Do you need a transit visa for China (mainland)?
China offers 24-hour visa-free transit nationwide, plus a 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit for around 55 nationalities at 60+ ports — the scheme that replaced the old 72/144-hour rules.
Staying airside (not leaving the airport)
If you stay in the international transit area and don't clear immigration, you generally don't need a visa. To leave the secure area you use one of the transit schemes below.
Leaving the airport during your layover
China runs generous visa-free transit programmes that let eligible travelers leave the airport during a layover.
Key transit schemes & facts
- 24-hour visa-free transit: available nationwide to most nationalities, with an onward ticket to a third country/region.
- 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit: this REPLACED the older 72-hour and 144-hour schemes. It is open to citizens of roughly 55 countries at 60+ ports of entry, and now lets you move around some two dozen provinces rather than staying in one city.
- It is genuinely a transit scheme, not a tourist entry: you must be travelling between two different countries or regions, and hold a confirmed onward ticket to that third country within the time window.
- You must also arrive and depart through ports that are approved for the scheme — check the current port list before booking, as it has been expanded several times.
- Hong Kong and Macao have separate entry rules from mainland China.
Official source
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a transit visa to connect through China (mainland)?
China offers 24-hour visa-free transit nationwide, plus a 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit for around 55 nationalities at 60+ ports — the scheme that replaced the old 72/144-hour rules.
Can you transit airside through China (mainland) without a visa?
If you stay in the international transit area and don't clear immigration, you generally don't need a visa. To leave the secure area you use one of the transit schemes below.
What if you want to leave the airport during a layover in China (mainland)?
China runs generous visa-free transit programmes that let eligible travelers leave the airport during a layover.
Check the visa you'll need at your destination
Beyond transit, you'll need to know the visa rules for where you're actually going.
Open the visa checker →