If you are on the 240-hour visa-free transit, count 240 hours from the time you clear immigration, in China's time (UTC+8), and be out of mainland China by then — and only if every other condition of the transit is also met. If you are on the 30-day visa-free waiver, official FAQs say the stay is calculated from the day after entry and lasts 30 calendar days. Our stay calculator does both. The stamp or slip in your passport is authoritative. This is not a ruling and not legal advice. A residual 24-hour transit, and a 144-hour Greater Bay Area tour-group arrangement, are different rules and are not what this calculator is for.
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关键事实
| 240-hour transit | A simple +240 hours from entry, in Asia/Shanghai time. Onward ticket and designated port still required |
|---|---|
| 30-day visa-free | From the day after entry, 30 calendar days, according to official FAQs. Confirm the last day from the stamp |
| The stamp | What officers will enforce. The calculator is a convenience |
| 24-hour and 144-hour | A 24-hour visa-free transit exists at open ports (typically in the restricted area). A 144-hour Greater Bay Area arrangement has applied to some Hong Kong or Macau tour groups. Neither is this calculator |
| End date to watch | For 48 of 50 countries on the 30-day list, official pages we checked in November 2026 still give 31 December 2026 |
Two different ways of counting
The two visa-free rules do not count time the same way, which is why a single “day 30” rumour on a forum is not enough.
For the 240-hour visa-free transit, the duration is what the name says: 240 hours from entry, in China’s time. If you clear immigration at 14:00 on a Monday, 240 hours later is 14:00 on the following Thursday week — ten full days later, to the hour. You also need the onward ticket, the designated port, and the permitted area. The clock does not forgive a missed condition.
For the 30-day visa-free waiver, official embassy FAQs say the stay is calculated from the next day of entry and lasts 30 calendar days. If you enter on 12 November, 13 November is day one, and the thirtieth calendar day is 12 December. Leave by the end of that day, and confirm the date written on the stamp. This is not the same as “plus 720 hours.”
Use the calculator, then read the stamp
We built a free stay calculator that runs in your browser: you enter the date and time you expect to clear immigration (as China time, UTC+8), and it shows both results. Nothing is sent to us. It is a convenience, not a decision and not legal advice. The stamp or slip you are given is what officers will enforce.
A 24-hour visa-free transit also exists at open ports for travellers of any nationality who typically stay in the restricted area of the port. A separate 144-hour Greater Bay Area arrangement has applied to some tour groups organised in Hong Kong or Macau. Confirm that with the agency. The calculator does not cover those cases.
If you leave later than you are allowed, that is illegal residence. See what happens if you overstay, and do not plan to test it. For 48 of the 50 countries on the 30-day list, official pages we checked in November 2026 still give 31 December 2026 as an end date. We have not seen a public extension into 2027. Check again before you book a trip that crosses that night.
常见问题
If I enter at 14:00 on 12 November, when does the 240-hour transit end?
240 hours later is 14:00 on 22 November, China time. Be out of mainland China by then, and only if you also meet every other condition. Use the calculator and still read the stamp.
If I enter on 12 November on the 30-day waiver, when must I leave?
Counting starts on 13 November and runs 30 calendar days, through the end of 12 December, according to the official FAQ method. Confirm the last day from the stamp in your passport.
Is this the same as the 144-hour transit?
No. The 240-hour transit replaced and expanded the older 72- and 144-hour transit for the national programme. A separate 144-hour Greater Bay Area arrangement has applied to some tour groups from Hong Kong or Macau. Confirm that with the agency. The calculator does not cover it.