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China 240-Hour Transit Visa: Essential Information and Procedures at a Glance

Visit China under 240-hour Transit Visa Exemption

China visa-free transit or China transit visa waiver is a good opportunity to visit China without the hassle of applying for a full visa. But the problem is finding accurate, reliable and up-to-date information on how to gain visa-free transit to China and who is eligible for the transit visa in China. So, to help tourists wishing to visit China by taking advantage of the transit visa waiver or the official name Temporary Entry Permit, we made a summary of all information from government webpages and put them together here.

For visitors to Hainan Island only, please refer to Hainan 30-day visa waiver policy for 59 countries.

Based in Hainan China as a local tour operator and agency, we have put all information about China 240-Transit visa into one page: complete and clear.

Steps to gain a China 240-Hour Transit Visa

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

Passengers travelling with passports from the following countries are eligible for 240-hour China Transit Visa Waiver:

  • European countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Monaco.
  • American countries: United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile.
  • Asian countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
  • Oceania countries: New Zealand and Australia.

Step 2: Book right international flights

The China Transit Visa is designed for international travelers who are transiting through China. To obtain this visa, you must arrive in China from one country (either your home country or another) and depart for a different country. For example, you cannot book a flight arriving in China from the U.S. and then depart for the U.S. again. However, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau are considered separate countries/regions for this purpose.

Step 3: What documents to prepare for 240-China transit visa?

Passport (must be valid for more than 3 months)

Your return flight (Confirmed flight to another country different from your arrival country or region, please print out your bookings)

Arrival Card (which you get on your arrival flight or arrival airport)

Step 4: Where to apply China Transit Visa

Visitors can apply at 60 airports/ seaports/train stations. Please see the list below:

  1. Beihai Fucheng Airport
  2. Beihai Seaport (Passenger)
  3. Beijing Capital International Airport
  4. Beijing Daxing International Airport
  5. Changsha Huanghua International Airport
  6. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
  7. Chengdu Tianfu International Airport
  8. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport
  9. Dalian Seaport (Passenger)
  10. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport
  11. Fuzhou Changle International Airport
  12. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
  13. Guilin Liangjiang International Airport
  14. Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport
  15. Haikou Meilan International Airport
  16. Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
  17. Harbin Taiping International Airport
  18. Hefei Xinqiao International Airport
  19. Huangshan Tunxi International Airport
  20. Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport
  21. Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport
  22. Kunming Changshui International Airport
  23. Lianyungang Seaport (Passenger)
  24. Lijiang Sanyi International Airport
  25. Mohan Railway Port
  26. Nanchang Changbei International Airport
  27. Nanjing Lukou International Airport
  28. Nanning Wuxu International Airport
  29. Nansha Seaport (Passenger)
  30. Ningbo Lishe International Airport
  31. Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport
  32. Qingdao Seaport (Passenger)
  33. Qinhuangdao Seaport (Passenger)
  34. Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport
  35. Sanya Phoenix International Airport
  36. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
  37. Shanghai Pudong International Airport
  38. Shanghai Seaport (Passenger)
  39. Shekou Seaport (Passenger)
  40. Shenyang Taoxian International Airport
  41. Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport
  42. Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport Shanxi
  43. Sunan Shuo Fang International Airport Jiangsu
  44. Taiyuan Wusu International Airport
  45. Tianjin Binhai International Airport
  46. Tianjin Seaport (Passenger)
  47. Weihai Dashuibo International Airport Shandong
  48. Wenzhou Longwan International Airport Zhejiang
  49. Wenzhou Seaport (Passenger) Zhejiang
  50. Wuhan Tianhe International Airport
  51. Wuyishan International Airport Fujian
  52. Xi’an Xianyang International Airport
  53. Xia’men Gaoqi International Airport
  54. Xia’men Seaport (Passenger)
  55. Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport Jiangsu
  56. Yantai Penglai International Airport Shandong
  57. Yiwu International Airport Zhejiang
  58. Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport Hunan
  59. Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport Henan
  60. Zhoushan Seaport (Passenger)

Validity:

240 hours clock begins at midnight the day after you arrive in China. That means that if your plane arrives at 10am on Wednesday, your 144-hour transit visa clock begins at midnight on Thursday morning and you can stay until Tuesday 12 midnight, so total 10 days in China with your 240-hour transit visa.

Where Can I Go with a 240-Hour Transit Visa in China?

With a 240-hour transit visa, visitors can travel freely within most of China, except for the following provinces:

  • Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Jilin

In Yunnan Province, visitors may explore:

  • Kunming, Chuxiong, Yuxi, Honghe, Wenshan, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, and Lijiang

In Jiangxi Province, visitors can go to:

  • Nanchang and Jingdezhen

In Guangxi, the following cities are accessible:

  • Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, and Laibin

In Heilongjiang, visitors are limited to Harbin

In Sichuan Province, travelers can visit:

  • Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Suining, Leshan, Deyang, Neijiang, Yibin, Ya’an, Meishan, Ziyang

In Shanxi Province, visitors may explore Taiyuan and Datong

Step 5: How to apply upon arrival at Airport:

After arrival at Airport together with other passengers who already have their visa ready, you will find signs on walls or floors for China Temporary Entry Permit Application where you will fill up a form and present your documents. From the following card, you should know what information to prepare:

China Temporary Entry Form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

China Temporary Form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provided all information is accurate and complete, you can receive your Temporary Entry Permit, also known as the China Transit Visa, in approximately 5 to 10 minutes..

So with the above information, we believe you have got all details about China Transit Visa or Temporary Entry Permit as per the government sources.

Frequently asked Questions regarding China 240-hour transit visa: 

How much does it cost to apply?  It is free, no cost involved.

Can I apply in advance somewhere or on-line? So far, we don’t have any information on this.

Can I use a China Transit Visa multiple times within a year?

Yes, you can! I have confirmation from multiple travelers who have taken advantage of visa-free transit multiple times in a year.

If you are not sure on your selected international flights, please leave us a message here or email us: holiday@sunnyhainan.com 

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