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240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

ChinaTransit

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in China Read the five questions ↓

Which travellers require a transit visa/permission and which officially documented exemptions are important?

Ordinary-passport holders of NIA 57 listed nationalities may use qualifying onward transit through the 65 designated ports in 24 provincial-level jurisdictions. This is a nationality- and port-limited exemption, not entry through every Chinese port.

See recorded sources
  • II 240-hour transit
    Currently, China is implementing this policy for nationals of 57 countries including Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Nationals of these countries, who need to transit through China to third countries or regions, may enter visa-free through any of the designated 65 open exit-entry ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and stay in the permitted areas for no more than 10 days, provided that they hold ordinary passports and onward tickets with confirmed seats and departure dates. Foreign nationals covered by this policy may, within the designated areas, engage in activities like travel activities, business activities, visits, family reunions, etc., during their stay periods. Activities such as work, study, or news reporting still require prior approvals and appropriate visas.
  • II(1) nationality list
    Europe (40 countries): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
  • II(1) nationality list
    North America (2 countries): Canada, United States
  • II(1) nationality list
    South America (4 countries): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico
  • II(1) nationality list
    Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand
  • II(1) nationality list
    Asia (9 countries): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

Can the traveller remain airside, and under what circumstances must immigration control be crossed?

The 240-hour policy is used by entering China: eligible nationals transiting to a third country or region may enter visa-free through one of the 65 designated open exit-entry ports in 24 provincial-level regions, which means passing immigration control. Whether a traveller may instead stay airside is not addressed by this policy text.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Remaining airside is not addressed for the 240-hour policy (the airside rule on the same page belongs to the 24-hour policy).
  • https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183412/content.html
    Nationals of these countries, who need to transit through China to third countries or regions, may enter visa-free through any of the designated 65 open exit-entry ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government

What officially documented baggage collection, terminal, separate-ticket or self-transfer situations affect the immigration requirement?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the baggage, terminal-change and self-transfer rules.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Searched the NIA visa-free transit page (511262), the Exit-Entry Law, the Regulations and stay/visa notices; none covers baggage or self-transfer. The 10-day maximum previously placed here belongs to R4.

What maximum transit period, overnight, airport-change or multiple-stop rules matter?

Maximum stay is 10 days in the permitted areas, with an ordinary passport and an onward ticket with confirmed seat and departure date to a third country or region. The official source does not state overnight, airport-change or multiple-stop rules.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The list of eligible ports and permitted stay areas is published only as an image (part/194194.png) and was not captured.
  • No overnight, airport-change or multiple-stop rules are stated in the captured text.

If permission is required, what permission is it, where/how is it obtained, and what core onward-travel evidence is required?

No visa is required for a foreigner holding a through ticket on an international flight, ship or train who transits China to a third country or region and stays within a State Council-approved specific area within the set time limit. To remain beyond the visa-free period for non-diplomatic, non-official reasons, the traveller must submit supporting evidence and may be issued a stay permit of corresponding length; stay permits are accepted by public security exit-entry authorities at prefecture-level city level or above, as entrusted by the National Immigration Administration.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The sources do not describe what ticket proof is checked at the port or how the visa-free transit is requested at border inspection.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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