China adds Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam to 240-hour visa-free transit program
Published: August 20, 2026
Sources & Verification
Primary Source
National Immigration Administration (NIA) — Official document ↗
CPG Analysis
AI-assisted summary of the official source linked above, pending human review.
Verification
AI-assisted summary · generated Sep 8, 2026 · pending human review
This summary was generated by AI from the linked official source. It has not been reviewed line-by-line by a human editor.
⚡ Impact at a Glance
Who is affected
Tourism, Aviation/Airlines, Cross-border business services, Travel agencies
Cities / Agencies
Nationwide (65 ports); Hainan Province for the 30-day visa-free entry policy · National Immigration Administration (NIA)
What to do now
If you are a Kyrgyz or Vietnamese citizen, verify that you hold an ordinary passport and an interline ticket to a third country/region, then plan your entry through one of the 65 designated ports if you intend to stay up to 10 days visa-free; for stays in Hainan up to 30 days, use the province's open ports and confirm you meet the program's conditions.
Source & verification
gov.cn · AI-assisted summary · generated Sep 8, 2026 · pending human review
Executive Summary
China's National Immigration Administration has added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to its 240-hour visa-free transit program, effective August 20, 2026, bringing the total eligible countries to 57. Citizens of these countries holding ordinary passports and onward tickets to a third country can now stay up to 10 days visa-free at any of 65 Chinese ports. Both countries were also added to Hainan Province's 30-day visa-free entry policy, expanding that program to 61 countries. The move is part of China's broader post-pandemic push to boost international tourism and business travel, while employment, study, and journalistic activities remain excluded from visa-free entry.
Key Points
Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added to China's 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit program on August 20, 2026, increasing the number of eligible countries to 57.
Eligible travelers holding ordinary passports and confirmed interline tickets to a third country or region may enter through any of 65 designated ports across China.
Both countries were also included in Hainan Province's 30-day visa-free entry policy effective the same day, bringing that program's country coverage to 61.
Permitted activities during the visa-free period include tourism, business, exchange visits, and family visits; employment, study, and journalistic work still require appropriate visas.
The expansion follows China's December 2024 extension of the visa-free transit window from 72/144 hours to 240 hours and an ongoing unilateral visa-free program covering 50 countries for stays up to 30 days.
Cross-border traffic is rising sharply: China recorded 369 million inbound/outbound crossings in H1 2026 (+10.8% YoY), with visa-free entries surging 30.6% to over 17.8 million, accounting for more than three-quarters of all foreign arrivals.
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📝 Update History
August 21, 2026
Policy content updated; see official source for details.