The 240-hour visa-free transit, explained
Photo: Big Dodzy / Unsplash
If your passport isn't on the 30-day visa-free list, and US passports aren't, you can still spend up to ten days in China without a visa. The condition isn't your reason for travelling. It's your route.
You have to arrive from one country and leave for a different country or region. US to China to US doesn't qualify. US to China to Japan, Korea or Hong Kong does.
Who can use it
China extended visa-free transit from 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours on 17 December 2024. NBC News reported at the time that it opened up 10-day trips for Americans, who had been left off the 30-day list. Since then the scheme has grown. As of the Shanghai government's August 2026 update, it covers citizens of 57 countries, with 65 eligible ports of entry across 24 provincial-level regions. Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were the most recent additions.
Besides the US, the list includes Canada, the UK, Brazil, Russia and most of Europe. Many of those countries also have 30-day visa-free entry, and if yours does, that route is usually simpler because there's no onward-country rule. See visa-free entry.
Routes that work and routes that don't
| Route | Qualifies? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to Shanghai, then Shanghai to Seoul | Yes | Third country onward. |
| New York to Beijing, then Chengdu to Hong Kong | Yes | Hong Kong counts as a third region, and you can leave from a different port. |
| Tokyo to Shanghai, then Shanghai to Tokyo | No | You're going back where you came from. |
| Chicago to Shanghai, then Shanghai to Chicago | No | Same reason. You need a visa for this. |
| US to Shanghai, then Shanghai to Seoul, then Seoul to US | Yes | What counts is the leg leaving China. |
The last row is the trick most Americans end up using: a one-way into China and a separate onward flight to Seoul, Tokyo or Hong Kong, then home from there. A week in China becomes part of a bigger Asia trip, which I think is a better way to see the region anyway.
The basics
- Up to 240 hours, counted from 00:00 on the day after you arrive. Land at 2pm on 10 March and you have until 23:59 on 20 March.
- Arrive and leave through eligible ports. Most major international airports qualify, plus some land and sea ports.
- A confirmed onward ticket with a fixed date and seat. An open-dated ticket isn't enough.
- Stay inside the permitted regions. You can cross between them, but some provinces are only partly covered. In Shanxi, for example, only Taiyuan and Datong were listed when the 240-hour rule launched.
- Tourism, business, visits and family are fine. Work, study and journalism need the proper visa.
Where it actually goes wrong: check-in
Immigration officers in China know this policy well. Airline agents at your departure airport sometimes don't. In May 2025, The Points Guy reported on an American family who were refused boarding in Miami for a trip that went via Paris to Shanghai and on to Hong Kong. The Air France agents insisted they needed visas. Their onward flight was on a separate ticket the agents couldn't see in their system. They reached China six days late, and the airline only offered compensation after repeated complaints.
My take: the policy wasn't the problem. Visibility was. Make your onward booking impossible to miss.
- Print your onward e-ticket, with ticket number and seat, and keep it with your passport.
- If you can, book the leg out of China with the same airline or an alliance partner, so it shows in the system.
- Say "240-hour visa-free transit" at check-in before they ask. Have the official NIA page saved on your phone.
- Get to the airport early. If the answer is no, ask calmly for a supervisor.
- Fill in the arrival card online before you fly, so there's one less thing at the border.
What fits in ten days
Ten days is enough for two or three cities if you use the train. A few routes that stay inside permitted regions and use eligible ports:
- Beijing in, Shanghai out: Beijing for four days, high-speed rail to Shanghai, a day trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou, then fly on to Tokyo.
- Shanghai in, Hong Kong out: Shanghai, then Guangzhou or Shenzhen, and cross to Hong Kong. Remember that the crossing ends your transit stay.
- Chengdu and Chongqing: fly in to one, take the train between them, and fly out to Seoul or Singapore.
Before you book, check that every city on your plan is inside the permitted area. The list on the NIA site is the one that counts, not a blog post written last year, including this one.
Once you're in
You get a temporary entry permit at the border. Keep it with your passport. Hotels register you automatically. If you stay with friends, register within 24 hours, which you can now do online. High-speed rail between permitted regions is easy to book with a passport. See trains in China.
Leaving China for Hong Kong or Macau ends your transit stay. Coming back to the mainland means a new entry, under whatever rules apply to you then.
Quick questions
Can I change my onward flight once I'm in China?
You can, as long as the new flight still goes to a third country or region and leaves within your 240 hours. Keep the new confirmation handy for exit.
Does the 30-day visa-free policy apply to me instead?
For US passport holders, no, not as of October 2026. That list keeps changing, so check before you plan. Unilateral visa-free entry currently runs until 31 December 2026; see what happens after the deadline.
What if my flight out is cancelled?
Go to the airline first, then the exit-entry authorities at the airport. A delay outside your control is handled very differently from simply overstaying.
Sources: Shanghai government: 240-hour policy, Shanghai government (Dec 2024), NBC News, The Points Guy, ProPakistani (Aug 2026), Wego: how hours are counted. Check on: National Immigration Administration. Ports and regions change.
If something here has changed, email me. I re-check every guide and update the date at the top.
Written by David, who lives in China. About me