Visa & transit
Plan China itineraries with policy in mind
Visa and transit rules shape what you can sell. We design programs around current frameworks — including the 240-hour transit window that replaced the old 72 / 144-hour schemes in December 2024 — and flag documentation needs early.
Content matrix
Agent-facing visa topics
Structured like major inbound visa hubs — deep notes for desks, not blog spam. Always reconfirm official sources before ticket issue.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-06
Transit
240-hour transit visa-free
How agents use the 240-hour transit window for city add-ons and multi-stop routings — eligible ports, permitted areas, and planning checks.
Read notes →Entry
Three ways in — which applies to your pax
Mutual exemption, unilateral visa-free, and transit visa-free are different schemes with different rules. Picking the wrong one is the most common planning error we see.
Read notes →Groups
Group & series documentation
Invitation letters, group visa packaging notes, and what we need from your contracting team for series.
Read notes →Routing
Ports, cities & overnight scope
Why hotel placement and high-speed rail legs matter when selling transit or multi-city China.
Read notes →Before you contract
What to check first
The four questions that decide whether a China program is straightforward or expensive to fix later.
Passport mix
Eligibility is per nationality, and the three entry schemes do not overlap cleanly. Mixed groups need a full-visa fallback built in from the first draft.
Entry and exit ports
Transit entries are tied to designated ports and permitted areas. The routing has to be checked before air is ticketed, not after.
Hotel placement
An overnight outside the permitted area can break eligibility for the whole party — including the pax who were fine on paper.
Lead time
Peak-season allotment, guide availability, and embassy or VAC queues all move well before your client deposits do.
Operational notes
- · Eligibility varies by nationality, port of entry, and onward ticket — always verify official sources for your pax mix.
- · City scope under transit schemes is limited; we keep overnight plans inside permitted zones.
- · Group visas and invitation letters depend on your series structure and Chinese partner licensing — raise early in the RFQ.
- · Disclaimer: this page is general guidance for travel planning, not immigration legal advice. Policies change without notice.
Building a visa-sensitive series?
Send nationality mix and preferred gateways — we propose a compliant-friendly routing sketch.