Short-stop travelers
Passport holders from eligible countries with confirmed onward tickets who want tourism, business visits, or family visits during a China transit — not work, study, or journalism.
Transit Without Visa · 过境免签
Plan a short China stopover under TWOV — clearly, carefully, independently.
This site explains China’s Transit Without Visa rules for overseas travelers: how the 240-hour policy works today, how it relates to the older 72- and 144-hour schemes, and sample routes through Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an. We also offer independent tourism consulting — especially China ski hospitality for short inbound trips.
Important disclaimer
Immigration rules change. This is an independent travel guide, not an official government website and not legal advice. Before you book or board, verify eligibility, ports, stay areas, and ticket rules with the National Immigration Administration, your airline, and the Chinese embassy/consulate that covers you. Policies here were checked against public official pages on 2026-10-28.
What is TWOV?
Transit Without Visa (过境免签) lets eligible foreign nationals pass through China on the way to a third country or region without a Chinese visa — if they meet nationality, passport, ticket, and port conditions.
72h / 144h → 240h
In December 2024, NIA extended the former 72- and 144-hour transit schemes into a unified 240-hour (10-day) policy and expanded ports and stay areas. Older labels still appear in travel talk; the live rule is 240 hours for eligible nationals.
TWOV only (v1)
We focus on transit without visa. China’s separate unilateral visa-free entry programs are different and out of scope here — check those separately if they apply to you.
Start here
Scannable pages for planning — then always double-check official channels.
Policy overview
Eligibility patterns, 24h vs 240h, stay calculation, connecting tickets, permitted regions, and common pitfalls — with source links and verification dates.
Sample itineraries
Practical 7–10 day style routes using major TWOV hubs: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an.
Practical tips
High-speed rail, metro, payments, SIM/eSIM, Alipay & WeChat, apps, etiquette, and trip pitfalls.
Eligibility checker
Quick client-side check against the published 57-country list, hubs, and onward-ticket requirement — then verify with NIA.
Skiing
Short inbound ski add-ons that respect TWOV stay areas — plus famous resorts that usually need a visa.
Consulting
Independent tourism & ski hospitality planning help for overseas travelers.
We help with…
Soft-sell planning help for overseas travelers — useful guides first, email when you want a tailored sketch.
China ski destinations
TWOV-friendly options (Chongli incl. Ikon Yunding, Beijing day trips) plus clear cautions for Jilin, Yabuli, and Xinjiang.
Tourism & ski hospitality
Resort matching, lesson tips, lodging/transfer checklists, and inbound payment/SIM notes for skiers — inquire at dogqq@mail.grokbot.com.
City stopover itineraries
Classic Beijing–Xi’an and Shanghai–Chengdu style sketches inside permitted TWOV areas.
Sample route teasers
Ideas only — stay inside permitted TWOV areas and leave within your allowed hours.
Classic north: Beijing → Xi’an
Forbidden City & hutongs, then overnight or day train to Terracotta Warriors and the old city walls.
East + west: Shanghai → Chengdu
Bund & water towns energy, then Sichuan food, pandas, and teahouse pace in Chengdu.
Official help while traveling
National Immigration Administration multi-language hotline: 12367 (from abroad: +86-12367). Prefer the English site at en.nia.gov.cn for policy notices.