China expands visa-free transit program to 57 countries – Is Pakistan included?

Citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam are the latest to become eligible for the 10-day transit facility. Travelers from the eligible countries can enter China through designated ports without obtaining a visa for transit purposes. They must have a confirmed onward ticket to another country or region.

Ten-day stay allowed

The program allows eligible travelers to remain in China for up to 240 hours, or 10 days. During this period, they must stay within the areas covered by the visa-free transit rules.

China has gradually widened the program over the past two years. Indonesian citizens were added in September 2025, taking the number of eligible countries to 55 at that time.

China expands transit access

The policy was significantly expanded in December 2024 when China increased the maximum visa-free transit period from 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours. Authorities also added 21 ports of entry and exit for eligible transit travelers.

Under the expanded system, travelers heading to a third country or region can enter China without a visa through designated open ports. They can then stay in approved areas during the permitted transit period.

Is Pakistan included?

Pakistan is not included in China’s 240-hour visa-free transit program covering 57 countries. The addition of Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam increased the total number of eligible countries to 57, but Pakistani passport holders remain outside this specific policy.

Earlier details of the program showed that travelers could use 60 open ports across 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. The policy is designed to make transit travel easier while allowing eligible visitors to spend up to 10 days in approved parts of China.

What this means for Pakistani travelers

Pakistani passport holders cannot currently use the 240-hour visa-free transit facility simply because they are traveling onward to another country. They would need to follow the applicable Chinese visa requirements for their travel plans.

The expansion shows that China is continuing to widen visa-free transit access to more nationalities. However, there has been no inclusion of Pakistan in this particular 57-country program based on the information provided.

China’s wider visa-free transit policy could make travel easier for people from eligible countries. However, Pakistani travelers still do not have access to this 10-day facility.

The latest expansion may increase interest among Pakistani travelers in whether Pakistan could be added in the future. For now, Pakistani passport holders should check the applicable visa rules before planning a trip through China.

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