Citizens of 55 countries can enter China without a visa and stay up to 240 hours, which is 10 full days, when they transit to a third country or region. Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX) is one of the eligible entry ports, and the permit is issued free of charge at a dedicated immigration counter on arrival. You need three things: a passport from one of the 55 countries, a confirmed onward ticket that leaves China within 240 hours, and a final destination different from the country you arrived from.
This guide explains the official rules, the full country list, and the exact steps at Beijing Daxing, with sources from China's National Immigration Administration and the Beijing municipal government.
The policy at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Stay length | 240 hours (10 days), counted from 00:00 on the day after entry |
| Who qualifies | Citizens of 55 countries (full list below) |
| Entry ports | 65 ports across 24 provincial regions, including PKX and PEK in Beijing |
| Core condition | Confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region within 240 hours |
| Where you may travel | Within the 24 eligible provincial regions, cross-province trips included |
| Cost | Free; the permit is stamped into your passport at the border |
| Allowed activities | Tourism, business meetings, exchange and family visits |
| Not allowed | Work, study, journalism; these need a proper visa |
Which countries qualify
The list covers 55 countries across four regions:
- Europe (40): 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, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway
- Americas (6): the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
- Asia (7): Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia
- Oceania (2): Australia and New Zealand
If your passport is not on this list, the 240-hour visa-free transit does not apply to you, and you should arrange a regular Chinese visa before flying.
The rules that decide your case
Three conditions cause most refusals, so check them against your booking before you fly.
First, your trip must be a genuine transit between two different places. Flying from Paris to Beijing and back to Paris does not qualify. Flying Paris to Beijing and then onward to Tokyo, Seoul, or Hong Kong does. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan count as third destinations under this policy, which makes the rule easier to meet than many travelers expect.
Second, you need a confirmed seat on the onward leg. A vague plan to buy a ticket later is not enough; the immigration officer will ask to see a booking with a date, a flight number, and your name, departing China within the permitted window.
Third, the clock starts at midnight after your arrival day, not at the moment you land. Land at Daxing at 09:00 on Monday and your 240 hours begin at 00:00 on Tuesday, so in practice you get the rest of Monday as a bonus. The safe habit is still to plan your departure with a margin rather than against the deadline.
If your visa-free entry is for a connection rather than a full trip, our guide on whether you can leave Daxing during a layover walks through the time math and the airport exit.
Step by step at Beijing Daxing
The procedure at PKX takes 15 to 30 minutes in normal conditions.
- Tell the airline at check-in that you will use the 240-hour visa-free transit. Staff sometimes ask for the onward ticket at the departure airport, so keep it accessible.
- After landing, follow the immigration signs and look for the dedicated visa-free transit counter in the arrivals immigration hall.
- Fill in an Arrival Card. Counters keep blank forms, and crews often hand them out before landing.
- Present your passport and the onward booking. If you also hold an unused Chinese visa, say clearly that you want the transit permit instead, otherwise the officer may activate the visa.
- The officer stamps a temporary entry permit into your passport with your personal deadline. Photograph the stamp so the exit date is always at hand.
Both Beijing airports operate the scheme, so you can land at Daxing and depart from Capital (PEK) or the other way around.
During your stay
A few practical points matter once you pass the border.
Register your accommodation within 24 hours. Hotels do this automatically at check-in; if you stay in a private apartment, the host must register you at the local police station. Skipping registration is the most common rule violation among transit visitors.
You may leave Beijing. Since the policy expansion, transit visitors can travel across the 24 eligible provincial regions, so a high-speed day trip to Tianjin or a longer run to Shanghai is allowed as long as you exit China on time and from an eligible port.
Plan payments and internet in advance. Cards from foreign banks work poorly outside hotels, so set up WeChat Pay or Alipay, and read our guide to WiFi and staying connected at PKX before you fly. If you want to explore the city without suitcases, the left-luggage counters at Daxing store bags from 1 to 90 days, and our Great Wall layover guide shows what a free day in Beijing can look like.
When the policy is not for you
Apply for a regular visa instead if any of these is true: your passport is not on the list of 55; your itinerary returns to the country you came from; you plan to stay longer than 240 hours; you intend to work, study, or report as a journalist. Extensions are granted only for emergencies such as illness or flight cancellation, and you must apply at the Beijing exit and entry administration before your permit expires.
Border officers make the final decision in every individual case. Confirm your eligibility with your airline before departure, and call the National Immigration Administration hotline at +86-10-12367 if anything about your route is unusual.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hong Kong count as a third destination?
Do I need to apply before my flight?
Can I extend the 240 hours?
Can I visit other cities from Beijing?
What happens if I overstay?
Sources
- National Immigration Administration: 240-hour visa-free transit
- Beijing Municipal Government: visa-free transit at Beijing airports
- gov.cn: visa-free policy expansion
Rules verified against the National Immigration Administration and Beijing municipal government pages in June 2026. Policies change; the NIA hotline +86-10-12367 and your airline are the binding sources before any trip. This is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the airport or the Chinese government. Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons.
