Guides · Visa-free transit
China's 240-hour visa-free transit, checked in one minute.
Every day travelers ask the same question: "Does my route qualify?" The rule is simpler than it looks once you frame it as A → mainland China → C. A is where you arrive from, C is where you go next — and they must be different. Use the checker below, then verify against official sources before you book.
First: you may not need the transit policy at all
China currently runs two separate schemes and mixing them up causes most of the confusion online:
1. The 30-day unilateral visa-free list. Citizens of these countries — including the UK, most of the EU (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and more), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Norway and Brazil — can enter mainland China directly for up to 30 days. Round trips are fine. No third-country requirement, no port restrictions.
2. The 240-hour visa-free transit. For passports not on the 30-day list but on the transit list — as of July 2026 that notably includes the United States, Mexico, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Indonesia and Ukraine — you can stay up to 240 hours if you are genuinely transiting: arriving from place A, departing to a different place C, through one of the designated ports.
Lists change (they have only been expanding). Last verified July 2026 — confirm your passport's current status with the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy before booking.
Route checker
This checker covers the route logic only. Entry must be through a designated 240-hour port (all major international airports qualify, plus land crossings such as the Hong Kong–Shenzhen high-speed rail), and your stay is limited to the permitted areas of the eligible provinces. The final decision always rests with the border officer.
The five questions everyone asks
Can I use two separate tickets?
Yes. The onward ticket to C does not need to be on the same booking. Keep proof of it handy — the strictest check is usually your airline at check-in, not the border.
Does a round trip qualify?
No. USA → Shanghai → USA is not a transit. A and C must be different countries or regions.
Do Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as C?
Yes — they count as separate regions under this policy. UK → Shanghai → Hong Kong works. So does Hong Kong → Shenzhen → Macau.
How are the 240 hours counted?
From 00:00 on the day after you arrive. Your arrival day is free; from that midnight you have 10 full days.
What does "arriving from A" mean if I have a layover?
A is the last place you were before entering mainland China — where you boarded the flight or train into China, not where your journey originally started.
Landing in Shenzhen or Guangzhou?
Ten visa-free days is plenty — if you don't lose two of them to logistics.
Payments, SIM, transport apps, bargaining at electronics markets, factory visits between Canton Fair phases — a personal host handles the friction so your 240 hours are actually yours. Transparent per-day pricing, itemized in writing before any payment.
Official sources
Verify the current country lists and port list before booking: the National Immigration Administration of China (nia.gov.cn, English portal available), your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate, and your airline's check-in requirements.
Guide last verified July 2026. We keep this page updated as the policy evolves; it has only been expanding since 2023.