240-hour visa-free transit (240-hour TWOV) allows citizens from 54 countries to stay in China for 10 days. You can enter or leave China from any available port. You can also travel across provinces within the permitted areas in 24 regions to do things like sightseeing, business, or visiting family.
Updates to the Visa-Free Transit Policy in China
The duration has been extended from 140 hours to 240 hours.
The number of entry and exit ports has increased from 39 to 60.
The permitted stay areas have been expanded to 24 provinces.
Requirements for 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit
1. You must be a citizen of one of the 54 countries. For example, if you are a US citizen currently living in Madagascar, you can still qualify as long as you hold a valid US passport for more than 3 months.
2. Your final destination must be a third country or region, and you must depart China within 240 hours (10 days) after your arrival.
3. You must hold an onward ticket with a confirmed departure time and seat to a third country or region.
4. You must enter China through one of the 60 eligible ports. The exit port can be different from the entry port. For example, you can enter in Beijing and exit in Shanghai.
5. You can only travel between provinces within the allowed 24 regions. This policy does not cover autonomous regions and provinces such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, and Jilin.
Countries Qualified for the 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit
Citizens from 54 countries are eligible for a 240-hour transit without a visa (10-day TWOV) in China. However, if you have a record of violating Chinese laws, you may not be permitted to enter China for any purpose even if you are from one of these countries.
Americas (6 countries): United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
Europe (40 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, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway
Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand
Asia (6 countries): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar