The short version: nationals of 57 countries can enter mainland China without a visa for up to 240 hours (10 days) when transiting to a third country or region. You need an ordinary passport, a confirmed onward ticket leaving China, and you must arrive through one of the designated ports. The rule that catches people out is the third-country part: fly in from Australia and back to Australia and you do not qualify. Hong Kong and Macau do count as a third region.
The exemption is for people passing through China, not visiting it as a destination. That single fact decides almost every eligibility question, and it is where most failed attempts come from.
Concretely, your route has to enter from one country and leave to a different one:
This is the part almost no summary mentions, and it works in your favour.
The border inspection station issues you a temporary entry permit, and the clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you arrive. It is not counted from the moment you clear immigration.
So if you land at 16:00 on a Monday, your 240 hours begin at midnight that night. In practice that means an afternoon or evening arrival gives you close to eleven days on the ground rather than ten. Arriving late in the day is worth planning around if you are trying to fit a long itinerary in.
The exemption currently covers nationals of 57 countries. Ordinary passports only, so this does not apply to other travel document types.
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, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Americas (6): Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, United States.
Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand.
Asia (9): Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.
There is also a separate 24-hour transit rule that applies to nationals of all countries at all open ports, provided you do not leave the restricted area of the port. If you need to leave that area, you must obtain a temporary entry permit first.
You enter through one of the designated ports and may move within the permitted areas of 24 provincial-level regions. Cross-province travel within those allowed areas is permitted.
The regions are Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Shaanxi.
In some provinces the permitted area is the whole province; in others it is limited to specific cities. If you plan to leave a major city, check the permitted area for that province rather than assuming the whole province is open.
Have the onward ticket ready to show. It is the document officers actually ask for, and it is the thing people forget to print.
Check that your intended arrival port is on the list before you book. The policy applies to a specific set of designated ports, and not every airport or cruise terminal is included. It is a short check and it is the difference between a smooth entry and a very bad day.
Two ways to confirm:
This is a transit exemption, so it is for passing through. If China is your actual destination rather than a stop on the way somewhere else, you need a proper visa, or you need to be travelling on a passport that has a separate visa-free entry arrangement with China. The visa-free entry guide lists the 50 countries covered by that arrangement, and the date the policy currently expires.
Working, studying and news reporting are not permitted under the transit exemption and require prior approval and an appropriate visa. Tourism, business, visiting family and similar activities are allowed within the permitted areas during your stay.
The other thing to sort before you land is the practical side: payments and connectivity. Binding a card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly and picking a travel eSIM that routes properly are covered in the payments guide and the connectivity guide.
No. The exemption is for transiting to a third country or region. A Sydney to Shanghai to Melbourne itinerary was explicitly described by the Shanghai border inspection authority as not qualifying; you would need to fly onward somewhere outside both China and Australia first.
Yes. A London to Shanghai to Hong Kong itinerary has been confirmed by the Shanghai authorities as qualifying for the 240-hour transit exemption.
At 00:00 on the day after you arrive, not from the moment you clear immigration. The border inspection station issues a temporary entry permit and counts from the next day, which in practice gives you close to eleven days if you land in the afternoon.
Yes, within the permitted areas of the 24 provincial-level regions covered by the policy. Some provinces are open in full and others only in specific cities, so check the permitted area for the province you plan to visit.
A valid ordinary passport from one of the 57 eligible countries, a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region with a departure date inside the 240 hours, and the arrival card for foreigners in transit which you complete on arrival.
Yes. A separate 24-hour rule applies to nationals of all countries at all open exit-entry ports, provided you do not leave the restricted area of the port. If you need to leave that area, you must obtain a temporary entry permit first.
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