Ten days, 57 nationalities, 65 ports — the most open transit window in Chinese history
Since 17 December 2024, China has operated the most generous transit-visa-free scheme in its history: a 240-hour (10-day) stay for 57 nationalities, entering through 65 ports across 24 provinces — and, for the first time, with cross-province travel allowed. For an international patient, the window is big enough for a scan, a specialist consultation, a second opinion, or a full health check — with time to see the country. This guide explains the official rules and how to use them for a medical trip.
The official rules in plain English
Per the National Immigration Administration:
- Who: citizens of 57 countries — 40 in Europe (including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Nordics, and most of the EU), 6 in the Americas (the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile), 2 in Oceania (Australia, New Zealand), and 9 in Asia (Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan). Notably this includes the United States, which is not covered by China’s separate 30-day visa-free scheme — making the transit window the main no-visa route for American patients.
- The transit condition: you must be travelling through China to a third country or region that differs from your origin. London → Shanghai → London does not qualify; London → Shanghai → Singapore does. The same journey in the reverse direction works fine.
- Documents at entry: a regular passport valid at least 3 months, and a through ticket with a confirmed date and seat leaving China within 240 hours.
- The clock: 240 hours are counted from midnight of the day after entry — effectively ten full days.
- Where you can go: the designated regions of the 24 covered provinces, and — the headline reform — you may travel across provinces within those designated regions. A patient entering at Shanghai can see specialists anywhere in the Yangtze Delta region; one entering at Chengdu can travel within the designated Sichuan area.
- What you can do: the NIA lists “tourism, business, visiting, family visits and similar activities.” Work, study, and journalism still require a proper visa obtained in advance.
- Housekeeping: register your accommodation within 24 hours; stay within the permitted region; if a genuine emergency requires more time or a wider area, apply to the local exit-entry administration before the window closes.
Is medical care allowed during the window?
The official activity list does not name “medical treatment.” It also does not prohibit it — no Chinese entry rule contains any prohibition on receiving care. In practice, short medical visits woven into an ordinary itinerary are routine and unremarkable, and the policy wind is firmly behind international patients: the March 2026 nine-ministry document on expanding inbound consumption explicitly promotes inbound medical tourism, naming “high-end health checks, cosmetic surgery, and rehabilitation nursing” as services to be built for international patients. Our practical advice is unchanged, though: use the window for visits that fit comfortably inside ten days — scans, consultations, second opinions, health checks, dental or ophthalmic assessments — and take an S2 private-affairs visa if the treatment itself will dominate or outlast the trip (see No, China doesn’t have a “medical visa”).
What fits in ten days: a menu of realistic medical uses
- Full-body health check (tijian): China’s tertiary hospitals run structured check-up centres with same-day or next-day imaging and labs; results are typically ready within the window.
- Diagnostic imaging and review: MRI, CT, PET-CT — including bringing prior imaging from home for a Chinese team to re-read.
- Specialist consultation / second opinion: a written second opinion on an existing diagnosis, often delivered within days at a top-ranked department.
- Pre-procedure assessment: dental implant planning, orthodontic assessment, refractive-surgery (LASIK/ICL) work-up, cosmetic-surgery consultations.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consultation: the March 2026 policy also pilots “TCM inbound consumption,” and a first consult or short treatment course fits the window.
Three itinerary patterns that work
The second opinion
A Frankfurt resident with a newly diagnosed cardiac finding flies Frankfurt → Shanghai (Pudong) → Singapore. Within ten days: cardiac work-up at a Shanghai tertiary hospital, prior European imaging re-read by a second team, written report in hand before the onward flight.
The check-up plus follow-up
A Singapore-based executive with a lung-nodule finding flies Singapore → Guangzhou → Sydney. A full health check plus a specialist review of the nodule, with the onward flight leaving plenty of slack.
The cross-province case
A Seoul patient weighing surgery enters at Hangzhou for the initial consult, travels within the designated Yangtze-Delta region to Shanghai for a multidisciplinary opinion at a top-ranked centre, and returns to Hangzhou to depart for Bangkok.
Transit window vs. 30-day visa-free entry
| 240-hour transit | 30-day visa-free | |
|---|---|---|
| Countries | 57 (incl. the US) | 50 (not incl. the US) |
| Onward ticket required | Yes | No |
| Max stay | 10 days | 30 days |
| Travel scope | Designated regions, 24 provinces, cross-province allowed | Nationwide |
If your nationality is on both lists, the 30-day route is usually simpler (no onward ticket needed; see our China Visa Guide for International Patients). The transit window is chiefly for Americans, for other non-listed nationalities, and for trips that were transiting anyway.
Frequently asked questions
How exactly does “transit” get checked?
You show the confirmed onward ticket at entry. Officers look for an origin and a destination that differ; a same-country return does not qualify.
Can I change my onward flight after entry?
Yes, as long as the revised departure still falls within 240 hours and you hold a confirmed ticket — airlines routinely rebook.
What if my treatment runs over the window?
Do not simply overstay — apply to the local exit-entry administration before the deadline, or better, plan the long stay on an S2 from the outset.
Do I need to tell the border officer I’m coming for a scan?
Answer honestly about the purpose of your visit; short medical appointments alongside tourism have never been a problem, and a coherent itinerary with bookings is your best documentation.