Who can enter Shenzhen without a visa, on what conditions, through which ports, for how long — and the two administrative duties that catch travellers out.
China's 240-hour visa-free transit lets eligible nationals enter without a visa while on their way to a third country or region. Ten days is a lot of Shenzhen. Three conditions, all of them strictly checked.
You must be a citizen of one of the 57 listed countries and hold a valid international travel document with at least 3 months' validity remaining, and meet the entry conditions of your next destination.
A through ticket with a confirmed date and itinerary to a third country or region, departing within 240 hours. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan count as separate destinations for this purpose — flying in from Frankfurt and leaving to Hong Kong works.
Complete the temporary entry card, then go through inspection and questioning by the border officer, who issues the temporary entry permit. There is no advance application and no fee for the exemption itself.
Tourism, business meetings, visiting family and friends, and transit are all permitted. Work, study and news reporting still require a visa obtained in advance. If your trip includes a factory audit, a paid speaking slot or filming, get the right visa.
Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on 20 August 2026, taking the total from 55 to 57. The list has grown repeatedly over the last three years — check it again close to your travel date.
Not on the list? You may still be covered by a separate unilateral or mutual visa-free arrangement — those change often and are published by the National Immigration Administration. Otherwise apply for a regular visa before travelling.
The permitted stay is counted from 00:00 on the day after entry, not from arrival time. Land at 23:50 on Monday and you still get the full ten days. Enter your date to get the exact deadline.
Enter your intended date of entry into mainland China.
The temporary entry permit cannot be extended in-country. If you fall ill or miss your flight, contact the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau before the deadline — overstaying is recorded and can affect future applications.
Nationwide there are 65 eligible entry ports across 24 provinces. Guangdong has ten — and one asymmetry worth knowing: entry is limited to the listed ports, exit is allowed from any open port in Guangdong.
| Port | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX) | Air | The main gateway. International arrivals hall in T3 has the visitor service centre, currency exchange and SIM counters. Immigration clearance is typically under 15 minutes since the "pre-inspection" baggage-scanning upgrade. |
| Shekou Cruise Homeport / Shekou Port | Sea | Ferries to Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai and the Pearl River delta. Also handles cruise passengers, who have their own group visa-free arrangement. |
| West Kowloon Station (Guangzhou–Shenzhen–HK XRL) | Rail | Added 5 November 2025. The cross-border high-speed rail terminus in Hong Kong, with joint immigration on the Hong Kong side. |
| Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) | Air | Guangdong's other air gateway, about 90 minutes from Shenzhen by intercity rail. |
| Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Port | Sea | Added 5 November 2025 alongside Hengqin, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, Zhongshan Port and West Kowloon — the addition that took the national total from 60 to 65 ports. |
| Hengqin Port | Land | |
| Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Port | Land | |
| Zhongshan Port | Sea | |
| Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport | Air | Eastern Guangdong; useful if you are combining Shenzhen with Shantou or Chaozhou. |
| Nansha Passenger Port | Sea |
Shenzhen's road crossings — Luohu, Futian, Huanggang, Shenzhen Bay, Liantang, Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok — are not on the list above. They are exit-only for the 240-hour scheme. This catches a lot of people out, because they are the busiest crossings in the city and the obvious way to come up from Hong Kong.
From Hong Kong, the two lawful entry points on this scheme are West Kowloon Station by high-speed rail and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge — and the bridge lands you in Zhuhai, not Shenzhen. One more condition catches people: the place you enter from and the place you go on to must differ, so Hong Kong → Shenzhen → back to Hong Kong is not a transit and does not qualify. Hong Kong → Shenzhen → Macau, or on to any third country, does.
Exit is permitted from all open ports in Guangdong province, not just the ten listed above. So you can fly into Shenzhen and depart overland to Hong Kong (Luohu, Futian, Huanggang, Shenzhen Bay, Liantang, Man Kam To), by ferry from Shekou or Fuyong, or by high-speed rail from West Kowloon or Shenzhen North. Plan the exit that suits your onward ticket — not the one you arrived through.
Walking across at Luohu or Futian needs no ticket at all — but the officer still has to see that you are travelling on to a third country or region, and the booking must already exist before you land: an unbooked departure is refused on the spot. If you fly on from Hong Kong, that flight booking is your onward ticket — show it. If Hong Kong is where your trip ends, bring whatever proves the onward leg, and ring 12367 beforehand if you are unsure.
The permitted area covers the administrative regions of 24 provinces, regions and municipalities, and cross-province travel within those areas is allowed. Enter through Guangdong and your core area is Guangdong province, which comfortably includes Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou and the rest of the Pearl River delta. Travel outside the permitted area, or a route that clearly isn't transit-shaped, invites questions at exit.
Since 20 November 2025 the foreigner arrival card can be completed online. Doing it on your phone while taxiing to the gate saves 15 minutes and removes the scramble for a pen at the counter.
https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/All foreign nationals of any country may transit through any open Chinese port without a visa if they stay under 24 hours and remain inside the port's restricted area, holding a valid travel document and a confirmed seat on a connecting international flight, ship or train to a third country or region.
If you want to leave the airport — for a shower, a hotel, or a few hours in the city — you must apply to the border inspection authority for a temporary entry permit. That's the same counter as the 240-hour queue, and the officer decides on the spot.
Separately, since 2025 eleven Chinese international airports including Shenzhen Bao'an allow 24-hour direct transit passengers to skip border inspection formalities entirely if they don't leave the airside area. Confirm with your airline that your bags are checked through and that you can stay airside — otherwise you must clear immigration like everyone else.
Both rules are separate from the 240-hour scheme. If you qualify for 240 hours, use it — it's more generous and doesn't tie you to the port.
This is the single most common compliance slip for visa-free visitors. It's free, quick, and legally required — including for people staying with friends.
Nothing to do. Hotels register you automatically at check-in under public-security regulations and submit the information to the local police. Just hand over your passport — and if you change hotels or extend, the new hotel re-registers you.
Staying in a friend's flat, a serviced apartment that isn't licensed, or a short-let? You — or your host — must register with the local public security bureau within 24 hours of moving in (72 hours in rural areas). You can do this at a local police station, a community police office, or a foreigner service station.
Failing to register can mean a warning, or a fine of ¥1,000–5,000 in serious cases, and it can complicate future visa applications. A national online registration platform is being developed; for now, Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan and Chongqing already offer online self-registration, and Shenzhen handles it in person or via community police offices. Ask your host to go with you.
Flying London → Shenzhen → London is not a transit. The onward flight must go to a third country or region.
The rule says a through ticket with a confirmed date and itinerary. An open ticket, a dummy booking or "I'll decide later" is the number one refusal reason.
Three months beyond your intended stay is the stated requirement. Renew first if you're close.
Equipment installation, paid performances, site audits and journalism all need a proper visa. "Business" covers meetings, negotiation and visiting clients.
The clock starts at 00:00 the day after entry. Count from there, and leave a buffer — a missed flight is not a defence.
Check-in staff regularly get this wrong and may refuse boarding. Carry a printed copy of the NIA rules page and your onward booking, and ask for a supervisor.
Call the National Immigration Administration hotline 12367 (24/7, English available, +86 10 12367 from abroad), email 12367@nia.gov.cn, or contact the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country. Get the answer in writing if your itinerary is unusual.