China Adopted 72/144 Hour Visa Free Transit Policy

Recently, China has implemented a 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy for foreign nationals of multiple countries.

This policy applies to all international ports of entry, allowing passengers with confirmed seats to transit to a third country or region via China by international flights, sea vessels, or trains without applying for a visa if their stay period in China is less than 24 hours and they do not leave the port of entry.

However, if the passenger needs to leave the port, a temporary entry permit from the entry/exit border inspection authority at the port will be required.

The 72/144-Hour Visa Free Transit policy is a step towards making travel more accessible and convenient for foreign nationals.

Application Requirements

1. Citizen of the following countries:

List of Countries Entitled to the 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit

• Schengen States (25):

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Croatia

• Other European countries (14):

Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus

• American countries (6):

United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile

• Oceanian countries (2):

Australia, New Zealand

• Asian countries (6):

South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar

2. He/she must hold a valid international travel document (valid for no less than three months) that can prove his/her nationality and identity, and meet the conditions for entering a third country/region;

3. He/she must hold a connecting ticket to a third country/region with a confirmed date and seat for departure within 72/144 hours or relevant certificates as per the amount of time applied for the visa-free transit, fill out the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners, and accept inquiries from the entry-exit border inspection authority.

Foreigners who meet the above conditions can apply for the 144-hour visa-free transit at the entry-exit border inspection authorities in 20 cities in China, or the 72-hour visa-free transit in three cities.

144-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

• Beijing
• Tianjin
• Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province
• Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province

Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region

• Shanghai
• Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
• Ningbo, Zhejiang Province
• Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

Guangdong Province

• Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
• Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
• Jieyang, Guangdong Province

Liaoning Province

• Shenyang, Liaoning Province
• Dalian, Liaoning Province

Shandong Province

• Qingdao, Shandong Province

Sichuan Province

• Chengdu, Sichuan Province

Fujian Province

• Xiamen, Fujian Province

Yunnan Province

• Kunming, Yunnan Province

Hubei province

• Wuhan, Hubei Province

Chongqing Municipality

• Chongqing

Shaanxi Province

• Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

72-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Hunan Province

• Changsha, Hunan Province

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

• Guilin

Heilongjiang Province

• Harbin, Heilongjiang Province

Kind Reminder

The border control authorities will not issue temporary entry permits to a foreigner if:

1. His/her passport or any other international travel document is expiring in less than three months, or any of his/her travel documents has a rejection stamp by a visa-issuing agency in China;
2. He/she has a record of illegal entry or exit, illegal residence, or illegal employment within the last five years.

Foreigners under these circumstances are not entitled to the 72/144-hour visa-free transit.

Welcome to China!

Source: National Immigration Administration China

For more details on the 72/144-Hour Visa Free policy, please kindly check the official introduction below:

https://en.nia.gov.cn/n162/n227/c116266/content.html