Ten days in China, no visa needed. Here's the updated 2026 rulebook for one of the easiest ways to visit the country.
What it is
The 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policy lets eligible foreign travellers visit China without a visa, provided they enter and exit through specific ports and have an onward flight to a third country.
Who's eligible
Passport holders from 54 countries including: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, all EU member states, Japan, South Korea, Singapore.
Where you can land
The policy now covers 60 ports of entry across 24 provinces, including:
- Beijing (PEK, PKX)
- Shanghai (PVG, SHA)
- Guangzhou (CAN)
- Shenzhen (SZX)
- Chengdu (CTU)
- Xi'an (XIY)
- Kunming (KMG)
What you can do
- Travel freely between covered provinces (no longer limited to a single city).
- Stay up to 240 hours (10 days) from the day after arrival.
- Combine business meetings, tourism, family visits.
What you cannot do
- Work or study formally (you still need M / X visas for that).
- Enter through a non-eligible port (e.g. some border crossings).
- Stay beyond 240 hours — exit and re-entry resets the clock.
How to qualify
- Hold a passport from one of the 54 eligible countries.
- Have a confirmed onward ticket to a third country (not back to your origin in most cases).
- Fill the arrival card and present the ticket at immigration.
Practical tip
Our team pre-files the temporary residence registration (mandatory within 24 hours of arrival) and the entry plan with your airline, eliminating 95% of the friction at the border. Request a transit-friendly itinerary.
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