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Layover Compass

China's 240-hour visa-free transit (as published Aug 20, 2026)

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The short version

  • Nationals of 57 countries, including the United States, can enter China visa-free while transiting to a third country or region. They can stay up to 240 hours (10 days) in permitted areas. [S1]
  • You must enter through one of 65 designated ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. [S1]
  • Philippine passports are not on the 57-country list, so this policy doesn't cover them. [S1]

Who's eligible

The NIA lists 57 countries. [S1]

  • Europe (40): 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
  • North America (2): Canada, United States
  • South America (4): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico
  • Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand
  • Asia (9): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on Aug 20, 2026, bringing the total to 57. [S2]

The rules

  1. Ordinary passport from one of the 57 countries. [S1]
  2. Onward ticket with a confirmed seat and departure date to a third country or region. [S1] gov.cn describes these as "interline passenger tickets with confirmed dates and itineraries bound for a third country or region." [S2]
    • In practice, you can't fly from your origin to China and then back to the same origin. For example, US to China to US doesn't qualify, while US to China to Manila does.
    • Check with your airline: we couldn't confirm whether Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as the "third region" for a given itinerary. The NIA text says "third countries or regions" but doesn't list them on this page. Check with the airline or NIA before booking.
  3. Enter through one of the 65 eligible ports and stay within the permitted areas. The NIA's table notes that travelers "can make cross-province visits in the permitted areas in the 24 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) for no more than 240 hours." [S1]
  4. Allowed activities: tourism, business, visits and family reunions. Work, study and news reporting still need prior approval and a visa. [S1][S2]
  5. The 240-hour count: the policy says "no more than 10 days." [S1] Exactly when the clock starts (for example, from the day after entry or from the hour of entry) isn't spelled out on the NIA page, so check with your airline or the NIA.

The separate 24-hour rule (all nationalities)

  • At all open ports, any foreigner transiting to a third country or region can stay up to 24 hours without a visa if they hold a valid travel document and an onward ticket with a confirmed seat, and don't leave the port's restricted area. To leave the restricted area, you must first get a temporary entry permit from the port's immigration authority. [S1]
  • This is the rule that applies to Philippine passport holders connecting airside in China. [S1]

Eligible ports (65) and permitted stay areas

Transcribed from the NIA table image. [S1]

#Province / regionEligible portPermitted stay area
1BeijingBeijing Capital International AirportBeijing Municipality
2BeijingBeijing Daxing International AirportBeijing Municipality
3TianjinTianjin Binhai International AirportTianjin Municipality
4TianjinTianjin Port (Passenger)Tianjin Municipality
5HebeiShijiazhuang Zhengding International AirportHebei Province
6HebeiQinhuangdao Port (Passenger)Hebei Province
7LiaoningShenyang Taoxian International AirportLiaoning Province
8LiaoningDalian Zhoushuizi International AirportLiaoning Province
9LiaoningDalian Port (Passenger)Liaoning Province
10ShanghaiShanghai Hongqiao International AirportShanghai Municipality
11ShanghaiShanghai Pudong International AirportShanghai Municipality
12ShanghaiShanghai Port (Passenger)Shanghai Municipality
13JiangsuNanjing Lukou International AirportJiangsu Province
14JiangsuSu'nan Shuofang International AirportJiangsu Province
15JiangsuYangzhou Taizhou International AirportJiangsu Province
16JiangsuLianyungang Port (Passenger)Jiangsu Province
17ZhejiangHangzhou Xiaoshan International AirportZhejiang Province
18ZhejiangNingbo Lishe International AirportZhejiang Province
19ZhejiangWenzhou Longwan International AirportZhejiang Province
20ZhejiangYiwu AirportZhejiang Province
21ZhejiangWenzhou Port (Passenger)Zhejiang Province
22ZhejiangZhoushan Port (Passenger)Zhejiang Province
23AnhuiHefei Xinqiao International AirportAnhui Province
24AnhuiHuangshan Tunxi International AirportAnhui Province
25FujianFuzhou Changle International AirportFujian Province
26FujianXiamen Gaoqi International AirportFujian Province
27FujianQuanzhou Jinjiang International AirportFujian Province
28FujianWuyishan AirportFujian Province
29FujianXiamen Port (Passenger)Fujian Province
30ShandongJinan Yaoqiang International AirportShandong Province
31ShandongQingdao Jiaodong International AirportShandong Province
32ShandongYantai Penglai International AirportShandong Province
33ShandongWeihai Dashuipo International AirportShandong Province
34ShandongQingdao Port (Passenger)Shandong Province
35HenanZhengzhou Xinzheng International AirportHenan Province
36HubeiWuhan Tianhe International AirportHubei Province
37HunanChangsha Huanghua International AirportHunan Province
38HunanZhangjiajie Hehua International AirportHunan Province
39GuangdongGuangzhou Baiyun International AirportGuangdong Province (exits available at all open ports across the province)
40GuangdongShenzhen Bao'an International AirportGuangdong Province
41GuangdongJieyang Chaoshan International AirportGuangdong Province
42GuangdongNansha Port (Passenger)Guangdong Province
43GuangdongShekou Port (Passenger)Guangdong Province
44GuangdongGuangzhou Pazhou Ferry TerminalGuangdong Province
45GuangdongZhongshan Port (Passenger)Guangdong Province
46GuangdongHengqin PortGuangdong Province
47GuangdongHong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge PortGuangdong Province
48GuangdongWest Kowloon Station Port of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail LinkGuangdong Province
49HainanHaikou Meilan International AirportHainan Province
50HainanSanya Phoenix International AirportHainan Province
51ChongqingChongqing Jiangbei International AirportChongqing Municipality
52GuizhouGuiyang Longdongbao International AirportGuizhou Province
53ShaanxiXian Xianyang International AirportShaanxi Province
54ShanxiTaiyuan Wusu International AirportTaiyuan City and Datong City
55HeilongjiangHarbin Taiping International AirportHarbin City
56JiangxiNanchang Changbei International AirportNanchang City and Jingdezhen City
57GuangxiNanning Wuxu International Airport12 cities: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, Laibin
58GuangxiGuilin Liangjiang International Airport(same 12 Guangxi cities)
59GuangxiBeihai Fucheng Airport(same 12 Guangxi cities)
60GuangxiBeihai Port (Passenger)(same 12 Guangxi cities)
61SichuanChengdu Shuangliu International Airport11 cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan, Ziyang
62SichuanChengdu Tianfu International Airport(same 11 Sichuan cities)
63YunnanKunming Changshui International Airport9 cities and autonomous prefectures: Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang
64YunnanLijiang Sanyi International Airport(same 9 Yunnan areas)
65YunnanMohan Railway Port(same 9 Yunnan areas)

Transcription note: the table is an image on the NIA page. Row 47 (HZMB Port) and row 48 (West Kowloon Station Port) are printed in bold under Guangdong. Recheck the image before publishing.

How it fits US to Asia routings

Editorial, built on the rules above.

  • US to Manila via a Chinese hub (for example, a US flight into Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, then on to Manila) is a "third country" itinerary. A US passport holder could take up to 10 days in the permitted area, provided both flights are confirmed and they enter at an eligible port. [S1]
  • Philippine passport holders on the same routing can only use the 24-hour airside transit rule, or they need a Chinese visa. [S1]
  • Check with your airline: we couldn't confirm which airlines currently fly US–China–Manila one-stop routings. Check at booking.

Related: Hainan 30-day visa-free entry

  • Hainan has a separate 30-day visa-free entry policy, which covers 61 countries as of Aug 20, 2026. [S2] Whether the US is on that list wasn't checked, so check with your airline.

Sources

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