The National Immigration Administration (NIA) has broadened China’s popular 240-hour visa-free transit programme, adding five entry points in Guangdong—including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link—effective 5 November 2025. Guangzhou’s Pazhou Ferry Terminal, Hengqin Port and Zhongshan Port also join the roster, bringing the total number of eligible ports nationwide to 65.
Under the policy, passport holders from 55 designated countries who hold onward tickets to a third destination may stay anywhere within 24 provincial-level regions for up to 240 hours (10 days) without applying for a visa. Travellers may engage in business meetings, trade-fair visits, short training courses or tourism activities, although paid work and formal study remain prohibited.
![240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Scheme Expanded to 65 Chinese Ports, Including High-Speed-Rail Hubs]()
By extending coverage to land and rail ports, Beijing is targeting the fast-growing flow of Greater Bay Area (GBA) visitors who arrive via Hong Kong or Macau then connect onward by high-speed train to manufacturing centres in the Pearl River Delta. The change is also expected to benefit cruise passengers embarking at Pazhou and exhibitors heading to Guangzhou’s Canton Fair complex.
Corporations with regional hubs in Shenzhen, Dongguan or Zhuhai can now invite clients and technical experts under the transit waiver, reducing lead-time from weeks to hours. Airlines and rail operators are updating through-ticketing options to facilitate compliance with the third-country requirement—mobility teams should verify PNR documentation shows the onward sector before departure.
The NIA reports that visa-free transit entries have surged 62 percent year-on-year in 2025, driven by pent-up demand from Europe and North America. Industry groups are lobbying for further expansion to inland hubs such as Xi’an and Chengdu to smooth supply-chain travel inland.
Under the policy, passport holders from 55 designated countries who hold onward tickets to a third destination may stay anywhere within 24 provincial-level regions for up to 240 hours (10 days) without applying for a visa. Travellers may engage in business meetings, trade-fair visits, short training courses or tourism activities, although paid work and formal study remain prohibited.
By extending coverage to land and rail ports, Beijing is targeting the fast-growing flow of Greater Bay Area (GBA) visitors who arrive via Hong Kong or Macau then connect onward by high-speed train to manufacturing centres in the Pearl River Delta. The change is also expected to benefit cruise passengers embarking at Pazhou and exhibitors heading to Guangzhou’s Canton Fair complex.
Corporations with regional hubs in Shenzhen, Dongguan or Zhuhai can now invite clients and technical experts under the transit waiver, reducing lead-time from weeks to hours. Airlines and rail operators are updating through-ticketing options to facilitate compliance with the third-country requirement—mobility teams should verify PNR documentation shows the onward sector before departure.
The NIA reports that visa-free transit entries have surged 62 percent year-on-year in 2025, driven by pent-up demand from Europe and North America. Industry groups are lobbying for further expansion to inland hubs such as Xi’an and Chengdu to smooth supply-chain travel inland.
