China has published the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for its 240-hour visa-free transit arrangement, with 55 nations from different regions included in the programme.
However, no African country appears on the list, meaning citizens of Nigeria and other African nations are not covered by the current arrangement.
The policy, announced in May 2026, permits eligible travellers to enter China without obtaining a visa in advance when they are transiting to a third country. Qualified visitors can remain in China for up to 240 hours, equivalent to 10 days.
Countries eligible for China’s 240-hour transit
The majority of the countries covered by the policy are in Europe, although nations from North America, South America, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East are also included.
The 55 eligible countries are:
Europe: 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.
Americas: United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
Asia and the Middle East: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Indonesia.
Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.
African countries not included
The current list contains no African country.
As a result, passport holders from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt and other African nations are not eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit arrangement and would need to follow the applicable Chinese visa process before travelling.
The 240-hour allowance provides eligible transit passengers with up to 10 days in China, making it possible for qualifying travellers to spend time in the country while continuing their journey to another destination.
For African passport holders, however, the current policy does not provide the same transit exemption.
