240-hour China visa-free transit checker

How the 240-hour clock works

The count starts at 00:00 on the day after entry. This calculator shows the instant 240 hours expires, in China Standard Time (UTC+08:00). This tool conservatively treats departure exactly at that instant as too late. Plan to leave earlier, confirm with border inspection, and follow the deadline stamped on your temporary entry permit. Entry dates must be valid calendar dates from the previous calendar year through two years ahead; this is a planning sanity check, not a policy rule.

For example, entry on October 29 gives a start of October 30 at 00:00 and a calculated deadline of November 9 at 00:00. No device-timezone conversion is used.

Verified coverage: 57 nationalities, 65 ports

Policy version: August 20, 2026. Travelers may cross provincial boundaries within the permitted areas in the 24 regions below. A port’s province does not grant access to every part of China. Work, study and news reporting need appropriate prior approval and visas.

Official sources

• NIA: 2026 policy and 57-country list · checked 2026-10-29
• NIA: 65-port and permitted-area table (image) · checked 2026-10-29
• NIA: documentation requirements and next-day clock (2025 appendix; nationality list superseded by 2026 update) · checked 2026-10-29

Build a trip skeleton after checking your permitted areas.