If your country isn't on the 50-country unilateral visa-free list, the 240-hour transit route is often your ticket in - a confirmed onward ticket, entry through a designated port, and up to ten days of shopping across mainland China. This is the 2026 foreigner briefing.
The 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit lets eligible travellers enter mainland China without a visa, provided they're transiting to a third country or region. It's a different, larger programme than the 50-country unilateral visa-free list.
You must enter and exit through designated ports. These are the main shopping hubs with international airports - each has a full city guide with arrival, transit and tax-refund detail.
| Hub city | Designated ports | Role for shoppers |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | PEK (Capital), PKX (Daxing) | Capital gateway, flagship malls |
| Shanghai | PVG (Pudong), SHA (Hongqiao) | No.1 haul city, tax-free malls |
| Guangzhou | CAN (Baiyun) | Wholesale, Canton Fair, instant-refund pilot |
| Shenzhen | SZX (Bao'an) | Electronics + land gateway to Hong Kong |
| Chengdu | CTU (Shuangliu), TFU (Tianfu) | Southwest base, gifts, panda |
| Hangzhou | HGH (Xiaoshan) | Tea, silk, Shanghai add-on |
| Xi'an | XIY (Xianyang) | History stop, Terracotta |
See the City Guides hub for the full set and the best entry cities for shopping.
To a third country or region (Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan count). Airlines and immigration check it - keep the booking handy for every leg.
Your passport must be valid at least six months and have a blank page. Same requirement as the 50-country list.
Enter and leave through designated ports (the hub airports above, plus land/sea ports). Exiting via a non-designated point breaks the route.
Tourism and shopping only - no employment. Watch the 240-hour clock from your inbound scheduled arrival; overstaying voids the transit.
For the full border-to-checkout flow, see the Smooth Arrival guide and the China Arrival Guide 2026 for SIM, payments and airport logistics.
A flight or train from mainland China to Hong Kong or Macao satisfies the onward-travel rule - which makes Shenzhen the natural land gateway for a China + Hong Kong combo trip.
See the Shenzhen ↔ Hong Kong crossing playbook for the step-by-step, and the city transit guide for getting around on both sides.
The 50-country list is unilateral visa-free - you arrive and stay up to 30 days, no onward travel required. The 240-hour route is transit: it covers a different, larger set of countries (~57) but requires a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region and entry/exit through designated ports. Many visitors qualify for both; the 240-hour route is the one to use if your country isn't on the 50-country list or you're routing through.
Around 57 countries are on the 240-hour transit list (a different set from the 50-country unilateral list). The exact list and any updates are published by the National Immigration Administration - confirm your country on the official NIA source before you book, as the list can expand.
Yes. You must hold a confirmed ticket to a third country or region (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan count as 'regions') departing from a designated port, with the connection usually within the 240 hours. Keep the booking handy - airlines and immigration will check it on arrival and at each leg.
Yes - the route now lets you stay across the permitted areas (the stay zones were expanded to cover the whole country with regional caps), so you can rail between hub cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Xi'an. You still must exit via a designated port with your onward ticket to a third country/region.
Yes - Hong Kong and Macao are treated as separate regions, so a flight or train from mainland China to Hong Kong satisfies the onward-travel requirement. Shenzhen is the land gateway: cross by the West Kowloon high-speed rail, the East Rail MTR to Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau, or the Shenzhen Bay port. See the Shenzhen guide for the crossing playbook.
Entry and transit rules change. Before you book, confirm the current 240-hour eligible-country list, designated ports and stay zones on the official English sources below.