China has spent the last two years opening up to visitors faster than almost any large country, and the result is a genuinely confusing situation: there are now two different visa-free routes, they have different rules, and a great deal of advice online describes only one of them — or describes the old 144-hour version that has since been replaced.
This page explains the difference. It does not tell you whether you personally qualify: that depends on your passport, your route and your port of entry, and the only authority is the Chinese government.
The two routes, side by side
| Unilateral visa-free entry | 240-hour visa-free transit | |
|---|---|---|
| Length of stay | Up to 30 days | Up to 240 hours (10 days) |
| Onward third country required? | No | Yes |
| Can you fly home directly? | Yes | No — you must continue to a third country or region |
| Where you may travel | Nationwide | Designated areas of 24 provinces and municipalities |
| Roughly how many nationalities | Around 50 | 55 |
Checked 13 Aug 2026 Per China’s National Immigration Administration 2026 publications and Chinese embassy notices. Visa policy changes frequently and at short notice — verify with the Chinese embassy or consulate responsible for you before booking.
Route 1 — Unilateral visa-free entry, up to 30 days
This is the simpler and far more useful of the two, and the one most travellers should be checking first.
Around 50 nationalities currently hold unilateral 30-day visa-free entry. The list covers most of Europe — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and others — along with Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. The United Kingdom and Canada were added on 17 February 2026.
If your nationality is on this list, there is no onward-ticket requirement, no route restriction, and no transit condition. You arrive, you have up to 30 days, you leave however you like.
Checked 13 Aug 2026 Scope of the unilateral scheme and the February 2026 addition of the UK and Canada per current published summaries of Chinese entry policy. Confirm your own nationality directly with a Chinese embassy or consulate.
Route 2 — 240-hour visa-free transit
This replaced the older 72- and 144-hour transit schemes, and it is what many still-circulating guides describe under the wrong number.
Who it covers
Citizens of 55 countries: 40 in Europe, six in the Americas (United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile), seven in Asia (South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia) and two in Oceania (Australia, New Zealand).
The conditions
- Passport
- Ordinary passport with at least 3 months’ validity
- Onward ticket
- Confirmed flight, train or cruise to a third country or region within 240 hours
- Maximum stay
- 240 hours — 10 days
- Where
- Designated areas of 24 provinces, regions and municipalities
- Ports of entry
- 65 open ports, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi’an
Checked 13 Aug 2026 Country count, the 3-month passport validity and onward-ticket condition, the 24 regions and the 65 ports per China’s National Immigration Administration 2026 publication and Chinese embassy notices.
“Third country” means somewhere other than where you came from. London → Beijing → London does not qualify. London → Beijing → Seoul does. Travellers are refused boarding at the departure airport over exactly this, because the airline checks it before you fly.
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as separate regions for this purpose, which is why so many transit itineraries route out through Hong Kong.
Which one should you use?
- Check the 30-day unilateral list first. If your nationality is on it, use it. No onward-ticket condition, no route restriction, three times the length.
- If not, check the 240-hour transit list. Ten days is enough for two or three destinations at high-speed-rail distances — Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, or Chengdu with a day trip.
- If neither, apply for a tourist visa. The L visa remains the standard route and is not difficult; it simply requires time and paperwork.
Hainan is a third case
Hainan island operates its own regime, with 30-day visa-free entry for 59 countries — a broader list than the mainland unilateral scheme. It applies to Hainan only.
Before you book
- Verify with the embassy, not with a blog. This page and every other secondary source describes a policy that moves. Your embassy or consulate is the only authority.
- Check your specific port of entry. The transit scheme operates at named ports, not everywhere.
- Have the onward ticket booked before you fly if you are using transit. Airlines check at check-in.
- Watch the clock. 240 hours is counted in hours, not calendar days, and starts at entry.
This is general information about the shape of the policy, not immigration advice. Entry to China is decided by the Chinese authorities and by no one else. See our disclaimer.