Question

Asked by Walter from usa | Mar. 14, 2026 16:21

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

US-Seoul-Shanghai-US itinerary eligible for 240-hour

Is a flight connection through a third country sufficient to be eligible for a transit itinerary? I am a US national traveling to Shanghai for a one-week business meeting. Is the following itinerary eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy: (1) US to Seoul, (2) Seoul to Shanghai, (3) Shanghai to the US?
I have a 6-hour layover in Seoul with a change of airlines. Do I need to enter S. Korea during my layover in Seoul?

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Answers (1)

Answered by Borut | Mar. 17, 2026 04:08

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Yes, a flight connection through a third country is definitely sufficient for 240 hour visa free transit eligibility. In other words, your itinerary is without any doubt eligible for 240 hour visa free transit. The basic rule of 240 hour visa free transit requires that the immediate points before and after mainland China are located in two different countries or eligible territories (eligible territories are Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau). In your case your immediate points will be South Korea and US and that fact makes your itinerary eligible. Also, you do not have to enter South Korea formally. It is enough that the last airport before mainland China is in South Korea. Have a nice visit to China.

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