Visa requirement for China trip

[Grotto]

Hello!

To anyone who has taken the China trip in the past year, how did you deal with getting a Visa? Some recent info seems to imply that if you are on mainland China for less than 240 hours, you do not need to obtain a Visa. Hong Kong days do not count and best I can tell, you do not need a Visa for Hong Kong. The 240 hour rule also requires that you enter from one country/district (in this case Hong Kong) and depart to another (in this case, US). So does this mean you can do AbD China without a Visa?

 

[Eastridge]

Talk to a Vacationista, but it's safest to get a visa, and my experience with ABD is that they are conservative in this area.

On my Costa Rica trip, one of my family had a passport that would expire in less than 6 months but more than 3 months from the start of the trip. I know Costa Rica doesn't require 6 months validity beyond the trip date. But the Vacationista insisted that the passport had to have 6 months. So I ended up having that person get a new passport. Also I didn't want the airline to deny booking, which they might even if you were correct on the entry requirements.

I've heard similar stories with China, where a passenger was denied boarding since they didn't have a visa, even though they didn't need one with the new entry requirements.

 

[sayhello]

My understanding is that you don't need a Visa if you are on Mainland China for less than 240 hours AND you are transiting to another country from there AND meet the very specific entry requirements. They very recently expanded the number of "entry ports" allowed to 60.

I would be VERY, VERY careful to verify certain factors:

A) Can you enter China via the train from Hong Kong to Guilin since this is how the ABD will get you there starting in 2026? (I'm assuming you're not on the remaining October 2025 trip, as now is WAY too late to be figuring this out if that's the case!) What I'm seeing says you can't, but I haven't done a thorough search. The site I link below states that that is *not* a valid Itinerary, but it lists traveling from Hong Kong to Shenzen by train, not Guilin: Most of the valid ports of entry are airports or water ports.

• USA → Hong Kong → Train to Shenzhen → Shanghai → USA (Land border not eligible for transit policy)

Alternatively, it *does* say that entering from Hong Kong to the mainland by *Ferry* *is* allowed. Unfortunately, that's not how ABD travels. If they were still flying from Hong Kong, you'd probably be OK.

• US → Hong Kong → [Ferry] → Shenzhen → Shanghai → US (Valid: Entering China via ferry from Hong Kong)

I would check with the consulate to verify this. The train station in Guilin West is not on the list of 60 approved ports of entry. According to Rome 2 Rio, that's the station the highspeed train takes you to. I would verify that info with ABD.

B) Guilin is on the list of regions where you can only visit specific cities, not the entire region. Find out if that includes the Li River area or not.

C) Make sure that all the airports that ABD uses on this trip are on the approved list of entry points. You can travel from region to region, but only if both regions are allowed for this type of visa-free travel.

D) If all the airports/train stations aren't on the list, verify if that disqualifies you.

E) What happens if your flight leaving China is delayed by more than 24 hours?

This appears to be a VERY finicky rule, and you need to be CERTAIN that your exact itinerary will be covered by it. I can attest that China is VERY, VERY picky about it's rules, and not likely to bend them. Personally, I wouldn't chance it, but that's just me. Oh, I'd also find out where you'd be if they tightened the rules back up again, which they totally could (ie, would you be grandfathered in by the old rules?)

https://visitchinavisa.com/chinas-240-hour-visa-free-transit-policy-the-ultimate-guide-updated-2025/

Another good site. (I just saw this site indicates entry from Hong Kong to Mainland China by train is not allowed, since there's no approved train port of entry. This could change before next year, but for now, that seems to be it.)

https://travelchinawith.me/china-visa/240-hour-visa-free-china/

Sayhello

ETA: This is an official site, but it doesn't have a whole lot of detail.

https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183412/content.html

 

[jimmymc]

From what I'm reading, Sayhello is correct about the train not being a valid entry method for the 10 day transit visa. If you were flying or taking the ferry from Hong Kong on an independent trip, it would be OK. But the train is the part that breaks it.