Can you enter China visa-free at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport?

Yes. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is one of the 65 ports where nationals of 55 countries can enter China without a visa for up to 240 hours, provided they are travelling onward to a third country. The permitted stay area for a Sichuan entry is only Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Suining, Leshan, Deyang, Neijiang, Yibin, Ya'an, Meishan and Ziyang. Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Yading / Daocheng and Danba (Aba & Garze prefectures are NOT permitted) are outside it. You may also cross into the permitted areas of the other 23 regions.

Official port name: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) · Sichuan · verified 2026-08-07

Where you may travel after you fly in

Sichuan is only partly covered. The permitted areas are:

  • Chengdu
  • Zigong
  • Luzhou
  • Suining
  • Leshan
  • Deyang
  • Neijiang
  • Yibin
  • Ya'an
  • Meishan
  • Ziyang

Off limits on this scheme, and worth reading twice because these are often the reason people visit Sichuan at all:

  • Jiuzhaigou
  • Huanglong
  • Yading / Daocheng
  • Danba (Aba & Garze prefectures are NOT permitted)

What you need at the counter

  • A passport from one of the 55 eligible countries, valid for at least three more months. Check yours on the nationality list — some passports get a better deal than transit and should not use this scheme at all.
  • An onward ticket to a third country or region, with a confirmed date and seat, departing within 240 hours. A return to where you came from does not qualify, and this is the single most common reason people are refused.
  • The clock starts at 00:00 on the day after you arrive, so your arrival evening is free.

Cities you can reach from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport

City guides of ours inside the permitted area — booking rules, hotels that register foreigners, what to eat.

Other Sichuan ports on the scheme

Check your own case

Run your passport, this port and your onward routing through the transit checker, which applies the same official table this page is built from. Confirm against the National Immigration Administration page before you buy a ticket — the port list has changed more than once.