China 240-Hour Transit Ports: 65 Ports & Best Routes (2026)

China’s 240-hour transit scheme gives you 10 days in mainland China without a visa — and you have 65 ports to choose from.

This guide is the practical port-level companion to our main 240-hour transit guide. It covers which airports, land crossings and sea ports you can use, which regions allow free movement, and the route combinations travelers use most.

The scheme in one line

Citizens of 55 countries can stay in mainland China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa, provided they hold a booked onward ticket to a third country or region within that window. The scheme covers 65 ports across 24 provincial-level regions, and you can enter at one port and exit at another.

The airports

Every major international gateway is covered, and many secondary cities too:

• Beijing: Capital International (PEK) and Daxing (PKX).
• Shanghai: Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA).
• Guangdong: Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), Shenzhen Bao’an (SZX).
• Elsewhere: Chengdu (both airports), Xi’an, Kunming, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Wuhan, Xiamen, Qingdao, Dalian, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Guilin, Haikou, Sanya, and many more.

If your intended entry city is an international airport in a covered region, it’s likely on the list — but always verify before booking.

Land and sea ports

The transit scheme isn’t airport-only. Notable non-air options include:

• Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge — you can cross into mainland China via this bridge in Guangdong.
• West Kowloon Station — on the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong express rail link, a quick way to move between Hong Kong and mainland cities.
• Passenger sea ports — including Tianjin Port, Shanghai Port, Xiamen Port, Dalian Port, and others, useful for cruise or ferry itineraries.
• Mohan Railway Port in Yunnan, and several river/land ports.

These make mixed-mode trips — fly in, take a ferry or train out — genuinely practical.

Regional access: full province vs city-limited

For most of the 24 covered regions, you can move freely within the whole province. A handful restrict you to specific areas:

• Heilongjiang: Harbin only.
• Shanxi: Taiyuan and Datong.
• Jiangxi: Nanchang and Jingdezhen.
• Guangxi: a group of designated cities including Nanning, Guilin and Beihai.
• Sichuan: designated cities including Chengdu, Leshan and Yibin.
• Yunnan: designated cities/prefectures including Kunming, Dali and Xishuangbanna.

Regions not on the list — such as Tibet, Qinghai or Gansu — are not accessible under the transit scheme and require a regular visa.

Popular route combinations

• Beijing in → Shanghai out. The classic. Arrive at PEK or PKX, spend time in Beijing, take the high-speed rail to Shanghai, and fly out from PVG to your next destination.
• Shanghai in → Beijing out. The reverse, just as easy.
• Hong Kong → Guangzhou/Shenzhen → out. Cross via West Kowloon HSR or the HK–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, explore the Pearl River Delta, and leave from CAN or SZX.
• Chengdu in → Xi’an out. Pair two of China’s most historic cities; both regions are fully open to you.
• Kunming in → Chengdu out. A southwest circuit, with Yunnan’s city-limited areas kept in mind.

The rules that still apply

1. Third country only. Your onward destination must be a different country or region from where you arrived — a route like Hong Kong → Shanghai → Hong Kong does not qualify.
2. Keep a buffer on the 240 hours. Ports count the window slightly differently; treat it as 10 days and don’t cut it fine.
3. Have your onward ticket ready. You’ll be asked to show it at check-in and at the border. Booked and paid is safer than a hold.
4. Know your region. If your itinerary touches a city-limited region, stay inside the permitted areas.
5. Don’t confuse it with the 30-day visa-free entry. If your country is on the 50-country list, that’s the more generous option — see the comparison.

Before you book

1. Confirm your nationality is on the 55-country list.
2. Choose entry and exit ports that both cover the cities you want.
3. Book your onward ticket to a third country within 240 hours.
4. Check this page and the official sources again just before you fly — port lists are updated over time.

Where to verify

• National Immigration Administration (NIA) — en.nia.gov.cn
• The official 240-hour transit policy page — current port list and conditions
• Chinese embassy or consulate in your country — notices for your nationality

Last updated: August 2026. Entry rules change — always confirm with official sources before you travel.