China Unlocks 10-Day Visa-Free Travel Access For 57 Countries As Beijing Expands Global Tourism Gateway

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China has expanded its 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policy to 57 countries, giving more opportunities for travellers to enter and explore the approved regions without having to get a traditional Chinese visa before the trip. The latest expansion of the program, announced by China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA), on August 20, 2026, added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to the program, bringing the total number of countries to 57 from 55. By implementing this, it makes China’s cities along the travel route more accessible for short-term tourism and short-term business travels as well as international stopovers for the eligible passengers.

This policy allows eligible passengers to stay for 10 days during their travel to a third country or region. It is intended for travelers who will continue their journey after a short stay in China. Activities of a longer stay, such as employment, education, and reporting as a journalist, will require a visa. The program supports tourism, business meetings, and family visits and cultural exchanges. The policy creates a new market opportunity for those in the travel and tourism industry such as airlines, airports, tourism boards and tour operators to create stopover packages to China. Passengers who previously had long stopovers in China will now have the option of staying in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

China Extends Visa-Free Transit Stay From Short Layovers To 10-Day Experiences

China’s current 240-hour visa-free transit system represents a major transformation of its international entry approach. Before the expansion, eligible travellers could access shorter visa-free transit periods of 72 hours or 144 hours in selected regions. In December 2024, China increased the maximum transit duration to 240 hours, providing international visitors with significantly more time to experience the country during a connection.

The extended 10-day period allows travellers to move beyond airport connections and create meaningful travel itineraries. Visitors can explore cultural attractions, attend business events, visit relatives or experience local tourism destinations before continuing to their final destination. The policy is particularly significant for long-haul travellers who often pass through Chinese aviation hubs while travelling between Europe, Asia, Oceania and North America. A longer visa-free transit window provides greater flexibility for passengers planning multi-country journeys. Under the programme, China acts as a transit location rather than the traveller’s final destination. Passengers must continue their journey to another country or region after their approved stay.

Examples of qualifying routes include:

Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are considered valid third regions for transit purposes under the policy, allowing additional international routing options.

57 Countries Now Included In China’s Expanded 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Programme

Following the latest expansion, citizens from 57 countries can now access China’s 10-day visa-free transit facility. Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam became the newest additions on August 20, 2026, joining countries already included across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania.

The eligible countries are divided into four major regions:

Europe remains the largest source region under the policy, accounting for 40 of the 57 eligible nationalities. The inclusion of major tourism markets such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland strengthens China’s potential appeal among international leisure travellers. Asian additions, including Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam, also demonstrate China’s focus on improving regional travel connections and encouraging greater movement across neighbouring markets.

Strict Entry Requirements Apply Under China’s 10-Day Visa-Free Transit Rules

Although travellers do not need to apply for a traditional visa before arrival, the 240-hour transit programme has several mandatory conditions.

Eligible passengers must:

The onward ticket requirement is one of the most important elements of the programme. A traveller must demonstrate that they are continuing to another country or region after leaving China. A return journey to the original departure country does not qualify. For example, a passenger travelling from France to China and then returning directly to France would not meet the transit requirement. Border authorities make the final decision on eligibility after reviewing travel documents and itinerary details.

China Opens 65 Entry Ports Across 24 Regions For International Travellers

The expanded visa-free transit programme operates through 65 designated entry ports across 24 provincial-level regions, municipalities and autonomous regions. These include some of China’s largest international aviation gateways.

Major approved entry points include:

The broad network of approved ports provides international passengers with greater flexibility when planning China stopovers. Beijing offers access to historic landmarks, cultural attractions and political centres. Shanghai provides a combination of modern architecture, financial districts and heritage neighbourhoods. Guangzhou connects visitors with southern China’s commercial and cultural attractions, while Chengdu serves as a gateway to western China’s tourism experiences. For airlines and travel companies, the wider port network creates opportunities to design new packages combining international flights with short China stays.

Travellers Gain Wider Regional Access During Their Approved Stay

The 240-hour visa-free transit policy also provides greater movement flexibility compared with earlier transit arrangements. Eligible travellers can move across permitted provincial-level regions covered by the scheme. They are not required to leave China from the same port where they entered, provided they remain within authorised areas and follow the programme rules.

This creates possibilities for multi-city itineraries. A visitor arriving in Shanghai could potentially combine urban tourism with approved nearby destinations. A traveller entering through Beijing could explore more than one location during the 10-day period depending on the authorised travel area. However, the policy does not provide unrestricted access to every part of mainland China. Travellers must remain within approved regions and follow immigration regulations throughout their stay.

India Not Included As China Expands Visa-Free Transit Access

Despite the expansion to 57 countries, India is not currently included in China’s 240-hour visa-free transit programme. Indian passport holders travelling through China must continue obtaining the required visa or transit permission before entering mainland China. The exclusion means Indian travellers cannot currently use the 10-day visa-free transit facility for China stopovers unless future policy changes introduce India into the eligible list. For Indian passengers planning international journeys involving Chinese airports, checking current immigration requirements remains essential before confirming travel arrangements.

China’s Visa-Free Transit Expansion Strengthens International Tourism Strategy

China improving its 240-hour visa-free transit policy is a big step for tourism. This improvement now includes 57 countries with access through 65 ports in 24 regions. Global travelers will now have more options. This policy helps many business linked to travel like airlines, airports, hotels, and local businesses. It also helps destination management companies. When passengers have long enough layovers, this encourages people to then book trips to China whereas before, people only used Chinese airports as connecting flights.

Having this program will give passengers a chance to see what it is like to travel to China and see all of the history, a number of cultural sites, and some centers for business. All of this is with the addition of regional trips as well. This will give passengers none of the hassle of a traditional visa. As travel will only continue to interconnect around the world, China will begin to be a very attractive location for people to stop at with its 10-day visa-free transit policy.