China Without a Visa: The 240-Hour Transit Rules, Plainly

China's visa-free transit policy has quietly become one of the best deals in international travel: citizens of 54 countries can enter without a visa for up to 240 hours (10 days), provided they are transiting onward to a third country. For a two-week China journey with a stop in Seoul, Tokyo, or Hong Kong on either side, that is usually all the permission you need.

The rules change often enough that any article — including this one — should be checked against the official source before you book. This page is a plain-language orientation, not legal advice.

You need a passport from one of the listed countries (the US, UK, EU states, Australia, Canada, and most of Southeast Asia are included), an onward ticket to a third country — not a round trip back home directly — and entry through one of the designated ports of entry. All major international airports qualify.

Your airline checks the paperwork at check-in, so have your onward booking and hotel details printed or offline. The border officer makes the final call; polite, documented travelers rarely have trouble.

The classic failure is the onward ticket: flying London → Beijing → London does not qualify, but London → Beijing → Seoul → London does, because China sits in the middle of the journey. The second is scope — with 240 hours you can move between provinces, but check the current list of permitted regions when you plan.

Travelers on our small-group journeys get a pre-departure check of all of this as part of the service; independent travelers should verify with their airline 72 hours before flying.