What does the 240-hour visa-free transit policy mean?
Starting from December 17, 2024, citizens of 54 countries eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, holding valid international travel documents and confirmed onward tickets with dates and seats, can transit through China en route to a third country or region. They are allowed to enter China visa-free through any of the 60 designated ports of entry in 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, and stay within the specified areas for up to 240 hours.
Transit visa-free travelers may engage in tourism, business, visiting, family visits and other activities during their stay, while activities such as work, study or news reporting that require prior approval should be carried out with the necessary visas in advance.
A total of 24 provinces, namely Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi are allowed for visa-free transit travelers. Among them in Sanxi Province, the areas are limited to Taiyuan and Datong; in Heilongjiang province, the area is only limited to Haerbin; and in Jiangxi province, the areas are limited to Nanchang and Jingdezhen. In Guangxi Autonomous Region, the areas cover 12 cities of Nanning, Guilin, Liuzhou, Qinzhou, Beihai, Laibin, Fangchenggang, Wuzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou and Hechi. In Sichuan province, the areas cover 11 cities of Chengdu, Leshan, Deyang, Shuining, Meishan, Yaan, Ziyang, Neijiang, Zigong, Luzhou and Yibin. In Yunnan province, the areas cover 9 cities of Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Puer, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe and Wenshan. While the allowed ares in the other provinces include their all administrative regions.
Seven provinces including Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang are not covered by the visa-free transit policy and visa-free transit policies have never been implemented in these areas before.
Which countries are eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy?
Fifty-four Countries Eligible for 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy
European Countries：Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus
American Countries : the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
Oceanian Countries : Australia, New Zealand
Asian Countries : South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar
How can a person go through the immigration inspection formalities, if he is from the country not only eligible for the mutual visa exemption policy or the unilateral visa exemption policy, but also eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy?
Among 54 eligible countries, seven countries have signed mutual visa exemption policy and thirty-five countries have signed unilateral visa-free policy with China. These previous rules are still applicable.
1.Nationals from seven visa-free transit countries may go though immigration formalities according to the mutual visa exemption agreement.
Mutual visa exemption countries : Serbia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Belarus, Sinapore, United Arab Emirates, Qatar
Stay duration: Start from the following day of entry, foreigners can stay for a maximum of 30 days(Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, the stay period shall not exceed 90 days per 180 days)
Stay area: The whole country (Except for areas where foreigners need prior approval)
2.Nationals from thirty-five visa-free transit countries may go though immigration formalities according to the unilateral visa exemption agreement (except for work, study, news reporting and other activities requiring prior approval).
Unilateral visa exemption countries : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Monaco,Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Brunei
Stay duration according to the unilateral visa exemption policy:
Start from the following day of entry, foreigners can stay for a maximum of 30 days
Stay area according to the unilateral visa exemption policy:
The whole country (Except for areas where foreigners need prior approval)
Which ports are applicable to the 240-hour visa-free transit policy?
Nationals from 54 eligible countries may enter or exit visa-free via any of the 60 applicable ports in the 24 provinces. Besides the 60 ports, passengers may depart from Guangdong province via any other port in Guangdong.
Notice
1.Don’t exceed the stay area and stay duration.
The stay period begins at 0:00 on the next day of entry. For instance, if a passenger arrives in China from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport on January 1, 2025, the stay period is counted from 00:00 on January 2, 2025, and he can stay for a maximum of 10 days. When departing from China, he can exit via any port applicable to the 240-hour visa-free transit policy approved by The State Council before 24:00 on January 11.
If it is necessary to stay in the visa-free stay area for more than 240 hours due to force majeure or for any other urgent reasons, passengers shall apply to the Exit and Entry Administration department of the local public security organ at or above the county level for the corresponding stay and residence permit. If passengers go beyond the restricted area or overstay without permission, they shall bear the corresponding legal responsibility and be punished for illegal residence, and the future applications for entry and exit documents such as Chinese visas may be affected.
2. Complete accommodation registration legally.
When a foreigner of 240-hour visa-free transit lives in a hotel, the hotel shall complete the accommodation registration; anyone who lives in a dwelling other than a hotel shall take accommodation registration at local police station of the public security organ or a service station for foreigners within 24 hours after check-in.
Warm Reminders
For those with passports or other international travel documents valid for less than 3 months, or who have illegal entry and exit, illegal residence, or illegal employment situations within five years, the NIA shall not issue temporary entry permits. If you have any questions, please call the NIA service hotline 12367 for assistance at any time.
|
City |
Entry ports |
Scope of permitted travel |
Exit ports |
|
Beijing |
Beijing Capital International Airport Beijing Daxing International Airport |
Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, and Hebei Province
|
Any port applicable to the 144-hour visa-free transit policy within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. |
|
Tianjin |
Tianjin Binhai International Airport Tianjin Port （Passenger） |
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|
Shijiazhuang (Hebei Province) |
Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport |
||
|
Qinhuangdao (Hebei Province) |
Port of Qinhuangdao (Passenger transport) |
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|
Shanghai |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport Shanghai Railway Port (Shanghai Train Station） Shanghai Port (Passenger transport, including Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal and Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal） |
Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai Municipality
|
Any port applicable to the 24-hour visa-free transit policy within the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region.
|
|
Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) |
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport |
||
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Ningbo (Zhejiang Province) |
Ningbo Lishe International Airport |
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Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province) |
Wenzhou Port （Passenger transport） |
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Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province) |
Zhoushan Port （Passenger transport） |
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Nanjing (Jiangsu Province) |
Nanjing Lukou International Airport |
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Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province) |
Liangyungang Port （Passenger transport） |
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Guangzhou (Guangdong Province) |
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Nansha Port (Passenger transport) |
Guangdong Province |
Any of the 36 entry/exit ports in Guangdong Province (land, sea, and air) |
|
Shenzhen (Guangdong Province) |
Shenzhen Baoan International Airport Shekou Port (Passenger transport) |
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Jieyang (Guangdong Province) |
Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport |
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|
Shenyang (Liaoning Province) |
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport |
Liaoning Province
|
Any port applicable to the 144-hour visa-free transit policy within Liaoning |
|
|
Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport |
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|
Dalian Port (Passenger transport) |
|||
|
Qingdao (Shandong Province) |
Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport Qingdao Port (Qingdao International Cruise Home Port) |
Shandong Province |
Any port applicable to the 144-hour visa-free transit policy within Shandong |
|
Zhengzhou (Henan Province) |
Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport |
Henan Province |
Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport |
|
Chongqing |
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport |
Chongqing Municipality |
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport |
|
Kunming (Yunnan Province) |
Kunming Changshui International Airport |
9 cities in Yuannan: Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu’er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, and Wenshan. |
Any port applicable to the 144-hour visa-free transit policy within Yunnan |
|
Lijiang (Yunnan Province) |
Lijiang Sanyi International Airport |
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|
Xishuangbanna (Yunnan Province) |
Mohan Railway Port |
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Chengdu (Sichuan Province) |
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport |
11 cities in Sichuan: Chengdu, Leshan, Deyang, Suining, Meishan, Ya’an, Ziyang, Neijiang, Zigong, Luzhou, and Yibin |
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport |
|
Xi’an (Shaanxi Province) |
Xi’an Xianyang International Airport |
2 cities in Shaanxi: Xi’an and Xiangyang |
Xi’an Xianyang International Airport |
|
Xiamen (Fujian Province) |
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport Xiamen Port (Passenger transport, including Xiamen Wutong Passenger Terminal and Xiamen International Cruise Center Port) |
Xiamen city only |
Any port applicable to the 144-hour visa-free transit policy within Xiamen |
|
Wuhan (Hubei Province) |
Wuhan Tianhe International Airport |
Wuhan city only |
Wuhan Tianhe International Airport |
For more information:
http://app.www.gov.cn/govdata/gov/202407/17/517379/article.html