Boarding for Beijing 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit (2026 Update)

No, you should not face boarding issues at Beijing transit if you hold a passport from one of the 55 nationalities the policy covers and meet the operational rules. China upgraded the old 72/144-hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV) policy to a 240-hour rule on December 17, 2024 — a single 10-day stay across 24 provinces, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.

Airline check-in systems (KLM, Delta, Air France) often force a visa number entry. If the field rejects blanks, type 'VISA FREE' or your passport number. The real check happens at your departure airport: the gate agent verifies your eligibility against the TIMATIC database. Carry printed onward tickets to a third country within 240 hours and your hotel reservation. PEK (Capital) and PKX (Daxing) are both eligible Beijing ports.

On arrival, follow signs for the 240-hour visa-free counter at immigration. Fill out the Temporary Entry Registration Card, hand over your passport, and receive a stamped permit. There is no fee. Plan to land at least 3 hours before your onward flight to allow manual verification on busy days. Stay inside the 24 approved provinces and exit through any approved port within 240 hours.

Common trip-ups: leaving the approved zone, missing the third-country onward leg (round-trip back to origin disqualifies you), and choosing an ineligible airline routing. Verify your nationality and itinerary on the National Immigration Administration site 48 hours before departure.