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240-Hour Visa-Free Transit to China: Yiwu Sourcing

2026-09-15INSIGHTS

240-Hour Visa-Free Transit to China: Yiwu Sourcing

240-Hour Visa-Free Transit to China: Yiwu Sourcing

240-Hour Visa-Free Transit to China: Yiwu Sourcing

For B2B buyers, a sourcing trip to China usually starts with a paperwork problem: the visa. For business travellers from 57 countries, the 240-hour (10-day) transit visa-free policy now removes that step — and Yiwu Airport is one of the ports where it applies. That opens a practical route: fly into Yiwu, visit our showroom, compare samples across our partner factories, and place orders inside a single 10-day trip.

This article explains who qualifies, what documents the border inspection authority requires, how the policy interacts with China's 30-day unilateral visa-free arrangements, and how to plan a sourcing schedule that fits the 240-hour window.

What the 240-Hour Transit Visa-Free Policy Allows

The stay period is 240 hours — 10 days — counted from 00:00 of the day after entry, and you may not stay beyond that limit.

The policy covers 57 countries, following the most recent expansion on 20 August 2026, which added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam. The breakdown is 40 European countries, 6 in the Americas, 2 in Oceania and 9 in Asia.

Applicable ports total 65 open ports (as of the 20 August 2026 position; the figure was 60 in June 2025). Within Zhejiang Province there are six: Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Wenzhou Longwan International Airport, Yiwu Airport, Wenzhou Port (passenger) and Zhoushan Port (passenger).

During your stay you may engage in tourism, business, visits and family visits. Work, study and news reporting require a visa obtained in advance, and activities inconsistent with your stated purpose of entry are not permitted.

The "transit" condition, explained

"Transit" means you are travelling through China to a third country or region — your origin country and destination country must be different. In short: origin ≠ China ≠ destination.

This is the condition buyers most often overlook. A return trip that begins and ends in the same country does not meet the definition.

Where you may travel once inside

Transit visa-free travellers may move across 24 provinces (regions and municipalities), including inter-provincial travel. Zhejiang is covered in full.

Some provinces restrict travel to specific cities — for example, Shanxi to Taiyuan and Datong, Heilongjiang to Harbin, Jiangxi to Nanchang and Jingdezhen, Guangxi to 12 cities, Sichuan to 11 cities, and Yunnan to 9 cities and prefectures. If your itinerary includes a factory visit outside Zhejiang, check the city list before you book.

Documents You Must Have Before Boarding

To apply for 240-hour transit visa-free entry, you must submit: a valid passport or other international travel document with at least three months' validity; a connecting ticket or supporting proof to a third country or region with a confirmed date and seat within 240 hours; a temporary entry card for foreigners; and you must accept inspection and questioning by the border inspection authority. If you have not booked the connecting ticket before entry, the temporary entry procedure cannot be completed.

In practice, the connecting ticket is the document that decides whether the trip works. Book it before departure, not after arrival.

Who cannot use this route

The following situations disqualify an applicant: passport validity of less than three months; a refusal stamp from a Chinese visa authority in the passport; a record of illegal entry, illegal residence or illegal employment in China within five years; or other circumstances under Chinese law and administrative regulations that bar entry.

Register your accommodation

During your stay in China, accommodation must be registered in accordance with the law. If you stay in a hotel, the hotel handles registration under the hotel industry regulations. If you stay anywhere other than a hotel, you or your host must report temporary accommodation to the local public security police station within 24 hours of moving in. Failure to register accommodation lawfully is subject to penalties.

If you need to stay longer

If sudden illness, force majeure or similar reasons require you to stay beyond the permitted period or outside the permitted area, you must apply in advance to the exit-entry administration of the local public security authority for a stay permit. It cannot be arranged retroactively after the fact.

240-Hour Transit or 30-Day Visa-Free: Which Applies to You?

Many buyers from the Middle East, South America and Africa can enter under a different arrangement entirely — China's unilateral visa-free policy — and the two routes have different requirements.

Under the unilateral policy, holders of ordinary passports travelling to China for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges or transit for no more than 30 days may enter without a visa. Applicants who do not meet the conditions still need to obtain a visa before entry. The stay period is counted from 00:00 of the day after entry. This policy has been extended to 24:00 on 31 December 2026.

One practical difference: visa-free entry does not require an invitation letter. An invitation letter is part of the documentation for an M (business) visa application and is unrelated to visa-free entry.

Middle East buyers

Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain are not on the 240-hour transit visa-free list, but all four qualify for the 30-day unilateral visa-free policy, which does not require a connecting ticket. Each of these policies has been extended to 24:00 on 31 December 2026.

Among Middle East countries, only the UAE and Qatar are on the 240-hour transit list.

South American buyers

Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile are on the 240-hour transit visa-free list. Brazil, Argentina and Chile also qualify for the 30-day unilateral visa-free policy, extended to 24:00 on 31 December 2026.

Peru and Uruguay are not on the transit list, but both qualify for the 30-day unilateral policy, also extended to 24:00 on 31 December 2026.

Mexico has no 30-day visa-free arrangement; transit visa-free is its only visa-free route to China.

African buyers

No African country is on the 57-country transit visa-free list — the count is zero. Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia, among others, are not covered.

Buyers from these markets should plan on a visa application, and should allow lead time for it before scheduling a Yiwu visit.

Other markets

The 240-hour transit policy is relevant to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia: these countries are not on the 30-day unilateral visa-free list, but all are within the 57-country transit list.

Two related arrangements

There is also a 24-hour transit visa-free arrangement at all open ports in China for travellers of all nationalities: with a valid international travel document and a confirmed connecting ticket, transit through China to a third country or region for no more than 24 hours without leaving the port's restricted area requires no visa. If you need to leave the restricted area, apply for a temporary entry permit.

Separately, Hainan has a 30-day entry visa-free policy, but it applies only to entry through Hainan's open ports and stay within Hainan Province.

Planning a 10-Day Yiwu Sourcing Trip

A 10-day window is enough for a structured sourcing visit if you sequence it properly.

Days 1–2 — Arrival and registration. Land at Yiwu Airport, complete border inspection, and confirm your accommodation registration is handled.

Days 3–5 — Showroom and category review. Review product categories, confirm specifications, packaging and labelling requirements, and shortlist the items you want to quote.

Days 6–8 — Factory and sample review. We coordinate visits and sample comparisons through our partner factories and supplier network, so you can assess production capability and quality control against your own standards.

Days 9–10 — Negotiation, order confirmation and departure. Finalise quantities, payment terms and shipping arrangements, then depart within the 240-hour limit.

If your schedule is tight, note that the stay period is counted from 00:00 of the day after entry, not from your landing time.

A Policy That Keeps Changing

The 240-hour transit visa-free policy is under continuous expansion: eligible countries moved from 54 to 55 (Indonesia added in 2025) and then to 57 (Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added on 20 August 2026); applicable ports moved from 60 to 65.

Because of this, policy details must always be checked against a stated verification date and should not be treated as permanently fixed. The country and port figures in this article reflect the position verified on 16 September 2026.

Before booking, confirm your own eligibility against the current official list published by China's National Immigration Administration, and check the conditions that apply to your nationality.

How We Can Help

Novel Home Goods (Yiwu Ruiheart Trading Co., Ltd.) is a Yiwu-based export trading company and one-stop sourcing agent. We work with a partner-factory network across China and support importers, wholesalers and retailers in the Middle East, South America and Africa.

For buyers visiting Yiwu, we can help arrange a showroom visit, coordinate supplier meetings and organise sample review during your stay. Certificates and test reports provided by our partner factories are verified by us and are available on request. Products carry a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects under normal use, excluding consumable parts.

Contact us to request a quote or to arrange a visit to our Yiwu showroom. If you tell us your nationality and intended travel dates, we can outline which entry route applies to your trip and help you plan a sourcing schedule that fits your available days.

Policy status

Policies can change. Please confirm with your local Chinese embassy or consulate before travelling.

Sources

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