For 240-hour transit, do the places before and after mainland China have to differ?

At a glance

• The 240-hour scheme requires onward travel to a third country or region with a confirmed date and itinerary. [1]
• It covers 57 eligible nationalities and entry through 65 designated ports, with travel confined to permitted areas in 24 provincial-level regions. [1]
• The document-validity requirement is at least three months; the permitted-stay clock begins at 00:00 the day after entry. [2]
• If your nationality qualifies for the separate unilateral 30-day exemption, a qualifying return trip is allowed without a third-country transit route. [3]

What to do next

1. Write the itinerary as three parts: the country or region you leave immediately before entering mainland China, your mainland stay, and the country or region you reach immediately afterwards. Include connections on the tickets, not just the first and last cities of the holiday.
2. Compare the two outside countries or regions. If they are the same, change the route or use another entry permission that covers the trip. Different airports in the same country do not make the outside countries different.
3. Check the passport nationality against the 57-country list and confirm the document remains valid for at least three months. Use the full comparison answer linked below to distinguish transit from the 30-day exemption or another applicable entry scheme.
4. Confirm the onward booking before arrival. Keep the passenger name, date, departure port and destination visible on the transport confirmation. Bring the document proving the next leg rather than relying on a plan to buy it after entering China.
5. Check the entry port and every mainland stop against the official permitted-area table. Include a day trip outside your base city in that check. A domestic ticket being on sale does not establish that its destination is inside your transit permission.
6. Present the complete itinerary at airline check-in and mainland border inspection. Once admitted, keep the issued departure deadline and your onward booking together. Recheck the route and deadline before accepting a flight change.

If your situation is different

Both flights connect through the same outside country: use those actual connections in the route test. For example, Seoul–Shanghai–Seoul fails even if the wider holiday began and ends in the United States.

You have separate tickets: put the confirmations together so the entire onward itinerary is clear. Check that the next country or region’s entry requirements are also satisfied and that the onward journey is confirmed before applying for transit entry.

You enter and leave mainland China through different cities: compare both ports with the eligible-port table and keep the intervening journey within the permitted areas. Guangdong’s published exit arrangements include all open ports in that province.

You qualify for 30-day visa-free entry: use that scheme for a qualifying ordinary visit or return trip. Do not add an unnecessary third stop merely because the airline calls your airport connection a transit.

Your onward flight changes: compare the replacement destination and departure time with your entry permission before accepting it. If disruption threatens the permitted stay, contact local exit-entry authorities promptly to arrange the required next step.

Common mistakes

• Checking only the start and end of a long holiday: use the places directly before and after the mainland segment.
• Treating a different airport as a different country: compare countries or regions, not airport codes.
• Booking an onward ticket only after landing: have the confirmed itinerary ready for the entry application.
• Checking the airports but ignoring inland travel: verify every mainland destination against the permitted areas.

Quick questions