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The 240-hour visa guide

Visa · payment · eSIM · transport · food — simplified for foreigners.

Updated 20 Aug 2026 57 countries 65 ports
Quick facts
240h
10 days max stay — counted from midnight after arrival
57
eligible countries (Vietnam & Kyrgyzstan joined 20 Aug 2026)
65
approved entry & exit ports across 24 provinces
0
visa fee — the temporary entry permit is free of charge
The three conditions
1
An eligible passport
Ordinary passport issued by one of the 57 countries on the list (below).
2
A confirmed onward ticket to a third country
Seat confirmed, departing within 240 hours. "New York → Shanghai → Tokyo" works; "New York → Shanghai → New York" does not. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan all count as separate "third regions".
3
Entry through an approved port
Any of the 65 open ports — most major international airports, several cruise ports, the HZMB Zhuhai highway port and Hong Kong West Kowloon high-speed rail station.
IMPORTANT
This is a transit policy, not a tourist visa — you must be on your way to a third country or region. If you simply want to visit China and fly home afterwards, check China's separate 30-day visa-free policy for your nationality, or apply for an L tourist visa.
How the 240 hours are counted
The clock starts at midnight (00:00) on the day after you arrive — not at the moment you land. Land at 11pm on Tuesday and your 240 hours begin at 00:00 Wednesday, giving you until 23:59 on the Friday of the following week to exit. In practice that usually means ten full days.
Where you can travel
You may move freely within the 24 provinces open to the policy, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Hubei. A few areas are excluded or only partially open (for example Tibet and Xinjiang). The exact areas allowed for your stay are written on the temporary entry permit you receive at the border — follow it, and never book onward flights into excluded regions while on this permit.
What you can and cannot do
ALLOWED
✓ Sightseeing & tourism
✓ Business meetings
✓ Visiting family & friends
✓ Short conferences & events
NOT ALLOWED
✗ Employment & paid work
✗ Study or enrolling
✗ Journalism & interviews
✗ Activities needing prior approval
If your purpose of visit is work, study or journalism, arrange the proper visa before travelling to China.
At the border, step by step
1
Tell your airline "TWOV"
When checking in, say you are using Transit Without Visa — not a "transit visa". Confusing the two is the most common reason travellers are denied boarding.
2
Show your documents
Passport, a printed copy of your onward ticket (seat confirmed, departing within 240 hours) and your completed arrival card. Keep any hotel bookings handy too.
3
Collect your temporary entry permit
A small slip placed in your passport stating your allowed areas and exit deadline. You hand it back when you leave China. Inspection usually takes 5–15 minutes.
Make sure your passport is valid for at least three months beyond your entry date — six months is safer.
Register where you stay — within 24 hours
Hotels with a foreign-guest licence register you automatically at check-in. Staying at a friend's place, a short-term rental or an apartment? You — or your host — must register with the local police station (派出所) within 24 hours of arrival, bringing your passport and the address. Skipping registration can result in fines, so don't leave it to the last night.
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoidSix ways travellers accidentally void the policy ▾
Flying back to your departure countryA → China → A is invalid, even with a short stop elsewhere first. The ticket must end in a genuinely different country or region.
Booking onward flights to excluded regionsDomestic connections count as part of your stay — Beijing → Lhasa on this permit is not allowed.
Counting from landing timeThe 240 hours start at midnight after arrival, not wheels-down.
Skipping accommodation registrationNon-hotel stays must be registered with police within 24 hours.
Assuming the permit is reusableIt is a single-entry permit. A second entry needs a new permit or a valid visa.
Ignoring other countries' transit rulesCheck whether your routing needs a transit visa elsewhere (for example, the US) — that's your responsibility, not China's.
Not on the 57-country list?
24-hour direct transit
Open to all nationalities at every open port, but you must stay inside the port's restricted area unless a temporary entry permit is granted.
Hainan 30-day visa-free entry
61 countries may enter Hainan province visa-free for up to 30 days — a separate policy with its own list.
L tourist visa
Apply at a Chinese embassy or consulate. A separate 30-day visa-free policy also covers dozens more nationalities — check with your nearest mission.
🌍 The 57 eligible countriesFull list · effective 20 Aug 2026 ▾
Europe · 40Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Belarus, 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, Albania
Americas · 6United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
Oceania · 2Australia, New Zealand
Asia · 9South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan
✦ Facts verified against official sources (NIA.gov.cn · cs.mfa.gov.cn)
Based on the NIA policy interpretation updated 20 August 2026 (57 countries · 65 ports · 24 provinces) and NIA Announcement No. 4 of 2026. Policies can change at short notice — border inspectors have the final say at the gate.
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