240-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Changsha: Ports, Area and Rules (2026)

Short answer: Changsha is a designated entry point for China's 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit: arrive at Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX) with an onward ticket to a third country and you can stay up to 10 days within any of the 24 provinces that allow 240-hour transit. Verified 31 October 2026.

Official source for the 240-hour transit rules: the National Immigration Administration (English site).

Changsha Huanghua International Airport is a listed 240-hour transit port, and the Changsha Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection Station issues the temporary entry permit. Show your onward ticket (confirmed seat and date to a third country or region) at the border inspection desk. Hunan immigration says it shares passenger information with airlines in advance, so permits are handled "one-stop". From late 2024 to late 2025 the Changsha port handled about 3,800 foreign travellers from 22 countries, mostly on flights between Changsha and London, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. The UK, US and Indonesia were the top nationalities. Ask the border inspection officers on arrival where to go for the permit.

What to bring

• A passport valid for your whole stay (6 months' validity is recommended).
• A confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, departing within 10 days. Returning to the country you came from does not count.
• Fill in the arrival card online before you land; at immigration, ask for the 240-hour transit stamp.

If your passport has 30-day visa-free entry, you don't need transit rules at all: see visa-free entry and 240-hour transit explained and rules by country.

Once you're in: Changsha for first-time visitors covers the airport, metro, payments and which sights need booking.

How the 240 hours are counted

The clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you enter, so a 10 pm arrival gives you most of an extra day. The 240 hours are counted by the hour from that midnight, and you must have left the permitted area through a designated port before they run out. If you have a visa-free entry or a visa, immigration applies that instead of the transit rules.

What transit allows and what it doesn't

• Allowed: tourism, visiting friends and family, business meetings, short exhibitions, and travelling anywhere within any of the 24 provinces that allow 240-hour transit.
• Not allowed: work, study, journalism, or leaving the permitted area. Doing so counts as an illegal stay.
• Register where you sleep: hotels register you automatically; in a private home you must register with the local police within 24 hours.
• Leaving late: overstaying the 240 hours brings the same fines and bans as any overstay: see what happens if you overstay in China.

If your plans change

You can leave from any designated port in the permitted area, not only the one you arrived at, as long as your onward destination is still a third country or region. To stay longer, apply at the local Exit-Entry Administration for a stay permit before your time runs out; approval is not guaranteed, so book changeable flights if you may want extra days.

FAQ

Is Changsha a 240-hour visa-free transit port?

Yes. Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX) is a designated port for the 240-hour transit policy.

How far can I travel from Changsha on 240-hour transit?

You must stay within any of the 24 provinces that allow 240-hour transit. Leaving that area needs a visa.

Who qualifies for 240-hour visa-free transit?

Citizens of 57 countries, flying on to a third country or region (not back to where they came from) within 10 days. Check your passport in the visa-free checker.

Can I leave Changsha airport on 240-hour transit?

Yes. Apply for a temporary entry permit from the Changsha border inspection station on arrival. You need a passport valid for more than 3 months and a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region.

Which flights work well for a Changsha stopover?

Most transit travellers fly between Changsha and London, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. The onward destination must differ from the country you came from.

Am I limited to Hunan?

No. The policy now allows travel across the 24 provinces that permit 240-hour transit. The earlier Hunan notice described the whole province as the permitted area.

Next steps for your trip

Last verified 31 October 2026. Sources: National Immigration Administration (en.nia.gov.cn) [1] [2] [3] [4] . Rules change; confirm with the National Immigration Administration or your airline before you fly.