Panda Journeys

Entry rules · current guide

Chengdu's 240-hour transit route, in plain English.

Enter from one country, leave for another and spend up to ten days in China without a visa. The route is useful, but only when the ticket, passport and port line up. Start by checking whether your passport now qualifies for the simpler 30-day entry route.

Panda Journeys · trip operationsUpdated 24 September 2026About 8 minutes

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A train window looking over a Chinese landscape with a cup of tea beside itConcept visual
  • 240 hoursTen days, counted from 00:00 after the day of arrival
  • 57 countriesPassports covered by the current transit policy
  • 65 portsChengdu Tianfu (TFU) is on the approved list
  • Third country or regionHong Kong counts as a third region

Start here

You may not need transit at all.

The 30-day unilateral visa-free route is usually the cleaner answer when your passport is on the current list.

At the time of this review, passports from 50 countries can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, visiting family or friends and transit. There is no third-country ticket requirement and no special transit port condition for that route.

Forty-eight of those 50 countries currently show an end date of 31 December 2026. Brunei has no end date in the current notice, while Russia is listed through 31 December 2027. Those dates can change through a new official notice, so treat the list as a live policy rather than a promise that it will roll over.

Use 240-hour transit mainly when your passport is outside the 30-day list, or when your exact itinerary makes the transit route the better fit. US and many other passports begin their check here.

Read the full visa-free guide and country list →

The three conditions

Strip away the official wording. There are three checks.

All three must be true when you check in and when you arrive.

  • A different country or regionA return trip is not transit

    Your itinerary must be A → China → B, where A and B are different countries or regions. Hong Kong counts as a third region, so New York → Chengdu → Hong Kong can work. New York → Chengdu → New York is a return trip and does not.

  • An issued onward ticketA hold is not enough

    Have a ticket number, confirmed seat and a date within the 240-hour window. A fare quote, unpaid reservation or itinerary held without issue may not satisfy the airline desk or border inspection. Save the ticket receipt separately from your booking app.

  • An approved port65 ports nationwide

    Both your arrival and departure must fit the approved port arrangement. Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) is on the list. If a rebooking moves you to another airport, check that airport again before accepting the change.

Chengdu means TFU

International flights for Chengdu use Tianfu International Airport (TFU). The policy is attached to the port, not just the city name, so keep the airport code visible when you compare flights.

The clock

It starts at midnight after the day you arrive.

The arrival day is not hour one. If you land at 23:00 on 7 September, the clock begins at 00:00 on 8 September and expires at 00:00 on 18 September. You need to leave before that deadline.

That gives you a little more than ten calendar days in practice, because the arrival day sits outside the count. Keep the extra half-day as disruption margin. Put your outbound flight on the final day only when you are comfortable with a delay or rebooking risk.

Before you fly

The electronic arrival card is a separate step.

Since 20 November 2025, most foreign travellers complete an arrival card before entering China, subject to the official exceptions.

  • Complete it online. Use the National Immigration Administration website, the 12367 app, or the official WeChat and Alipay mini-programs when the rule applies to you.
  • Keep the QR code. Save a screenshot and leave the original passport and ticket details easy to show at the port.
  • It is free. The official form does not carry a fee. Be wary of third-party pages asking for payment to submit it.
  • There is a paper fallback. Ports still keep paper cards for travellers who cannot complete the digital form, but filling it on arrival can add a queue.

Open the official arrival-card form ↗ →

Keep it together

Have these details ready at the desk.

  • Passport. Use an ordinary passport and keep enough validity for the route. The transit rule has a formal three-month validity requirement; more buffer is sensible.
  • Onward ticket receipt. It should show the ticket number, confirmed booking, destination and date within the window.
  • First-night accommodation. Border officers can ask where you will stay. Hotels normally complete the accommodation registration for you.
  • Arrival-card QR code, when required. Save it on the phone you will have at the counter, not only in a browser tab.
  • Time for fingerprints. Many foreign visitors aged 14 to 70 provide fingerprints at the port. It is routine, but it is still a reason not to schedule a tight connection.

There is no visa application, embassy appointment, photo submission or application fee for this route. You show the documents the policy asks for, receive the entry record and leave before the deadline.

Where plans fail

Most problems are found at the departure airport.

The counter agent has to be comfortable with the route before you board.

  • A same-country returnThe commonest mistake

    New York → Chengdu → New York looks like a normal return ticket, not transit. Add a real third country or region, such as Hong Kong, or choose the visa route that fits your passport.

  • An unissued onward bookingThe frustrating one

    An itinerary, unpaid hold or reservation without a ticket number may not be accepted. Issue the flight and keep the receipt showing the confirmed seat.

  • A port outside the listEasy to overlook

    The list is broad, but it does not cover every airport. If your route enters or leaves through another city, or a schedule change moves the flight, check the new port before you rely on the policy.

Plan the ten days

Ten days can be a real Sichuan journey.

The route is an entry condition, not a packaged itinerary. Shape the days around your flights and energy.

Chengdu · Jiuzhaigou · Huanglong 10 days

Place the longest transfer in the middle. Use Chengdu for pandas and food at the start and finish, then leave from Chengdu or another approved port for the third country or region.

  • Day 1 — Arrive Chengdu, settle in and take an easy evening.
  • Day 2 — Panda base early, then a relaxed city afternoon.
  • Day 3 — Sanxingdui Museum.
  • Day 4 — Travel to Jiuzhaigou.
  • Day 5 — Full day in Jiuzhaigou.
  • Day 6 — Huanglong, with altitude margin.
  • Day 7 — Return to Chengdu.
  • Day 8 — Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain.
  • Day 9 — Teahouse, Sichuan food and a slower city day.
  • Day 10 — Depart for the third country or region.

Private guide and driver · reservations · in-China transfers · domestic flights when useful

A Chengdu short version 5 days

You do not have to use the full window. If pandas, food and one slower Chinese city are the point, five days can be enough.

  • Day 1 — Arrive and settle in.
  • Day 2 — Panda base in the morning, city in the afternoon.
  • Day 3 — Sanxingdui.
  • Day 4 — Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain.
  • Day 5 — Teahouse, hotpot and departure.

A shorter route leaves more margin for the outbound flight.

The honest answer

Check the list first, then protect the clock.

If your passport is on the 30-day list, use that route unless a current official notice says otherwise. If it is not, and your itinerary genuinely moves from one country or region through China to another, 240-hour transit can be a clean way to add Chengdu.

The remaining work is making the ten days feel like a trip instead of a connection. Send us your passport country, dates and any flights you have already booked. We will check the route against the current notice before we suggest the pacing.

Last checked: 24 September 2026. Entry rules change. Before you issue non-refundable flights, read the current National Immigration Administration notice or ask us to check the exact passport and itinerary again.

Operated by Chengdu Everbright International Travel Service Co., Ltd. — licensed since 1987Travel licence L-SC-CJ00008See the paperwork →

Read next

Once entry is clear, choose the shape of the trip.

Official sources

Rules move; these are the pages we read.

Use the official notice for your final check. The guide above explains the route, but the authority to admit you sits with the current policy and the port handling your flight.

Good to know

Questions we hear often.

Can a US passport holder enter China without a visa?

The United States is not on the 30-day unilateral visa-free list, but US passport holders can use 240-hour transit if they enter through one of the approved ports and hold a ticket issued for onward travel to a different country or region within the 240-hour window. Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) is an approved port.

When does the 240-hour clock start?

It starts at 00:00 on the day after arrival, rather than at the moment your flight lands. If you land late on 7 September, the clock starts at 00:00 on 8 September and you must leave before 00:00 on 18 September.

Does Hong Kong count as a third country?

Yes. Hong Kong counts as a third region for this purpose. A route such as New York → Chengdu → Hong Kong can qualify; New York → Chengdu → New York is a return trip and does not meet the transit condition.

Do I need to complete the electronic arrival card?

Most foreign travellers need to complete it from 20 November 2025, with official exceptions. The form is free and can be completed through the National Immigration Administration website, its 12367 app or the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. Keep the generated QR code on your phone; a paper card remains available at ports as a fallback.

Your brief

Send us your passport country and dates.

We will tell you whether the 30-day route or 240-hour transit fits before we discuss the itinerary.

No payment, no obligation at this stage. Your details stay between us — see our privacy note.

Start the conversation

A policy gives you a window.
A local team keeps the trip calm.

No pitch, no pressure — just a considered first reply from someone who plans China for a living.

WhatsApp +86 135 5020 8724[email protected]

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