China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit 2026: 57 Countries, 65 Ports & 10-Day Rules

What changed on August 20, 2026

• The National Immigration Administration added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam on August 20, 2026, increasing the eligible nationality list from 55 to 57 countries.
• The policy currently uses 65 designated entry ports across 24 provincial-level regions. The port count had increased from 60 to 65 on November 5, 2025, when five Guangdong ports were added.
• The maximum stay is 240 hours, or 10 full 24-hour periods. It replaced the older 72-hour and 144-hour windows; 144 hours equals six days, while 240 hours equals ten days.
• This remains a transit policy, not a general 10-day tourist visa waiver. The international journey must follow country or region A to mainland China to a different country or region B.
• Travel, business, visits, and family visits may be permitted. Work, study, journalism, and other activities requiring prior approval still require the appropriate visa.
• Policy data and nationality changes on this page were last checked in October 2026 against the official August 20, 2026 announcement (see sources). Travelers should verify the exact route again before purchase and departure.

57 countries checklist

• Nationality is only the first eligibility check. The traveler must also hold an ordinary passport, meet the onward destination's entry requirements, use a designated port, hold confirmed onward arrangements, and remain inside the permitted area.

65 designated ports and permitted stay areas

• The table identifies the 65 designated entry ports in the current NIA policy. It does not mean travelers may enter through any international airport or travel anywhere in mainland China.
• Read the port together with its permitted stay area. Some areas cover an entire province, while Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan are limited to named cities or prefectures.
• Confirm the exit arrangement, onward ticket, and every domestic stop with the latest NIA table or the China Immigration Service hotline 12367 before booking.

Planning time in Yunnan? See a 3-day Dali itinerary.

Can you take high-speed rail during 240-hour transit?

• High-speed rail is not automatically prohibited, but every city and domestic segment must stay within the permitted stay areas in the latest NIA table. The policy does not grant unrestricted travel across mainland China.
• List every city, province and station on the proposed train route, including interchanges and day trips, and check each one against the area linked to your entry port.
• A route between two famous cities is not automatically valid or invalid. Read the entry port, exit port and permitted-area rows together, and do not rely on an old regional summary, zone graphic or forum answer.
• Call 12367 or ask immigration authorities before booking when an itinerary crosses several provincial-level areas or uses different entry and exit regions. Choose a simpler route if you cannot verify a boundary.
• Carry the international onward ticket, domestic train tickets, accommodation details and the passport used for the route.

How the 10-day clock is calculated

To work out your departure date, use the China 240-hour visa-free transit calculator. It calculates the next-day midnight clock in China time and checks the basic passport and route pattern; confirm the final permitted stay with border inspection.

1. The official 240-hour count begins at 00:00 on the day after immigration records the entry. The arrival day is not Day 1 of the 240-hour clock.
2. Example: if immigration records entry at 14:30 on May 1, the 240-hour period begins at 00:00 on May 2.
3. Ten complete 24-hour periods then run through May 11, with the 240-hour point reached at 00:00 on May 12.
4. The traveler should depart before the exact deadline recorded by immigration. Flight delays, airport transfers, security, and exit formalities require a practical buffer.
5. Do not calculate from the aircraft landing time or assume an extra partial day. Follow the temporary-entry record and ask the border inspection authority if the deadline is unclear.

Three common rejection reasons

1. No confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region: an open ticket, standby plan, or return to the same country does not establish the required transit route.
2. Wrong port: the planned entry point is not one of the 65 designated ports, or the traveler cannot satisfy the port's temporary-entry procedure and onward arrangement.
3. Permitted-area violation: the itinerary includes a city or domestic transport segment outside the official area linked to the entry port.
4. Even when these three problems are avoided, temporary entry is decided by immigration inspection at the port. Carry the ordinary passport, onward booking, accommodation details, and evidence of entry permission for the next destination.

30-day visa-free entry vs 240-hour transit

• The two policies have different nationality lists and conditions. Do not use the 240-hour route simply because it sounds shorter if an ordinary visa-free entry policy already governs your passport and trip.
• Travelers who qualify for neither policy need the appropriate visa before departure. ChinaEase Buddy provides planning information, not an immigration decision or legal advice.

For both options explained in full, see the China visa-free travel guide.