Americans can now visit China for up to 10 days without a visa

China said Tuesday it was expanding its visa-free transit policy, allowing eligible foreign travelers to stay in parts of the country as long as 10 days.

China said Tuesday it was expanding its visa-free transit policy, allowing Americans and other eligible foreign travelers to stay in parts of the country as long as 240 hours, or 10 days, as officials try to attract more overseas visitors.

China’s National Immigration Agency announced the measure, which is effective immediately, on its WeChat account, saying passport holders from 54 countries are eligible. They include countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia, as well as the United States and Canada.

Previously, travelers could stay in China visa-free for as long as 72 to 144 hours depending on where they visited, as long as they continued on to a third country or region.

Travelers with confirmed tickets to exit China within 10 days can enter the country in 60 places across 24 provinces, including the capital, Beijing, and China’s largest city, Shanghai. The expanded scheme also allows transit visitors to travel across regions during the 10 days, with some restrictions.

Tourists posing for photos at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing last month.Ju Huanzong / Xinhua News Agency via Getty ImaVisa waivers for transit passengers are popular among travelers, including Americans, who might otherwise be required to go through a tedious visa process for travel to China or elsewhere.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/americans-can-now-visit-china-10-days-visa-rcna184476

---