For a B2B buyer, a sourcing trip to China usually starts with one piece of paper: the visa.
For business travellers from 57 countries, the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policy now removes that step — and Yiwu Airport is one of the ports where it applies.
In fact, this route works: fly into Yiwu → walk the showrooms → compare samples between partner factories → place the order inside one 10-day trip.
What this policy allows
The stay is 240 hours, that is 10 days, counted from 00:00 of the day after entry, and it must not be overstayed.
It covers 57 countries (the most recent expansion was on 20 August 2026, adding Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam): 40 in Europe, 6 in the Americas, 2 in Oceania and 9 in Asia.
There are 65 applicable ports in total (as of the 20 August 2026 wording; it was 60 in June 2025). Zhejiang has 6 of them: Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Ningbo Lishe, Wenzhou Longwan, Yiwu Airport, Wenzhou Port (passenger) and Zhoushan Port (passenger).
During the stay you may travel, do business, visit people and visit relatives. Work, study and news reporting require a visa applied for in advance; activities that do not match the declared purpose of entry are not allowed.
The "transit" condition has to be clear
"Transit" means you are travelling through China to a third country or region — the country of departure and the destination country must be different. In one line: country of departure ≠ China ≠ destination country.
This is the condition buyers overlook most often. A round trip that departs from one country and returns to that same country does not meet this definition.
Where you can move once you are in
Visa-free transit passengers may move within 24 provinces (regions and municipalities), including travel between provinces. The whole of Zhejiang is covered.
Some provinces limit movement 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 factory visits outside Zhejiang, check whether that city is on the list before you book.
What you must have before boarding
To apply for 240-hour visa-free transit, you must submit:
- a passport or other international travel document valid for no less than 3 months;
- a connecting ticket or proof of onward travel to a third country (region) with a confirmed date and seat within the 240 hours;
- a foreigner temporary entry card;
- and you must accept inspection and questioning by the border inspection authority.
If no connecting ticket is booked before entry, the temporary entry formalities cannot be completed. In practice one connecting ticket decides whether the trip happens at all — book it before departure, not after you arrive.
When this route cannot be used
- the passport is valid for less than 3 months;
- the passport carries a refusal stamp from a Chinese visa authority;
- there is a record of illegal entry, illegal residence or illegal employment within the past five years;
- and any other circumstance under Chinese laws and administrative regulations that bars entry.
Accommodation registration
Staying in a hotel: the hotel handles registration under the rules for the hotel industry. Staying anywhere other than a hotel: you or your host must report the temporary accommodation registration to the local public security police station within 24 hours of check-in. Failure to register as required is subject to penalties.
What to do if you need to stay longer
If, because of a sudden illness, force majeure or a similar reason, you need to stay beyond the permitted period or move outside the permitted area, you must apply in advance to the exit-entry administration department of the local public security organ for a stay permit. This cannot be done retroactively.
240-hour transit or 30-day visa-free entry
Many buyers from the Middle East, South America and Africa can use a completely different arrangement — China's unilateral visa-free policy — and the two routes have different requirements.
Unilateral visa-free entry: holders of an ordinary passport travelling for business, tourism, family visits, exchange or transit and staying no more than 30 days may enter without a visa; those who do not meet the conditions still need a visa before entry; the stay 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. The invitation letter is part of the application material for an M (business) visa and has nothing to do with visa-free entry.