China Releases Full List of 55 Countries Eligible for 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

• China officially published the complete list of 55 countries whose citizens qualify for its 240-hour visa-free transit policy, spanning four global regions
• The policy, announced in May 2026, allows eligible passport holders to stay in China for up to 10 days without a pre-arranged visa while transiting to a third country
• No African country appears on the list, meaning nationals from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa must still apply through standard visa channels

China has published the full roster of nations whose citizens are eligible for its 240-hour visa-free transit policy, confirming that 55 countries across four regions qualify while every African nation remains excluded.

The policy, which was announced in May 2026, permits eligible passport holders to enter China for up to 10 days without obtaining a visa in advance, provided they are transiting to a third country. The 240-hour window is considerably more generous than shorter transit exemptions offered by many other nations.

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Which countries made China's 240-Hour transit list

The majority of the 55 qualifying states are European. The full list includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus and Norway.

Outside Europe, the policy extends to the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile in the Americas; Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific; and South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Indonesia across Asia and the Middle East.

Africa left out of China's Visa-free transit policy

Not a single African country features on the list. Citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt and all other African nations are still required to apply for a Chinese visa through their respective embassies or consulates before travelling to the country.

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The omission is notable given the scale of the transit window on offer. Ten days is a substantial period compared with transit exemptions commonly seen elsewhere, and its unavailability to African passport holders represents a significant gap in the policy's scope, particularly at a time when visa access and global mobility for African travellers remain subjects of active discussion internationally.

US announces minimum income for green card

Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote about the new US minimum income requirements for family-based green card sponsors.

The updated Form I-864 thresholds apply to pending and newly filed affidavits of support nationwide.

Sponsors who fall short may still qualify by using a joint sponsor, combining household income, or presenting eligible assets. However, they may also face repayment demands if the sponsored immigrant later receives certain means-tested public benefits.

Source: YEN.com.gh