Key Requirements

lDocument Requirements: Valid international travel document and a confirmed onward ticket with a seat number and date (transit to a third country/region).

lStay Restrictions: After entry, you must stay within the designated area for a maximum of 240 hours.

lActivities: Limited to tourism, business, visits, family visits, etc.;

However, activities requiring prior approval, such as work, study, and journalistic work, still require a visa.

l24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

All open ports of entry in China implement a 24-hour visa-free transit policy for citizens of all countries. Foreigners holding valid international travel documents and confirmed connecting tickets, traveling by international aircraft, ship, or train, may transit through China and, if their stay in China before transit through a third country or region does not exceed 24 hours and is limited to the restricted area of the port, may be visa-free. If they need to leave the restricted area, they must apply for a temporary entry permit from the port's immigration inspection authority.

l240-Hour Visa-Free Transit (10 Days)

Currently, China has implemented a 240-hour visa-free transit policy for citizens of five countries, including the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Citizens of these countries, holding valid international travel documents and onward tickets with confirmed dates and itineraries, can transit through China to a third country or region visa-free through any of the 65 open ports in 24 provinces, and stay in designated areas for no more than 10 days. During their stay, they can engage in tourism, business, visits, family visits, etc. Activities requiring prior approval, such as work, study, and news reporting, still require a visa.

List of 55 countries

Europe (40 countries): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway

Americas (6 countries): United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile

Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand

Asia (7 countries): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia

Port Expansion

Starting November 5, 2025, five more ports of entry will be added: Guangzhou Pazhou Passenger Port, Hengqin, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Zhongshan Port, and West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. This brings the total number of applicable ports of entry nationwide to 65, covering 24 provincial-level administrative regions.

For more information and updates, please visit the National Immigration Administration website: https://www.nia.gov.cn/