Entry scenario
A US passport holder planning a 10-day Shanghai-focused China trip should treat a normal China-only itinerary as visa-required unless the route genuinely qualifies for transit visa-free entry.
Scenario input
Change any one of these details and the answer may change. This is why the page gives a boundary instead of pretending one passport rule fits everyone.
Result card
Use this as a decision filter, then let the official source make the final call before booking or traveling.
In short
For a 10-day Shanghai trip where China is the destination, start from the visa path. A 240-hour transit route may be possible only when the itinerary uses China as a true transit point with a qualifying onward ticket.
Primary path: Decide whether this is a China-only trip or a qualifying transit route before booking non-refundable flights or hotels.
Boundary
The common mistake is treating a long Shanghai stay as transit when the route is really a China destination trip.
Open source: 240-hour transit policy (National Immigration Administration)Dated policy check
This result depends on policy that carries an end date and a counting rule. Each card below links the official page it was read from.
Embassy of China in the United Kingdom
The Chinese Embassy in the UK notice sets the current window as 00:00 on February 17, 2026 to 24:00 on December 31, 2026 (Beijing time), with a stay of up to 30 days for UK and Canadian ordinary passports. Nothing has been announced past that date. A trip that lands in 2027 cannot be planned on this rule until a new notice exists.
Open source: Notice on visa-free policy for the UK and CanadaPage read
Consulate General of China in San Francisco
The San Francisco consulate FAQ states Russia's waiver runs until December 31, 2027 and the remaining listed countries' waivers run until December 31, 2026. One date to check, whichever eligible passport is in hand.
Open source: Frequently asked questions on visa-free entry into ChinaPage read
Consulate General of China in San Francisco
The consulate FAQ, updated June 2026, states the stay is calculated from the next day of entry and lasts 30 calendar days. Arrival day does not use one up. Anyone planning more than 30 days needs the matching visa before travel; the waiver does not cover work, study or news coverage.
Open source: Frequently asked questions on visa-free entry into ChinaPage read
Consulate General of China in San Francisco
The same FAQ states there is no limit on the number of visa-free entries and no limit on total days of stay across entries. Each single stay is still capped at 30 days, so a China-Hong Kong-China loop is a planning option rather than a way to extend one stay.
Open source: Frequently asked questions on visa-free entry into ChinaPage read
National Immigration Administration
The immigration administration's transit page lists nationalities the 30-day list does not, among them the United States, Mexico, Singapore, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is why a US passport holder and a UK passport holder get different answers to the same itinerary: one starts from transit rules and an onward ticket, the other from the 30-day rule.
Open source: 240-hour visa-free transit policyPage read
National Immigration Administration
The immigration administration list page states its content is current as of February 17, 2026, applies to ordinary-passport holders, and covers business, tourism, visits to relatives and friends, exchange visits and transit. Read the list for the exact passport instead of trusting a country count copied from elsewhere.
Open source: List of countries covered by unilateral visa exemptionPage read
National Immigration Administration
The transit path only works from a listed exit-entry port, and the immigration administration expanded that list during 2025, adding Guangdong entry points including Guangzhou, Hengqin, Zhongshan and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge from November 5, 2025. The transit path also requires an onward ticket to a third country or region with a confirmed seat and departure date.
Open source: Announcement on 10 new exit-entry measuresPage read
Dates and country membership above were read off the official pages on July 24, 2026. Port lists and country lists have both changed inside a single year, so open the source before booking anything non-refundable.
Next steps
Once the entry path is clear, the next risk is usually data, payment, airport transfer, tickets, or the first night.
Next move
Read enough to make the decision smaller, then open the checklist, search a specific question, choose a setup tool, or share the page with the person planning with you.
Use the checklist when the question has shifted from research to preparation.
Search by the actual problem: Alipay, eSIM, transit visa, first transfer, vegetarian food, or a city name.
Open recommendations when the task is clear enough for a short list to be useful.