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

Short answer: Dalian is a designated entry point for China's 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit: arrive at Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC), Dalian Sea Port (passenger) 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).

Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport and the Dalian Sea Port (passenger) are both on the list of ports for 240-hour visa-free transit, along with Shenyang Taoxian airport in Liaoning. There is no separate application. Show your passport and your confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region when you check in, and fill in the foreigners' transit landing card on arrival. Border inspection then issues the temporary entry permit. Ask border inspection staff on arrival which terminal or counter handles transit at Dalian. Some airlines have refused boarding to transit passengers, so confirm your airline's policy before you fly.

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: Dalian 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 Dalian a 240-hour visa-free transit port?

Yes. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC), Dalian Sea Port (passenger) are designated ports for the 240-hour transit policy.

How far can I travel from Dalian 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.

Is Dalian a valid entry port for 240-hour visa-free transit?

Yes. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport and Dalian Sea Port (passenger) are both on the list of ports for the policy.

What do I need to use transit through Dalian?

You need a passport valid for more than 3 months and a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region with a fixed departure date. You also need to be a citizen of an eligible country (55 countries; check the current list). Fill in the transit landing card on arrival. You must not have entered, stayed or worked in China illegally in the past five years.

Can I fly from Dalian to a different country than I came from?

Yes, as long as the onward destination is a third country or region, not the one you came from. Entering China under the policy without continuing on to a third country counts as illegal entry.

Next steps for your trip

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