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

• China announced a 240-hour visa-free transit policy covering 55 nations across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania
• The policy allows qualifying passport holders to stay in China for up to 10 days without a pre-arranged visa while transiting to a third country
• Not a single African country made the list, meaning Nigerians, Ghanaians, Kenyans and all other African nationals must still apply for a standard Chinese visa

China has published the complete list of countries whose citizens qualify for its 240-hour visa-free transit programme, and the African continent is absent from every line of it.

The policy, unveiled in May 2026, permits passport holders from 55 eligible nations to enter China for up to ten days without obtaining a visa in advance, provided they are transiting to a third country.

The window of 240 hours is notably generous compared with transit exemptions that other major countries typically offer.

Which countries made China's 240-hour visa-free list

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1. Albania
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Belarus
6. Belgium
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
8. Brazil
9. Brunei
10. Bulgaria
11. Canada
12. Chile
13. Croatia
14. Cyprus
15. Czech Republic
16. Denmark
17. Estonia
18. Finland
19. France
20. Germany
21. Greece
22. Hungary
23. Iceland
24. Indonesia
25. Ireland
26. Italy
27. Japan
28. Latvia
29. Lithuania
30. Luxembourg
31. Malta
32. Mexico
33. Monaco
34. Montenegro
35. Netherlands
36. New Zealand
37. North Macedonia
38. Norway
39. Poland
40. Portugal
41. Qatar
42. Romania
43. Russia
44. Serbia
45. Singapore
46. Slovakia
47. Slovenia
48. South Korea
49. Spain
50. Sweden
51. Switzerland
52. Ukraine
53. United Arab Emirates
54. United Kingdom
55. United States

Africa locked out of China's transit policy

Despite the policy's broad geographic spread, not one African nation appears anywhere on the list. Citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, and every other African country must continue to apply for a Chinese visa through their nearest embassy or consulate before departure, as has always been the case.

The exclusion is likely to draw attention given wider conversations across the continent about visa access and passport mobility. For African travellers, the ten-day transit window that nationals of 55 other countries can now enjoy remains out of reach entirely, regardless of their destination or travel purpose.

Source: YEN.com.gh