Updated 2025-11-05
China's visa-free transit program is one of the easiest ways for many foreign travelers to spend time in the country without applying for a visa in advance. Following a major expansion that took effect on 17 December 2024, the permitted stay was extended from 72/144 hours to 240 hours (10 days), and the list of eligible countries and open ports keeps growing.
Who is eligible
The 240-hour transit policy currently applies to citizens of 55 countries, including (by region):
- Europe (40): Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus and Norway.
- Americas (6): the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
- Oceania (2): Australia and New Zealand.
- Asia (7): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the UAE, Qatar and Indonesia.
To qualify you must hold a valid international travel document and a confirmed onward ticket (with date and seat) to a third country or region — your stay must be a genuine transit, not a round trip back to where you came from.
How long, and where you can go
The 240 hours are counted from the moment you pass immigration. You may stay in any of the 24 provincial-level regions that participate in the program, and within those regions you are generally free to travel across province borders — a big improvement over the old city-only limits. Entry and exit can be made through any of the 60+ open ports (the network reached 65 ports after a November 2025 expansion, including more points around Guangdong and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge).
What you may do during the stay
The transit window allows tourism, business meetings, visiting friends and relatives, and short exchanges. Activities that still require a proper visa — such as employment, long-term study, or journalism — are not covered, so plan accordingly.
Practical tips
- Build your itinerary so both your entry and exit ports sit inside the permitted regions.
- Keep your passport, onward ticket and hotel bookings handy for border inspection.
- Days are counted in calendar days from the day after arrival; do not overstay.
- Because ports and regions are adjusted from time to time, always confirm the latest list on the official National Immigration Administration channels before you fly.
Policy details change frequently. Treat this guide as a starting point and verify against official sources (National Immigration Administration / Chinese embassies) close to your travel date.