No visa for 55 countries

Already naturally endowed with majestic mountains, rivers and lakes, beaches and islands, historic landmarks, architectural wonders, unique festivals and a hospitable people,  China still continues to develop its local and international tourism in ways other countries are simply planning to do.

The growth of the Chinese tourism industry is phenomenal, and is the envy of similarly huge and powerful countries in Europe and the Americas.

It was reported that China’s travel and tourism sector expanded by 9.9% in 2025 to reach $1.8 trillion, making the country  a leading global tourism powerhouse.  In fact, its Ministry of Culture and Tourism aims to hit 190 million inbound arrivals by 2030.

Although with a robust travel sector, the Chinese tourism and immigration authorities are still actively thinking of ways to further develop the industry.  The latest of these moves is the opening of Chinese borders.  They have opened visa-free or transit stays to travelers from some 55 countries.  It is called the 240-hour visa-free transit, which is good for 10 days, and subject to the usual rules.

The policy allows eligible passport holders to stay in China for up to 10 days without a pre-arranged visa while transiting to a third country.

China has published the full roster of nations whose citizens are eligible for its 240-hour visa-free transit policy, confirming that 55 countries across four regions qualify under the program.

The majority of the 55 qualifying states are European. The full list includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus and Norway.

Outside Europe, the policy extends to the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile in the Americas; Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific; and South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Indonesia across Asia and the Middle East.

A travel agency reminded customers that the 240-hour visa-free transit is for travelers to a third country.  This means  London to Shanghai to London does not qualify; London to Shanghai to Bangkok does. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as separate regions, so flying into the mainland and out to Hong Kong works.

Your onward ticket must be real and dated. The airline checks it at check-in, not just the officer on arrival.  The window of 240 hours starts  at 00:00 the day after you enter, so landing at 11pm Monday effectively starts your clock at midnight Tuesday — that is how you get close to a full ten days.

The agency reported this coverage— 57 countries, 65 open ports, 24 provinces, passport valid 3+ months. You must stay inside the permitted area; a side trip to a province outside the list ends the transit.

Observers are keen to point out that no African country appears on the list, meaning nationals from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, South Africa and all other African nations must still apply through standard visa channels.

Sadly, the Philippines is also excluded, perhaps because our government has not been forthright in its relations with China—with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urging for a “reset” in relationship while officials like Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro, the Coast Guard’s Jay Tarriela, the AFP spokespersons, and several military officers, senators, congressmen and local officials have taken the combative stance against China.

The visa requirement for most countries is a physical manifestation of its sovereignty—the state can decide who to admit and who to push away from its borders.  It is one prerogative that cannot be taken away from a sovereign state.