ChinaReady Check · 240h transit readiness checklist
China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy opens 24 provinces to 55 countries through 65 listed ports. This independent checklist helps you compare your route against the public rules and prepare the documents an airline agent may ask to review.
Policy snapshot: 2026-05-18 · Free · No sign-up required · Independent, not affiliated with NIA; does not guarantee entry.
Each flow solves a specific moment of friction. Use one, all four, or just the ones that fit your trip.
Tell us your passport, ports, dates, and provinces. We compare against the full 240h policy — including HK/Macau/Taiwan exits and rail exits — and tell you exactly which rules pass or fail.
Airlines refuse boarding when their agent doesn't know the 240h rule. Carry a printed page with your itinerary, NIA policy excerpt, and a QR code the agent can verify.
Mandatory since 2025-11-20 — and there are scam sites charging fees for what is a free government service. Step-by-step walkthrough plus the official portal link.
Five proven templates (Beijing+Xi'an+Shanghai, Yangtze Delta, South Coast with HK exit…) with HSR times and port-aware design.
After the route check, jump straight into the practical arrival tasks that most often break first: apps, hotel, and train.
Apps, payments, daily backups, late arrivals, toilets, cash, and first-night survival tasks.
Open arrival guides →Travel setupForeign-passport check-in, first-night address proof, late-arrival backup plans.
Open hotel guides →Travel setup12306 passport verification, Trip.com tradeoffs, and HSR timing inside a 240h route.
Open train guides →China's HSR network is how most travelers connect cities. Times, fares, and how to book each route on a foreign passport.
4h 24m fastest · from US$98 second class · book on Trip.com.
See route →High-speed rail4h 10m fastest · from US$85 second class · book on Trip.com.
See route →High-speed rail3h 7m fastest · from US$44 second class · book on Trip.com.
See route →High-speed rail1h 15m fastest · from US$19 second class · book on Trip.com.
See route →High-speed rail45m fastest · from US$13 second class · book on Trip.com.
See route →High-speed rail23m fastest · from US$6 second class · book on Trip.com.
See route →240h transit looks simple on paper. It's the edges — different entry/exit ports, HK/Macau/Taiwan, rail exit, the new arrival card — that get people denied at the counter.
Real users get denied boarding at SFO, CDG, LHR because airline staff don't know the 240h rule. Documented on FlyerTalk (29-page thread), The Points Guy, Tripadvisor, Facebook 240h groups.
ChinaReady Check is not affiliated with NIA, any airline, or any government agency. It summarizes public sources and does not guarantee entry.
Every rule comes from the National Immigration Administration policy page (en.nia.gov.cn). Each output cites the source and the snapshot date.
NIA has warned about third-party sites that charge for the free arrival card. We teach you the form. We never submit it for you.
The Boarding Kit is generated in your browser. Your passport number never leaves your device.