The fully relaxed and optimized 240-hour visa-free transit policy has further expanded the allowed areas for visa-free transit travelers. The number of provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) that can be visited under this policy has increased from the original 19 (Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, Hebei Province, Liaoning Province, Heilongjiang Province, Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Shandong Province, Henan Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongqing Municipality, Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, and Shaanxi Province) to 24 (with Shanxi Province, Anhui Province, Jiangxi Province, Hainan Province, and Guizhou Province added to the list). In the newly added five provinces, the allowed areas for visa-free transit travelers in Anhui Province, Hainan Province, and Guizhou Province include the entire province. In Shanxi Province, the areas are limited to Taiyuan and Datong, and in Jiangxi Province, the areas cover Nanchang and Jingdezhen. The areas in Fujian Province, Hubei Province, and Shaanxi Province are expanded to the entire respective provinces, and in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the area expands to the administrative regions of Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Wuzhou, Beihai, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Guigang, Yulin, Hezhou, Hechi, and Laibin. Foreign nationals entering China through the visa-free transit policy can make cross-province travels within the allowed areas for visa-free transit travelers in these 24 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities).

According to an NIA official, the recent relaxation and optimization of the visa-free transit policy is a significant step taken by NIA in line with its commitment to thoroughly learning and implementing the instructions from the Central Economic Work Conference, aiming to proactively serve and promote a high-standard opening up while facilitating the exchanges between Chinese and foreign nationals. This initiative is beneficial for accelerating cross-border flows of people, promoting international communication and cooperation, and injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the economy and society. Going forward, the NIA will continue to deepen the institutional openness of immigration management, continually optimize and improve the policies facilitating entry and exit for immigrants, and enhance the convenience for foreign nationals to study, work, and live in China. NIA invites more foreign friends to come to China and experience the beauty of the country in this new era firsthand.

1. The applicant must be a citizen of one of   the   following   54   countries   that   are eligible  for  the  visa-free  transit  policy:

Europe(40 countries):Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,France,Germany,Greece,Hungary,Iceland,Italy,Latvia,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Malta,the Netherlands,  Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, and Norway.

America(6 countries): the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.

Oceania (2 countries): Australia  and  New Zealand.

Asia(6 countries): Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

2. List of Ports and Allowed Areas for Visa-Free Transit Travelers under the 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy

Visa-free transit travelers can make cross-province visits in the allowed areas for them in 24 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) for 240 hours