When the 240 hours apply
- An ordinary passport. Czech Republic is on the National Immigration Administration list of 20 August 2026.
- A confirmed seat onward to a third country or region, departing within 240 hours. A ticket back to Czech Republic is not that seat.
- Entry at one of 65 designated ports. Tell the airline. The transit counter stamps the stay. It starts at 00:00 the day after entry and lasts 10 days at most.
- Stay inside the permitted area for that port. It is not a pass for every province. The NIA page names the ports and the areas.
- Tourism, business, visits, and family are allowed inside that area. Work, study, and news reporting are not.
Fill the arrival card before you fly. It is free. A site that charges for it is not the official form.
When China is the destination
How to apply
- Find the Chinese embassy, consulate, or visa center that covers where you legally live. A post often refuses an application from a country where you are only passing through.
- Fill in the China Online Visa Application at consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA. A tourist visit is an L visa. Work, study, and a family move are different categories. The center’s own list is the one that counts.
- The form asks for the passport, a photo, work, family, and the trip. A passport with blank pages and validity past the trip is the usual floor. Some posts want six months and a booking.
- When the online review asks for the passport, take it in. Some posts collect fingerprints. Passing the online step is not the visa.
- Leave time before the flight. This guide does not quote a processing day, because the posts do not share one.
A short connection
Any nationality can connect for up to 24 hours without a visa if they do not leave the port’s restricted area and hold an onward ticket. Leaving the hall means asking for a temporary entry permit.
Checked 29 October 2026. The unilateral list, the transit note, and the mutual-exemption table are the sources. A newer notice wins. Check another country.