24-Hour vs 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit in China: What’s the Difference?

The short answer

The 24-hour rule is for any nationality and covers a quick connection, including leaving the airport for a few hours. The 240-hour rule is for citizens of 57 countries and grants up to 10 days, but only with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region. If you have a long stop and an eligible passport, the 240-hour rule is the one you want.

Side by side

	24-hour visa-free transit	240-hour visa-free transit
Who	Almost all nationalities	Citizens of 57 countries
How long	Under 24 hours	Up to 240 hours (10 days)
Onward ticket	Needed onward travel	Confirmed ticket to a third country or region
Clock starts	From your scheduled arrival	00:00 the day after entry
Where	Most international ports	65 designated ports in 24 provinces
Leave the airport?	Yes, with a temporary entry permit	Yes, within the permitted areas
Typical use	A long connection	A genuine stopover or mini-trip

How the 24-hour rule works

Two different things get called “24-hour transit”:

1. Airside transit. You stay in the international transit zone and change planes. No visa, no permit, any nationality. You cannot exit the airport.
2. 24-hour visa-free entry. If you want to leave the airport, apply at the 24/240-hour visa-free transit counter for a temporary entry permit. This is usually granted for a genuine short stay and requires your onward ticket.

Important: the 24-hour clock is counted from your scheduled arrival time, not from the next day. So a 24-hour connection is genuinely short. You cannot stretch it the way the 240-hour rule allows.

How the 240-hour rule works

• Available to citizens of 57 countries.
• You enter and exit through 65 designated ports across 24 provinces.
• The stay begins at 00:00 the day after entry, effectively giving you 10 calendar days.
• You must hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, departing within 240 hours. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan count as separate regions for this purpose.
• You can travel within the permitted areas, including cross-province travel between the participating provinces.

Which one applies to you?

1. Connecting in under 24 hours and not leaving the airport? You need nothing, airside transit.
2. Want to leave the airport for a few hours, any nationality? Ask for the 24-hour entry permit at the transit counter.
3. Eligible passport + a stop of a day or more + onward to a different country? Use the 240-hour rule.
4. Eligible passport, staying longer or arriving/departing in the same country? Consider 30-day visa-free entry vs 240-hour transit, or a regular visa.

Bottom line

Both rules are about transit, not tourism for its own sake. If your stop is short, the 24-hour facility is universal and simple. If it’s long and your passport qualifies, the 240-hour rule turns a layover into a trip, as long as your onward ticket goes to a third country.