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Shanghai Pudong (PVG): 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Guide

Last verified

Port facts at a glance: Shanghai Pudong International Airport (permitted stay area, documents, conditions).

Last verified: 2026-11-03 (240-hour rules, port list and stay area, against the National Immigration Administration). Transport information last checked: 2026-11-03 (official airport/metro pages, dated below). Rules can change at short notice; the NIA and the border officer at the port have the final say. Hotline 12367 (from abroad +86 12367).

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (上海浦东国际机场, PVG) is the most-used gateway for 240-hour visa-free transit. It was one of the original ports, and the Shanghai government says Pudong, Hongqiao and Shanghai Port (Passenger) all have dedicated 240-hour channels at border control (Shanghai government Q&A, undated). Entering here lets you stay anywhere in Shanghai and continue to the permitted areas of other provinces, including the whole of neighbouring Jiangsu (Suzhou, Nanjing) and Zhejiang (Hangzhou).

At a glance
Official port name Shanghai Pudong International Airport (上海浦东国际机场口岸)
IATA code PVG
City / province Shanghai, Shanghai
Port type air
NIA list number No. 11 of 65
Designated for 240-hour transit since before 2024-12-17 (one of the original 39 ports)
Stay area if you enter here the whole of Shanghai Municipality
Maximum stay 240 hours, counted from 00:00 the day after entry
Eligible passports Ordinary passports of 57 countries

⚠️ Unverified or uncertain items on this page

  • Whether Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan count as the 'third country or region' (for example Tokyo → here → Hong Kong) is stated explicitly only in an airline FAQ (China Southern, 2024-12-30), not on a government page. NIA texts say 'third country (region)'. Treat as unverified and confirm with 12367 before booking.
  • Refusal ground not confirmed for 240-hour transit: Serious violation of accommodation-registration rules within the past 2 years (listed in NIA's 24-hour transit temporary-entry rules; applicability to 240h not explicitly restated).
  • Taxi fare/time, the Line 2 fare and taxi stand gates come from a Shanghai government page (dated 2026-06-04) that has since been taken down; the figures are approximate.

Who can use 240-hour visa-free transit here

You can enter at Shanghai Pudong International Airport without a visa for up to 240 hours only if all of these are true (source: NIA (EN) Policy Interpretation: Visa-Free Transit Policies (2026-08-20); conditions from NIA Announcement No. 4 of 2025, Annex 1 (2025-11-03)):

The 57 eligible countries: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.

You will be refused the 240-hour exemption if any of these apply:

Want a 30-day stay instead? Many of these nationalities can also use China's unilateral 30-day visa-free entry: see 30-day visa-free countries.

Where you may go: the permitted stay area

Entering at Shanghai Pudong International Airport puts you in the Shanghai Municipality stay area: Entire administrative area of Shanghai. Cross-province travel is allowed within the permitted areas of all 24 provinces.

Common day and short trips from Shanghai: Suzhou, Wuxi and Nanjing (Jiangsu: whole province permitted), and Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wuzhen (Zhejiang: whole province permitted). All are allowed. Anhui is also covered in full, so Huangshan is inside.

You may also travel on to the permitted areas of the other 23 provinces (cross-province travel has been allowed since 17 Dec 2024, gov.cn (2024-12-17)). Areas limited to listed cities:

Other 240-hour ports in the same stay area (you may leave through any designated port nationwide): Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Port (Passenger).

How the 240 hours are counted (worked example)

The 240 hours are counted from 00:00 on the day after entry. Example: enter 1 Jan, clock starts 2 Jan 00:00, leave by 11 Jan 24:00. (sources: NIA, 2025-11-03 (2025-11-03); Yunnan government Q&A (undated page; references policy status as of 2026-08-20))

You arrive at Shanghai Pudong Airport Clock starts Latest departure (onward transport must leave by)
5 May, 08:00 6 May, 00:00 15 May, 24:00 (midnight at the end of 15 May)
5 May, 23:50 6 May, 00:00 15 May, 24:00
6 May, 00:20 (flight landed just after midnight) 7 May, 00:00 16 May, 24:00

The date that counts is the date you pass the border check, not the date your flight was scheduled. Your onward ticket must show a confirmed departure inside this window and must be bought before you arrive.

Getting from Shanghai Pudong Airport to the city (official transport information)

Option Route Hours Fare Source (page date)
Shanghai Maglev PVG T1&T2 station → Longyang Road (change to Metro Line 2) PVG → Longyang Rd 07:02–21:42; Longyang Rd → PVG 06:45–21:40 Standard single ¥50, return ¥80; VIP single ¥100, return ¥160 Shanghai Airport Authority, Maglev (Chinese), updated 2025-08-13
Metro Line 2 Both terminals are served by Line 2, which runs through the city to Hongqiao Airport T2 see shmetro.com see shmetro.com Shanghai Airport Authority, Metro, updated 2025-03-17
Airport Link Line PVG T1&T2 → Shanghai International Resort → East Kangqiao → South Sanlin → Jinghong Road (Line 15) → Zhongchun Road (Line 9) → Hongqiao Airport T2 (Lines 2, 10, 17; Hongqiao railway hub), about 40 min First train from Hongqiao T2 05:45; last from PVG 22:15; every 15 min ¥4 start, ¥26 full journey Shanghai government (english.shanghai.gov.cn), updated 2026-03-31

Terminal notes

One-stop trip check: what to sort out besides the visa question

Getting the visa question right is only half of it. Before you fly into Shanghai Pudong Airport:

FAQ

When does my 240 hours start if I land at Shanghai Pudong Airport?

At 00:00 on the day after you pass the border check. See the worked example above.

Can I fly in from my home country and fly back home from here?

No. The country or region you arrive from and the one you leave to must be different (A → China → B). Yunnan government Q&A (undated page; references policy status as of 2026-08-20).

Do I have to leave from Shanghai Pudong Airport?

No. You may leave through any of the designated ports, as long as you stayed inside the permitted areas and leave within the time.

Can I use Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan as my onward destination?

Probably yes, but ⚠️ this is unverified: only an airline FAQ says so explicitly. Arriving from and returning to the same place (e.g. Hong Kong → here → Hong Kong) does not qualify. Confirm with 12367.

What if my flight is cancelled and I overstay?

Before the 240 hours run out, apply to the local public security exit-entry office for a stay permit. Unauthorised overstay is illegal stay.

Can I land at Pudong and leave from Beijing?

Yes. You may travel between permitted areas and exit through any designated port, as long as you are out within 240 hours and fly on to a third country or region.

Is Suzhou or Hangzhou allowed?

Yes. Jiangsu and Zhejiang are permitted in full.

Maglev or metro?

The Maglev is the fast link to Longyang Road (¥50 standard single), then you change to Metro Line 2. Line 2 runs directly from the airport but is slower.

Check your own trip

Use the free 240-hour transit checker with Shanghai Pudong Airport pre-selected to test your passport, departure country and onward destination.

Sources

Transport and terminal sources (port-specific):

Information is for reference only; official sources prevail. See our terms and disclaimer.