Everything you need to know about entering China without a visa for up to 10 days (240 hours) — eligible nationalities, allowed cities, required documents, and step-by-step application.
China's visa-free transit policy allows travelers from 54 eligible countries to enter and stay in designated city clusters for up to 10 days (240 hours) without applying for a Chinese visa — as long as you are transiting onward to a third country or region.
Policy update (Dec 2024): The previous 72-hour and 144-hour transit visa-free policies have been unified and extended to 240 hours (10 days), with 60 ports of entry across 24 provinces. This page still uses "144-hour" in its title for search familiarity, but the current policy is 240 hours.
This is one of the most convenient ways to add a short China stopover to a longer Asia itinerary — perfect when flying between Europe and Southeast Asia, or combining mainland China with Hong Kong, Japan, or South Korea.
No advance application, no fees, no appointment. The whole process is completed on arrival at the airport or port in under 15 minutes — just walk to the dedicated lane with your documents ready.
Citizens of the following countries automatically qualify. If you hold dual citizenship, use whichever passport is on this list.
If your nationality is not on this list, you will need a regular Chinese visitor visa (L-type) or can use the 24-hour international-to-international transit (no need to leave the airport). Eligible country lists and port availability can change — always confirm with the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy before departure. Our visa team can also confirm your specific case — see the contact box on the right.
Travel is permitted within these designated port-city clusters. You may move freely between cities inside the same cluster using high-speed rail, domestic flights, or private transfers.
Our Guizhou Ethnic Villages Tour, Pingyao Ancient City, and Xinjiang Panorama itineraries can all be entered through a visa-free transit city — we can pre-plan your transit gateway city and connecting flights to make the transition seamless.
Prepare all 4 required documents (next section). Fill in your arrival/departure card on the plane, noting the full address of your first hotel.
Look for the lane clearly marked "Visa-Free Transit" (it is separate from the regular visitor-immigration lanes). Hand over your documents — processing typically takes 10–15 minutes.
The officer stamps your passport with a dated entry-exit stamp and attaches a peel-off sticker showing the exact start date, deadline, and permitted travel area. Keep the sticker in your passport — hotels may ask for it at check-in.
You must leave China from any port of departure within the 240-hour (10-day) window. Overstaying by even 1 day incurs a 500 RMB/day fine and may result in future entry bans.
Your onward flight must depart for a different country or region than you arrived from. Example: USA → Shanghai → USA does not qualify (same country round-trip). USA → Shanghai → Japan does qualify. Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR both count as separate third regions.