falls short, you may be refused. Renew before travel.
Practical tips for your first 24 hours
Getting the stamp is the easy part. The first full day in Beijing can be disorienting if a few basics are not sorted before you land.
Sort connectivity at the airport. China’s internet is filtered — Google Maps, WhatsApp, Gmail, and most Western apps do not load without a VPN. An international eSIM (Airalo, your home carrier’s roaming plan) bypasses the filtering entirely. Domestic SIMs require passport registration at a carrier desk in the arrivals hall and are cheaper for longer stays.
Know your clock. The 240-hour window starts at midnight on the day after arrival — not from your landing time. If you touch down at 11 PM on Tuesday, your clock begins at 00:00 Wednesday and expires at 23:59 the following Friday. Build in a buffer: book your onward flight to depart by Thursday evening at the latest to avoid any last-minute scramble. Immigration officers at PEK and PKX are consistent about this — late overstays, even by a few hours, result in a fine and a record that complicates future Chinese visa applications.
Download offline maps before you fly. Apple Maps and Google Maps both support offline area downloads. Amap (Gaode), China’s dominant mapping app, works without a VPN once installed and is more accurate for local streets and transit.
Set up WeChat Pay or Alipay. Both apps now accept foreign cards for international visitors. Mobile payment is the default in Beijing — many street stalls, smaller restaurants, and transit machines expect it. Spend 15 minutes on this at your hotel on day one rather than scrambling at a noodle counter.
Carry your passport at all times. Chinese law requires foreigners to have the original document on their person. A phone photo is not sufficient. Leave a photocopy at the hotel desk as backup.
Hotel check-in handles police registration. Licensed hotels and hostels automatically file your registration within 24 hours of arrival. If you are staying in a private apartment via a rental platform, your host must accompany you to the local police station to register. Most professional hosts do this routinely — confirm at check-in.
10-day Beijing itineraries on the 240-hour visa-free transit
Ten days is enough for a genuinely substantive trip through Beijing and one or two other cities. The smartest approach is to route in through one city and out through another, cutting down on backtracking.
Classic Beijing-only (PEK in / PEK out)
- Days 1-2: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven
- Days 3-4: Great Wall (Mutianyu), Ming Tombs
- Days 5-6: Summer Palace, Old Summer Palace, Fragrant Hills
- Day 7: 798 Art District, Sanlitun, Wangfujing night market
- Day 8: Hutong bike tour, Drum Tower, Nanluoguxiang
- Days 9-10: Day trip to Tianjin, final evening in Beijing
Beijing to Shanghai sprint (PEK in / PVG out)
- Days 1-6: Beijing (Forbidden City, Great Wall, hutongs, Summer Palace)
- Day 7: High-speed train to Shanghai (roughly 4.5 hours)
- Days 7-9: Shanghai (Bund, French Concession, Jing’an district)
- Day 10: Fly onward to Tokyo, Seoul, or Bangkok
Beijing to Xi’an onwards (PEK in / XIY out)
- Days 1-5: Beijing
- Days 6-10: Xi’an (Terracotta Warriors, ancient city wall, Muslim Quarter)
- Day 10: Fly out of Xi’an Xianyang Airport (XIY) to your next destination
240-hour transit vs. 30-day visa-free entry
If your passport qualifies for both policies, the 30-day visa-free entry is almost always the better option — same simplicity at the border, longer stay, and no third-country routing required. The 240-hour transit earns its place when you are already doing a multi-country Asia trip and want to add a China leg.
| Feature | 240-hour visa-free transit | 30-day visa-free entry |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 10 days | 30 days |
| Trip type | Transit to third country only | Any (round-trip allowed) |
| Travel zones | 24 provincial regions | All mainland China except Tibet |
| Application | No | No |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| US passports | Yes | No (as of 2026) |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the 240-hour visa-free transit multiple times?
There is no stated limit on how many times you can use it — but back-to-back entries on suspiciously short turnarounds may attract scrutiny. The policy is designed for genuine transit, not as a long-stay workaround.
Can I leave China and re-enter during the 240 hours?
No. Once you exit China, the stamp is consumed. A new entry requires a new qualifying itinerary with a new onward ticket to a different third country.
Does “third country” include Hong Kong and Macau?
Hong Kong and Macau are classified as separate entry destinations from mainland China, so Beijing to Hong Kong counts as a qualifying transit. A Beijing to Hong Kong to Beijing routing, however, may be questioned by officers — the intent is genuine multi-country travel, not a loophole.
What documents do I need at immigration?
A valid passport, completed arrival card (provided on the plane), and a printed or clearly visible confirmed onward ticket to a third country. Accommodation confirmation is helpful but rarely demanded. See the China visa documents guide for a complete checklist.
Can I apply for the 240-hour visa-free in advance?
No advance application exists — the status is granted at arrival. If you want to apply for a visa in advance instead, the China e-visa guide covers the online application option.
Does the policy cover cruise passengers?
Yes, for sea entry ports on the approved list. The same rules apply: transit to a third country, approved port, eligible passport.
Can children use the 240-hour visa-free transit?
Yes. Each child needs their own valid passport from an eligible country. Fingerprinting and photography are waived for under-14s.
What visa should I use for business trips?
For commercial activities, China issues an M visa; for exchanges and visits, an F visa. Neither falls under the visa-free policies. Apply through your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate.
The bottom line
The China 240-hour visa-free transit policy is the most accessible entry option for passport holders from the US, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, and other countries not yet on the 30-day list. For those nationalities, it is the clearest way to spend 10 real days in Beijing — or Beijing plus Shanghai or Xi’an — without any visa paperwork, as long as the itinerary routes through a third country.
The rules are not complex. Get the third-country routing right, print the onward ticket, use an approved port, and do not overstay. Those four steps account for the overwhelming majority of refusal cases. Passport validity and Tibet restrictions cover almost everything else — both are easy to verify before booking.
If your passport is EU, UK, Australian, or Canadian — check the China 30-day visa-free entry guide first, as it is the simpler route. If your country is not on either list, the China tourist visa application guide walks through the L-visa process. For the full picture of all entry options into Beijing, start with the Beijing visa requirements guide.