For those of you who plan to transit through China, the ever-expanding China Visa-Free Transit, or what is sometimes referred to as the China Transit Visa program, is a welcome opportunity to see the country without the hassle of applying for a full visa. Here’s the most accurate, up-to-date guide for everything you need to know in 2023.
Up until recently, most travelers who wanted to spend any significant portion of time in China had to go through the process of applying for a China Visa. This not only included filling out the application, but also paying the consulate fees, waiting for approval, etc.
It’s time consuming, expensive and, honestly, not fun.
But what if you’re stopping in Beijing for just a few days of your international journey and you want to go see the Great Wall of China?
Perhaps you have a cruise that departs/arrives in Shanghai and you want to wander the city for a few days?
In both cases, the visa-free transit in China is an excellent option.
This is the ultimate guide to China’s visa-free transit, both the 72-hour visa free transit and the 144-hour visa free transit.
As you read, if you find this guide helpful, you’ll greatly benefit from the best-selling Travel to China | Everything You Need to Know Before You Go, my published guide from which this was excerpted.
**Important Note** I will no longer be answering comments on this article asking about specific itineraries.
Also, thanks to ever-evolving Chinese policies, I cannot guarantee that you will be issued a China transit visa.
Transit Visa vs Visa-Free Transit in China
You might hear this referred to as the “China transit visa” across the internet. Technically, it’s called China’s visa-free transit.
A transit visa does exist, called the G visa in China, but you must apply for this at the Chinese consulate before you arrive in China.
Unlike this G visa, entering China under the rules of the visa-free transit happens upon arrival in China. This means that you don’t need to apply before you get on the airplane, which theoretically could save you a good amount of time and money.
However, China’s visa-free transit is notoriously confusing and there are a number of restrictions that you need to understand. It’s good to gather this info before you decide to take advantage of the China transit visa, whether that be the 24-hour transit visa, the 72-hour transit visa or the 144-hour transit visa.
I’m going to do my best here to clear up the confusion by breaking down the steps you need to take.
Check Your Eligibility for the China Transit Visa
Before you read any further, you should start here. I recommend you do is to follow the link below to use a tool developed by the Chinese government to explain eligibility.
Within the tool, you’ll be asked to enter your passport country and your Chinese port of entry.
When you click “search”, it will list out which transit visa is available for you (i.e. 72-hour visa-free transit China, 144-hour visa-free transit China). It also tells you where you are allowed to travel, and where you are allowed to enter/exit.
Which Cities Offer Visa-Free Transit in China?
It’s important to distinguish between two parts of the transit visa: your port of entry and your region of movement.
Ports of Entry
In order to take advantage of visa-free transit in China, you MUST arrive and depart directly through one of the following cities. This usually happens at an airport, but in some cases can be done through a seaport or train station.
- Beijing, Shanghai*† – 144-hour visa-free by air, sea or train;
- Tianjin*, Xiamen*, Qingdao* – 144 hour visa-free by air or sea;
- Qinhuangdao – 144-hour transit visa via sea port only;
- Guangzhou, Xian, Chongqing, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shijiazhuang, Dalian, Shenyang, Kunming, Chengdu, Wuhan – 144 hour visa-free via airport only;
- Harbin, Changsha, Guilin – 72-hour visa-free service;
* Includes entry via a sea port
† Includes entry via train station
These are the air, sea and rail ports that offer China’s visa-free travel as of May 1, 2020.
Region of Movement
Once you’ve entered through one of these ports of entry, visitors taking advantage of the 72-hour or 144-hour transit visa in China must remain within the specified regions for each port that include:
- Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei (Qinghuangdao, Shijiazhuang): Travelers entering each of these ports here can move freely among these three regions.
- Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang: Travelers entering each of these ports may move freely within these provinces.
- Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Kunming, Wuhan, Chongqing, Changsha, Xiamen, Guilin, Harbin, Qingdao: Movement restricted to each of these city’s respective provinces (i.e. entering Chengdu gives you access to travel throughout Sichuan, entering Kunming gives you access to Yunnan, etc.).
It’s entirely possible to travel beyond these regions of movement without being stopped. However, any attempt to stay at a hotel or pass through a security check will result in major fines, imprisonment, or expulsion from the country.
China Visa-Free Map (72- and 144-hour Transit Visa)
From the map above, you can clearly see not only which regions of China offer transit visas but also your region of movement.
Outside of the Beijing and Shanghai areas (which are boxed in), all other regions of movement are restricted to a single province.
IMPORTANT: Before you move on and assume you can take advantage of the China transit visa, make sure you read the rest of this article detailing the remaining restrictions and rules for using this visa.
Finally, if you wish to spend more than 6 days (144 hours) in China or if you want the freedom to move around anywhere you want in the country, you’re better off applying for and getting a traditional China visa.
You can read more about how to apply for a Chinese visa here.
Which Countries & Nationalities Qualify for China Visa-Free Transit?
Not every single country passport is eligible for China’s 72-hour and 144-hour transit visa. There’s a good chance, however, that yours is.
Check below to make sure that your home country is on the list:
- European countries: Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Belarus, Monaco.
- American countries: United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile.
- Asian countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
- Schengen Agreement countries: 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.
- Oceania countries: New Zealand and Australia.
If your country is not listed above, you should contact your local Chinese embassy to find out what provisions they have for you in regards to both the 72-hour transit visa and the 144-hour transit visa.
It never hurts to ask!
Rules & Restrictions for China’s Visa-Free Transit
There are a number of important restrictions for China’s transit visas that I’d to point out before you decide to move forward.
I’ve known at least three travelers who have been turned away at the Chinese airport because they didn’t understand the rules & restrictions well enough. Don’t let that be you!
Travelers have been turned away at the Chinese airport because they didn’t understand transit visa rules well.
- You Must Enter from and Exit to Different Countries: In order to take advantage of any visa-free transit, your original departure and your final destination must be different countries/regions. In other words, you can’t book a round-trip ticket from the U.S. and use the 144-hour transit visa. If you’re coming to China from the U.S., your next destination must be another country. It’s worth noting that Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau count as a “different country/region” in this case.
- That Includes Layovers! While your ticket’s final destination is important, so are potential layovers. So, for example, if you fly to China from Seoul, South Korea with a ticket that returns to the United States via a layover back in Seoul…you are not eligible for the transit visa. It’s a dumb technicality, but it’s important to know.
- Your Flight Must Arrive and Depart as an International Direct Flight: In order to be eligible for the transit visa, your arrival flight and departure flights will both have to be international flights. What this means is that if you’re leaving Chengdu after using the 144-hour transit visa there, you can’t have a layover in Beijing, Shanghai or any other Chinese city. It MUST directly be leaving the country. Again, for the purposes of this visa, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau count as a “different country”.
- You Must Remain within the Restricted Movement Regions: Regions of movement are independently administered, which means that those who have a 144-hour transit visa in Shanghai aren’t permitted to move up into Beijing. You must arrive, move about and depart all within the same region (but you can depart from different ports within the region, i.e. arrive at the Shanghai airport and leave from a cruise port). This is important because this means you can’t see Beijing and Shanghai on the same transit visa trip. Your departing flight MUST leave the country with no layovers within China.
- You Must Depart Before the Transit Visa Expires: Once you receive your transit visa, you’ll see the exact date written on the temporary visa stating when you need to depart China. For planning purposes, it helps to know that your China transit visa starts at midnight the day after you arrive in China. That means that if your plane arrives at 10am on Wednesday, your 144-hour transit visa clock begins at midnight on Thursday morning.
- You Can Apply for Extenuating Circumstances: If for some reason you are unable to leave within 72 or 144 hours (i.e. health problems or business meetings), you must apply for a full visa from the nearest Public Security Bureau Entry-Exit Administration Office. Failure to do so will result in big fines (or worse) when you eventually do try to leave the country.
How to Apply for a China Transit Visa (Visa-Free Transit)
Thankfully, the required documents to enter China under their visa-free policy (72/144 hours) aren’t too complicated.
Here’s what you need to know, broken down into three simple steps.
Step 1: Prepare Documents Required for China Visa Free Transit
Before you even step foot on the airplane, train or ship that will be transporting you to China, here’s what you need:
- A valid passport: Of course! You’ll have that with you anyway to board your flight/train/ship. Your passport will be required to have at least three (3) months of validity in order to be accepted.
- An Entry/Exit Card: You will find this card in the customs area at the Chinese airport. This card will ask you to fill out your nationality, name, flight number, passport number, place of issuance, date of birth, gender, and purpose of visit.
- A visa for a third region or country (if required): If your final destination doesn’t require a visa, you can ignore this. Otherwise, you’ll need proof of legal entry into the third country.
- A ticket with a confirmed seat number for the next flight that leaves within 144 hours. This is important. They want to know that you are already booked to leave within the required time period. Print this flight confirmation to bring with you.
Remember, if at any point you realize that you’re going to need a traditional China visa for your trip, check out our Complete Guide to Chinese Visas.
Step 2: What to Do at Your Departure City
China has done a horrible job of communicating the specifics of it’s visa-free policy internationally. I’ve known many travelers who have had to fight to board their airplane to China because the airline wasn’t entirely clear about the policy.
For this reason, I recommend printing out something like this news item from Xinhua to explain visa-free entry. Hopefully you won’t need to use it, but you might want to have it just in case.
You can explain to the agent at the airport who is checking for a valid visa that you are taking advantage of China’s visa-free policy and that you have all the necessary documents with you.
Step 3: Arrival at the Chinese Airport / Port / Train Station
Now that you know what documents are required for China’s 72- hour and 144-hour visa-free transit documents, let’s quickly walk through what you’re going to need to do once you arrive in China.
Once you arrive at a port of entry in China, you’ll enter the customs area just like all the other travelers with you. The difference is that within the customs area you’ll be looking for a specific line for those applying for a 72-hour or 144-hour transit visa.
Don’t worry about it too much – you’ll see signs everywhere directing you to the right place. Just keep your eyes open.
Once you’ve been approved (which should only take 5-10 minutes while you’re standing there), they will stick a printed “Temporary Entry Permit” on a blank page of your passport that says where you can stay and when you must leave.
They will stamp this visa with the date you arrived and let you pass through.
That’s really it!
It’s not a super-complicated process once your travels plans have been made. As long as you have all your documents in order and you fit the eligibility requirements, the process is smooth and easy.
If while planning your trip you decide that you would like to spend more than 144 hours in China or visit other places throughout the country, I highly recommend you read through my list of the best China visa services to help you obtain a China visa quickly and easily.
My personal recommendation is Passport Visas Express (and you can get a 10% discount by using this link) and I’ve used them a few times before with great results.
Frequently Asked Questions: Visa-Free Transit China
I receive questions on a daily basis regarding China’s visa-free transit.
While I can’t comment specifically on your itinerary, I will provide some answers to the most common questions I receive.
Yes, you can. As long as you continue to transit directly from one country to another country, there is no stated limit to the number of times you can receive a visa-free transit pass.
It’s free. Unlike traditional visas to China which require pre-approval and a visa fee, the visa-free transit is issued on arrival and requires no fee.
At this point, Shanghai allows for online applications for visa-free entry. However, the website is all in Chinese and it doesn’t seem to speed up the process any more than just arriving at the international port with all your documentation.
As long as you are entering and exiting from the same region of movement (learn about the available cities and regions of movement), you can enter from one port and depart from another using the China transit visa. Visa-free exemptions are issued at the above listed international airports, sea ports and rail ports.
No. You must remain within specified region of movement, which in most cases is just the province within which you landed. You must arrive and depart from the same region.
China offers a transit visa (G) that requires an application prior to arrival and allows you to leave the airport for short visits during a layover. Visa-free transit, on the other hand, is issued on arrival and allows up to 144-hour to travel around a region of China.
Final Thoughts: China’s Visa-Free Transit (i.e. “Transit Visa”)
China’s visa-free transit is a great option for individuals who desire to visit China without having to apply (and pay!) for an extended visa. The guidelines are (somewhat) straightforward and painless as long as one plans ahead and provides the required documents.
I welcome questions in the comments below, although I warn you that I will no longer be approving and answering questions about specific itineraries.
If you have questions like that, I refer you to your local Chinese consulate or your travel agency. I can’t guarantee that they’ll be willing to help or answer your questions, but such is the confusing nature of China’s visa-free transit policy!
Remember, as you prepare for this trip to China, make sure you have set up a good VPN for China (to avoid the blocking) and that you’ve set your expectations well with the highly-reviewed China travel handbook.
Can minors also apply for the 144- hour visa?
Is the 144 visa different to the 72 in that I can access it in Beijing after flying from Europe even though my flight onwards to Australia will have a stop in Guangzhou on the way?
I believe so. You’ll want to double check with a visa company or with the Chinese consulate to be sure.
I Am arriving in beijing by train from mongolia – will i be able to apply for 144 hour free transit visa at the tRain stAtion ? If yes will the place to apply for it be easy to find?
There is a transit visa application center at the train station, so you should be able to as long as you meet all the criteria.
You are not right Guangzhou is only 72 hour TWOV
It’s been announced but I guess it hasn’t been implemented yet. I’ll update the article. Thanks for the tip!
Hi Josh, very helpful post. thanks for it!
I’ve got one question, though: what if I want to take advantage of this type of visa (144 hours transit) and I want to make a round trip (same origin and destination country)? Can I just buy a flight ticket to a third country and not use it (only use the reservation for the visa procedure at the airport)? I guess I would be able, because I suppose they are not going to check in the airport (while returning), what type of visa I used.
Hey Gontzal, I’m honestly not sure. It sounds like a loophole you could take advantage of, but that would be an expensive one since the dummy reservation would have to be an international flight. It would probably be cheaper just to get a full-fledged China visa in that case.
Thanks for your answer, josh. I was thinking to do that because the process to get a visa isn’t cheap either, and it requires my fat ass to move to the embassy!
Hi Gontzal,
did you end up trying this? did it work? Considering the same thing.
jimmy
Hey Josh,
Great post – thanks!
Do you know if it’s possible to arrive from a country not of your origin.
I.e. A Brit arriving in Shanghai from Singapore, with an onward flight to Vietnam for example.
Note: Sorry for the caps – capslock is off but it looks like a text-transform:uppercase in this text box. 😀
Thanks!
Karl
Great question, Karl. You don’t have to arrive from your country of origin. What’s important is that your “arrive from” country and “departure to” country are not the same. 🙂
Does Shengen coint as one country? (Ie would arriving from France returning to Germany work?)… i think Its ok but welcome your thouGhts
Btw… my colleague used Gontzal’s loophole… worked once but the immigRation officer did check the visa type and said his details would be filed and gave him a verbal warNing
Interesting. Thanks for sharing, Roland. And yes, arriving from France and returning to Germany should work – it just has to be two different countries.
Good information and We would like to take advantage of the 144 hour but not sure if we will qualify:
We plan to fly to Beijing from Seoul (after spending 3 days in Seoul), spend 4 days in Beijing, then fly from Beijing to Seattle. However the flight to Seattle has a 2-hour layover in seoul.
Would that qualify for the 144-hr since flight out of Beijing terminates in Seattle?
The final destination has to be a different country than the originating destination, regardless of layovers.
Hi there @F.Rachel, wondering if you were all ok with your route? I have the same query. London- qatar, spending 4 days in qatar, then onward to shanghai, then back to london, with a 1.5hr layover in qatar. i understand this is ok for the transit visa because i am arriving into china from qatar, and returning to london as my final destination (third country)
thanks
This might be subjective and up to whomever is checking you in on your flight to China, but having a layover in the country you arrived in China from did NOT work for me. I planned to fly from KUL (Malaysia) to Shanghai, and then Shanghai to Sydney with a layover in KUL. At the check-in (AirAsia), I was not allowed to board the flight with that itinerary and was forced to purchase another ticket that did not involve KUL. These restrictions were coming from the person at the check-in desk’s boss, via cell phone, so it was difficult to argue. I also had proof of my Australian visa and confirmation of lodging in Sydney, which I’d hoped would further prove I was not interested in returning to KUL. After I booked the new flight (found a direct one from Shanghai to Sydney), I was allowed to board with no further issues.
I wasn’t sure of the consequences of cancelling that direct flight (thank you Expedia for 24-hour free cancellation on many of your flights!) and taking the original one out of China (similar to the possible loophole mentioned by Gontzal), so I ended up using the direct flight to Sydney just in case. In theory I would think that it shouldn’t cause major drama since you’re leaving the country, but I couldn’t find any specific information about consequences (though certain visa violations can lead to a fine, detainment, or a 5-year ban on entering the country).
Yours is the easiest, most straightforward description of how to use these transit visas of all that i’ve found online. I do an extensive amount of travel for work, but china has not been on my radar before, until now. i am looking to take a flight simply for status and miles, as the deal of a flight i’ve found pays for itself and then some. to clarify/confirm, if i have a phx.lax.pek.hkg.lax.phx itinerary, i will be able to take advantage of this 144 hour transit visa, because my arrival country immediately preceding china is u.s., and the next immediate destination (3 days later) on the airline itinerary is hong kong. thus, I would departing from pek to hkg before going back to the u.s. according to what i believe to be true from your article, that would qualify – is that correct? would it be beneficial for me to call the airline or immigration in beijing to confirm? thanks! ~Ryan
The important thing is that your Hong Kong stop is not just a layover. It needs to be a full ticket in and of itself. Still, I recommend calling immigration just to be sure. It would be terrible to get caught up in a technicality!
Hello – here’s my question and no, my caps-lock is not on; this text box is doing this…
I am flying PHX-PEK (layover in Vancouver) and then flying a few days later to Seoul.
PHX-PEK is on Air Canada
PEK-ICN (5 days later) is on a different ticket – Asiana.
I Bought these tickets SEPARATELY AND they are on different itineraries.
The two airlines are both part of the same Alliance though: Star Alliance
Does it matter that they are different tickets?
I have read that the two airlines have to have an “interline” relationship.
To the best of my understanding, you do not have to have tickets with related airlines. The only important factor is that the country you arrive from and the country you depart to are different.
JC-
Did you get through on Separate Tickets? I am looking into the same thing and the airline has told me it would be no big deal and they’d let me through.
That’s what I thought too, but read what happened to this guy:
https://www.elliott.org/case-dismissed-2/chinas-72-hour-visa-free-transit/
Wow…thanks for bringing that to our attention, JC. Very important to note.
OMG!
China is so inconsistent and confusing.
yesterday, I got a visa after buying Uln-Pek (Air China). One-way ticket.
And, PeK-SYD-BNe (Qantas). One-way ticket.
Seperate itineraries.
Not Interline.
Hi,, we will be flying into Beijing on 4th October 2018 for a 3 day stay. We will be joining a cruise on 7th October departing from tianjin. We will be arriving in beijing from Dubai after a 3 day stay. our country of origin is the uk our 1st port of call will be okinawa. the cruise ends in singapore from where we will return home to the uk. Are we eligible for the 72hr pass or the 144day pass. Please advise as there are so many conflicting websites regarding this procedure. Thank you
Hi Michael, I wish I could clear things up for you, but I can’t be 100% certain and I don’t want to be responsible for any problems that arise. It seems to me like that would work, although it also seems that this entire trip would need to be part of an inline trip, meaning you didn’t piece together each of these legs yourself.
Anyone ever heard of this 144 hour China transit visa when visting Shanghai Disneyland?
If I’m travelling from UK- Hong Kong – Shanghai- Tokyo back to the UK can I apply ?
It’s possible to visit Disneyland on the transit visas. The question is more about your flights. If these stops in Hong Kong and Tokyo are just layovers on your way to/from Shanghai, it won’t work. You have to have an outbound ticket that terminates in a new country.
I will be in hong kong for 4 days and tokyo for a week.
Do i inform the airport in the uk i would like the 144 hour visa or hong kong as My stop before shanghai is hong kong.
We are travelling to shanghia From the uk, With a one hOur change over in doha. We will stay overnight in shanghia before embarking a crUise to japan. We will not be reentering China and fly home from singapore. Do we qualIFy for the 144 Hour free transit visa. Thanks
Technically yes, you should qualify. You should call the airline to confirm that they will allow you onto the plane without a Chinese visa – they will likely know the requirements well.
hi i will be travelIng from Manchester to xian with ( a Change at hong kong )
Would i be able to get 144 hour pass from Xian. We are doing a 5 day tour with a company which will be xian / beijing from there to cruise port at tianjin. After cruise fly back from singapore to hong kong and back to manchester would i qualifie for the 144 pass Thanks jenny
No, the 144-hour transit visa is not setup in Xi’an at the moment, and it wouldn’t even work for you to arrive in one port and leave in another (i.e. come through Xi’an and depart through Beijing). You’ll need to apply for a full Chinese tourist visa in this case.
I am currently in Vietnam. If I get a return flight to China and back to Vietnam, does this visa apply?
No. You must be in transit, not round trip.
HI
Can i travel frm cairns to shanghai, then to beijing then to uk?
Thanks
Nicole
No, you can’t. You can’t switch zones on a transit visa.
Hi
We are planning to travel from uk tO shanghai stay in SHANGHAI for 2 days then go to Thailand for 9 days back to shanghai for 2 days then back to uk . Does 144 transit visa cover that.? Or would it be better to apply for tourist visa?
If it’s all part of one ticket, it should cover you just fine. Check with your airline to be sure. It’s not clear how many times you can make use of the 144 transit visa in a period of time.
Thanks for a very informative article. Outgoing, December 2018, we fly from Montreal to Shanghai and plan to use the 144 hour visa for a 5 night visit. We depart for Cambodia via Bangkok. On return, April 2019, we will depart Thailand to Shanghai with a transit/plane change in Kuala Lumpur. We plan to do another 4 or 5 day stay in Shanghai, again using the 144 hour window. We then depart from Shanghai to Montreal. Three questions ARISE. First, can you use the 144 hour visa on arrival twice in one trip or year? Second, should we obtain a Cambodian visa or should we, as planned, get a visa on arrival in Cambodia? Third, my partner heard of a case where passengers incoming from KL were denied the 144 hour China visa on entry, apparently because they flew in from KL. Have you heard of any complications arising from KL arrivals in China? Thanks again. Bill.
Hey Bill! Those are great questions. There’s no indication of any limit to how many times you can use a transit visa. I wish I could assure you – and I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine – but you’ll want to double check with either your airline or nearby Chinese embassy (or both). As far as Cambodia is concerned, I have no clue. Same with flights from KL – I’ve never heard of that before.
Hi, We are planning to travel from denmark to shanghai, stay for 3 nights begore entering for a roundtrip cruise to japan and back to shanghai, the 2 nights in shanghai before taking the plane back to denmark. Can we apply for 2 144 hours visa, one when Arriving shanghai begore cruising to japan, and one when arriving in shanghai after the cruise before flying back to denmark?
Regards
EriCh
Hey Josh, great post and very informative!
Can you let me know if I’m eligible to get a 144 hour visa? I’m flying from Toronto to Europe, then to Bangkok and exploring Thailand for 2.5 weeks. On my flight back to Toronto, I have a layover in Bejing and want to see the Great Wall of China. Since I am going to Thailand, does that count as my “departure city”, and my arrival city would be back in Toronto?
Thank you for your time,
Tiffany
Yes, it does. You need to make sure that your flights are all part of one itinerary, though, else the airline might not let you board without a visa.
Hi josh, please can you let me know do we eligible to get a 144 hours transit visa .
we are flying from sydney to beijing, staying beijing 4 days . than from beijing to kathmandu staying kathmandu 7 days and back to sydney.
i have direct flight form sydney to beijing but from beijing to kathmandu 2.5 hours layover at KMG Kunming .
i do got one ticket form chines eastern AIRLINE
thanks
john
Hi John, thanks for the comment. Based on what you’ve shared, I believe you’re eligible for the 144-hour transit visa. HOWEVER, I still recommend you call China Eastern and ask them.
this is very helpful and quite clear. One further question though please. Getting a RESERVED seat number for a flight three days after you land in Beijing? How is this possible? Typically you don’t get a seat number until you check in and you cant check in more than 24 hours in advance. Will air china staff at london issue a boarding pass for the second section of my trip too before departure to China? I am flying on January 9th, landing in BeiJing on the 10th and flying to bangkok on the 13th before touching back just in transit in beijing on the 20th. i will be in china just over 72 hours and i understand that in beijing alone the 72 or 144 hours start from the SCHEDULED landing time not midnight after the time you land as is correct fro other regions. can you please confirm?
You don’t need a paper boarding pass. You need an itinerary that shows the next leg of your trip.
ok but your own site instructions – point 4 says: A ticket with a confirmed seat number for the next flight that leaves within 144 hours. This is important. They want to know that you are already booked to leave within the required time period.
That’s true, but I believe this confirmation doesn’t always mean a “seat”. It’s a confirmed booking number. Either way, the fastest way for you to clear this up is to contact the airline directly. They are the ones that either will or won’t let you board the plane because of the visa situation.
Anyone have experience with getting the required ticket from air asia? I assume I need an actual ticket and not just the confirmation page from their website. How do you get tickets in hand? Thank You
Hi Glenn, as with most flight tickets nowadays, you’ll get the ticket when you get to the airport. Bringing a printout of your confirmation page should be sufficient if you need something on you.
Wondering about what is provided to you when approved? Hotel I am looking at requests a “valid visa” to complete booking at the front desk. Will I have documentation that says I am in good standing until my exit date?
Yes, you will have something stapled to your passport. Don’t worry…you won’t get out of the airport without something that would be acceptable to a hotel.
Hi Josh, have you heard anything about the new bullet train route from HK to Shanghai. Most websites I see say that Shanghai Station issues these visas but it doesn’t say anything about Shanghai Hangkiao Train Station. WE arrive from NYC-PEK for 5 days, then fly to Tokyo for 10 days. Then fly to HK for a few days then plan on taking the train to either Shanghai or Hanhzhou for 5 more days, then onward to the US. Do they issue the stamp at all major train stations in the region or just Shanghai Station.
Hello ! Thank you for your very useful website and info. I have an important and urgent question, if i may…!
I want to stay in china for a couple of weeks but I didn’t have time to apply for a visa and my flight is within a couple of hours. Is it possible to apply for a visa on arrival?
If Not, can i just book a flight elsewhere once i’m already there? Or is It required that i prove a departure flight upon arriVal in the country?
Sorry, Jan. More than likely, if you can’t show a visa or ongoing flight, they probably won’t even let you on the flight to China in the first place.
Hi josh
Can you tell me whether customs will require proof of accommodation whilst in china. I am entering into shanghai from australia, staying with my daughter who lives in shanghai, then exiting 4 days later into hong kong. as i don’t have any accommodation bookings i am wondering whether this is something they will ask for. i have all the required flight confirmations and am leaving within the required 144 hours
thank you
steph
I’m honestly not sure, Stephanie. I think it would be good to have refundable hotels in hand just in case. From what I understand, though, you won’t need proof of hotel stays.
I was planning a trip for my parents to visit me in China. I was hoping we would be able to visit Hong Kong for a few days then go back over the boarder to Guangzhou (flights are cheaper there) before they fly home. Do you know if you can get a transit visa from the train station in GZ having just taken the train from HK?
No, they can’t (yet).
Sorry if this is a silly question but…how much does the visa cost (or is it free)? I can’t see any mention on here.
Hey Steve, that’s not a silly question at all. As far as I know, there is no cost associated with the transit visa. I think it would be hard for them to expect travelers to have cash to pay for those types of transactions and the customs office usually doesn’t accept credit cards.
We want to use the 144 hour visa-free arrangement, taking the G80 high-speed train HK to Beijing West, then a flight to London. however, it’s unclear if our ‘point of entry’ is indeed Beijing west, or is in fact hong kong west kowloon as that is where immigration takes place, and the train calls at several cities en route within china.
But if we can’t do this, why is beijing west listed at all? Even the old Z-category sleeper trains do immigration at hk as far as i know, in which case there’d be no way to reach beijing west without going through some other point of entry, in which case why would it then be designated?
Hi folks,
I don’t have an ITINERARY question. However, I noticed that all comments are predicated on airports. how would i confirm whether this 144hr transit visa option also include for water ports ie: ships? i haven’t heard back from the cruise line as yet. i’m thinking that the answer would be yes. however, I still have time to do that fingerprint shuffle identified on their consulate website, if needed. very appreciating!
At the moment, it seems that it’s only available at airports.
thanks for the prompt response, josh. it is appreciated.
Thank you for this artiCle!!! This one has been the best detaIled in a easy To understand manner Explaining the 144 hour visa Free requirements i’ve come across So far in my research on the topiC. You da real MVP!!!
Thanks so much, Annie!
Can I use the 144 hour visa for a business trip? or is it limited to tourist activities. You mention it asks for the “purpose of the trip”, but are there some purposes that are ok or not? Thank you!
Based on my understanding, business trips require a business visa. Transit is specifically for the purpose of travelers transiting through China.
Just want to let you guys know that there are certain ports you can leave from. Booking a bullet train to hong Kong will get you sent back home immediately(speaking from a terrible and expensive experience)
do I qualify for 144 transit free Visa coming from Bangkok.. stop in Hong Kong for 1.5 hrs then on to Beijing for 4 days then on to london ?
Does this type of Visa (24-72-144) has a cost upon entering China?
No, there is no cost for this visa-free arrival.
Hello Josh,
Hope you can help me out:
If i want to go to chengdu with a 144 hrs transit visa, can i visit Dujiangyan panda base (55 km from chendu city) and the leshan buddha? (155 km from chengdu),or I’m forced to stay only in the city without the chance of VISITINg those places?
Thanks,
Giorgio
When entering Chengdu on the visa-free policy, you can visit anywhere in the province of Sichuan. Does that answer your question?
Hi,
Your article has been very helpful. I am planning a trip to China…
Dublin -> Beijing
Beijing -> Hong Kong
Hong Kong -> ShangHAI
ShanGHai -> Tokyo (and so on, not visiting China again)
Would this work for 2 separate uses of the 144 visas? one for Beijing and then one for Shanghai. I plan on staying in Hong Kong for 2 nights. Thanks.
Hi Gretchen, theoretically, that should work. There’s nowhere that China states any sort of restrictions on the number of times you can make use of the visa-free transit.
Hi, great post! Thanks for all the info!
Do you know whether you can apply for the 144 hour visa-free transit online? I read in two websites that you can at least start the application process via online before your flight so at your arrival you reduce the paperwork and the processing time to get the permit. However I haven’t been able to find the official Chinese website where you can start with the application…
Thanks in advance!
I am not aware of any online application. At best, you might be able to download the paperwork they will give you when you arrive, but I believe you’ll still have to fill out a new, official form upon arrival.
Hi any luck with this? In march i was able to use thAt link to regiSteR. You were supposed to be able to apply online ahead of time then you will be given a qr code to scan in maChine Upon arrival in china. Now that i have soLId dates for travel, that link to shanghai police bureau is now
BroKen.
wow i have done quite a bit of visa stuff within asia, but this is quite a pain…
I have a longish layover (6pm-8am) in beijing (september) & i only just discovered this weird rule as it seems it happened after i booked my flight. i’m going from america to korea so my plan was just to sleep at the hotel which I already booked to recover from the long haul flight. also as a woman, i don’t feel it is safe sleeping alone at an airport.
it has been extremely difficult getting answers from chinese immigration. the american consulate gave me a phone number that when asked for english just says “no”.
my worry is that even though americans are not required to have a tourist visa for the first 90 days in South Korea, china air may not recognize this & demand I show a korean visa. does anyone have experience with this?
i’m glad i got a cheap flight, but i am starting to really worry after seeing so many get stuck. i just want to sleep at the hotel right next to the airport. >_<
my plan is to provide the following:
*passport vaild till 2021
*printed flight itinerary showing my flight to korea the next morning
*printed airport hilton confirmation
any advice to calm my nerves?
I fly from London to Jakarta via Shenzhen with Shenzhen airlines. I have a 5-hour transit at Shenzhen airport. Do I (as a UK citizen) need a Chinese visa? It is a little confusing…
If you’re not leaving the airport and the ticket was purchased as a single leg, you won’t need a visa nor will you be using the visa-free transit since you probably won’t leave the airport.
I have been reading many articles on this rule, but Im still confused. Hope you can help me. So, here is my situation. I’m thinking about flying from USA to Japan and spending a week there. I would then fly to BeiJing and spend 3 nights (One-way ticket would be booked sepaRateLy). I would then fly from Beijing to USA, again on a separately booked one-way ticket. I will be traveling with two young children and a grumpy husBand, so you can probably understand my nervousness about the whole thing. On the Other hand, getting four visas to China (close to $600) is a significant expense. Has anyone done this type of a trip? Should I be concerNed?
Hello,
I am flying from Bangkok to Los Angeles but have 2 layovers in china. I have one in Guangzhou for 12 hours and the next is in beijing for 22 hours. I would like to take advantage of the 144 hour visa-free transit in beijing so I can do the great wall for the day. I will not be leaving the airport in guangzhou. will I be able to apply for the transit-visa in beijing? Or will it be restricted because i will be coming from guangzhou? my flight after beijing is straight to los angeles. Thank you so much!
yes u will be able to
Is it possible to do a Hong kong to Chengdu back to Macau trip with the 144 transit visa? I guess i’m wondering if hong kong and macau are considered separate.
As long as they are direct flights, according to the China embassy website, that would be considered an “international flight”.
It’s surprising how difficult it is to find anything about the 144h Visa Exemption on the official chinese websites or even the local Chinese Embassy website…
After finding out about the program I read somewhere that you now can apply online for this and with some further searching, I found the website of Shanghai Police: https://gaj.sh.gov.cn/crj/144zy.jsp
They want your name, citizenship, passport no., itineraries as well as hotel or residence address. When done, you get a QR code which can be scanned in the Arrival area in Shanghai and which then prints the arrival card.
We are using this as we fly from Switzerland via Helsinki to Shanghai, staying 2 days then leaving on a cruise to Japan. After a week, we come back to Shanghai, applying for another 144h visa exemption and then flying back to Switzerland via Finland.
I see beiJing west train station is a “port of entry” for the twov but can u confirm if passengers off the bullet train can obtain a visa. Im doing hong kong-beijing-sydney in december-january but i would like confirmation that i can obtain the visa as ive been told i can only get a visa on the overnight train as its locked where as the bullet train isnt!
I’m sorry, Stuart – I can’t confirm either way because China hasn’t been entirely clear.
I am travelling to india from paris through china. my transit is 19 hours. do i need transit visa.
You shouldn’t need a transit visa unless you plan to exit the airport. If it’s a normal layover on the same ticket, you’re usually fine. Check with your airline to be sure.
Hi,
Great article, clear and easy to understand. I know that I can use the 144 hour transit visa from the UK to Beijing, then onto Tokoyo. Is it possible though to fly back to Beijing from Tokoyo and then to the Uk if its over 6 days? We won’t be leaving the airport, but would be classed as a layover I think.
Hi Josh,
This is an excellent article with great iNfo.
My question is:
As Macau, Hong Kong are Both considered a third country. Can I enter the region of quandong PROVinCe From Macau via the gongbei port (vIa land transit). Does gongbei port has this 72 hours visa-free transit office? If yes, after we toured the region of guandong, can we take the train back to Hong Kong? Or can I do the reverse and enjoy the visa free transit ?
Thank you!!!
You need to check the government website listed here to see if the transit visa is offered at the Guangzhou train station. I can tell you that you won’t be able to enter via a land port and get the transit visa.
Hi Josh, does the “Temporary Entry Permit” take up a whole page?
I no longer have any completely blanks pages left in my passport and realise I will need to get a new one soon, but I have several pages with only one stamp on that could handle a half page sticker.
It’s a full-page visa, but I’m not sure whether or not they’re willing to cover another visa stamp. It will be best if you’re able to apply for another passport before you go.
I just visited China this week on the 144-hour transit “visa” and the sticker only took up 1/4 of the page; then the exit stamp was placed next to the visa sticker (so you need 1/2 a page in your passport to fit the stamps you’ll receive).
Josh – I can send you a picture if that’s helpful for this post
Hey Josh, thanks for your helpful description. Just one clrafication question: Do I need a Pre-reserved seat for the onwarding flight out of China or is it simply enough to show them the flight confirmation? Because I didn’t book a seat reservation in advance for my flight out of china.
Thanks for your precious answer!
I have been searching everywhere for an answer and your article has helped a lot! first I want to thank you for taking the time to write such a well written article on this subject matter. I am hoping someone can answer a question for me regarding the 144hr transit visa for my husband and myself. our trip will be from
SFO (san fransico, CA) – Shanghai (3 day stay)- fly to hong kong (3 day stay) – fly to tokyo japan (4 day stay)- fly home to SFO
we are purchasing our flights with united airlines and all are non stop (i think 1 flight is a different airline, however I am purchasing all from united) we plan on visiting the disney parks in all 3 cities
will we be ok using the 144hr visa-free option, i am a little confused on the “outbound” flight out of hong kong since that will not be our final destination…….
thank you in advance
What a fantastic page thank you.
My question is…
We fly with emirates on the 3rd october two nights in beijing then board our cruise ship on the 5th and sail around asia, japan, taiwan, Vietnam hong kong then finally disembark In singapore. We are hoping the 72/144 transit Will cover us.
But what would happen if they refuse us when we get there?
Could we buy tickets and fly straight to japan ( our first stop on the cruise) or would they send us back to the u.k?
If you’re boarding a cruise and you have proof of passage, you’ll be fine getting the visa-free entry. Worst-case scenario, they’ll turn you around at the airport and you can try to fly to Japan from there.
Hi, Thanks for all the info. One Query on 144 hr Transit visas
If we arriving in Kunming, do we have to leave through Kunming as well, or can we leave across the border into Vietnam by road ? ( not intending to Return into China)
Technically, you’re supposed to leave through the port where you entered.
Josh
in late October I will arrive at the new airport pkx Beijing daxing as ba flights will then be switched from pek Beijing capital airport.
I want then to apply for the 144 hour visa free. In all the documentation about this, including your transit visa eligibility inquiry button, the new airport is not mentioned.
do you know if it will be possible from the new airport?
Thanks
Richard
Oh man, Richard. That’s a great question and there is honestly no way for me to know for sure. My gut reaction is “Yea, of course they’ll do the visa-free transit from their new airport!” but honestly…it could be a while before that takes effect. You’ll have to keep testing the eligibility but it might be in your best interest to just get a Chinese visa.
I am planning a cruise trip the itinerary is from hong kong stop at Xiamen, china for i day and stop at shanghai, china f0r 2 days then to Japan, taiwan and back to hong kong.
please advise could i take the advantage of china visa-free transit by enter and exit xiamen port (same region) on the same date. then apply another visa-free transit when arrive at shanghai port (Different region).
Hi Peter, I advise you talk with your cruise company, but based on what I’ve heard from other cruise travelers, you should be able to use the visa-free transit in Shanghai.
Thanks for the article.
Is there any restriction on the purpose of the visit when apPlying for a 72h Free-visa transit? Can i cisit business partners?
I am not aware of any restrictions, although I wouldn’t broadcast that it’s for business purposes.
thanks for all the info posteD, howeVer i must let you know that if you arrive at chengdu airport, you’re only allowed in the City, not the wHole sichuan province which means no leShan (GianT buddah) or wolong (the other bIg nature reserve for Pandas).
I arrived last night in chengdu and was told that by the immigration offIcers.
AlSo, if your flIght leaves on a spEcific date and For any reason you want to leave early, that’s also not allowed and you’ll get in trouble.
I had planed 4 dAys here, because i wanted to go to leshan and Wolong, but noW i want to leave early and it’s not possible.
That’s all.
Safe travels everyone
hi there, I please have a question. If I fly to south korea via beijing from uk I can use the 144 hrs of visa free transit. can i use another 144 hrs on the return? Ex. I want to fly to beijing, stay there 3 days and then go to south korea for 2 days and then go back to beijing and stay another 2 days before flying back to the uk. many thanks! Francesca
Yes, you can.
Josh already answered yes correctly. For some additional info, I just did this, stayed over in Shanghai on the way thru and on the same trip stayed over in Guangzhou on the way back. I stayed two days in Shanghai and six days in Guangzhou.
Hi There
thank you so much for this fantastic page
i got a 144 hours transit visa with my departure flight number on the paper. i will neeed to fly out of china earlier than originally planned. do you think i will be able to do so?
many thanks!!!
That’s a good question…I’m not sure. You would need to discuss that with customs at the airport.
Thanks for all the great information. I had a 12+ hour (5:30am to 6:00pm) layover in Shanghai the last week of September, 2019. When I arrived at the appropriate counter for the 72 hour visa-free transit I was told that I was not eligible because my departing flight was scheduled for the same day as my arrival flight. I was travelling from Canada to Japan. There were other travellers in the same line who had a longer 15-hour same day layover (from USA to Australia) and they were told the same thing. We were all expecting to be able to visit Shanghai during our layover and we were all firmly rejected despite our best efforts. We got the impression that this was a recent policy change and also that it may not be a permanent policy change. I have another long layover in Shanghai on my way back to Canada in October and I don’t know how optimistic to be about getting a visa-free transit on that journey. If you can provide any helpful information, for myself or other travellers, that would be very much appreciated.
0n 01/10/19 my wife was refused a transit visa at immigration. We met all rUles i.e flew into beijing malaysia direct. Flying out within 72 hours to japan. The immigration chap with 3 pips on his SHOULDERS sought us out (we were european). He said whats this stamp my wife replied its a turkish visa i took my mum on a cruise. Refused entry. A us couple behind Us had a thailandbstamp refused……….uk and us citizens bewaRe
Hi! great info! Thanks.
Although my question is specific, I’m sure others have encountered it. We’re flying to Bangkok from Vancouver. We decided to take advantage of the Visa free transit To see sites in Beijing for one day. However our flight there stops in nanking for 3.5hrs. We will not be leaving the airport THERE but it means that we will not be arriving to Beijing from a different country. Does this void the eligibility?
Correct, this voids eligibility. You have to be landing in the international terminal as an international flight. Once you land in Nanking, you are now a domestic flight.
Do you need a completely blank page in the passport for the 144 hour long visa?
Yes, you will still need a blank page in your passport.
144 Hr tranit visa info.
I used to get a yearly visa for China. I have been there 28 times so pretty familiar with the regular visa process. This trip I used the 144hr visa for the first time, Here is what I learnt, hope this helps someone out there.
1- Make sure you have a copy of your forwarding flight.
2- Make sure you have a copy of your hotel booking for all the nights you are there.
FYI, I moved to a different hotel during the 144hr visa time and had no issues.
3- as most of you know the 144 is 6days and does not count the day of arrival.
4- Look for the visa tranit counter instead of regular customs line, be prepared for a wait, I waited approx an hr both times.
Overall is was pretty simple.
If I am arriving from a country that is not included in the 53 countries that can obtain the 144 hour visa, but I am using an american passport to enter China ( which does allow the 144 hour visa) would they still allow me to get the 144 hour visa because I’m using an american passport or do they look at the country I’m coming from?
Thank you
It’s all about your passport, not the country you’re arriving from or departing to.
To take advantage of the 144 hour Visa so I have to arrive and depart from the same airport? I found a flight into a Shanghai airport but the best flight leaving is from a different Shanghai airport. Will that be allowed?
As long as both flights are direct international flights, you can depart from the same city/different airport (this really only applies to Beijing and Shanghai).
I am bringing a group of students to tour Beijing and Shanghai (six days in Beijing and two in Shanghai). Will the 144 hour visa free apply for our group? This would save my students a lot of money.
No, it won’t, because the visa-free transit doesn’t allow you to travel between zones. Beijing and Shanghai are in different zones.
So my airlines just switched our arrival airport from pek to the new pkx. We have tickets already to depart from pek to our next country (Thailand) within the 144 time allowed for a transfer visa. Will this be a problem now and will I be denied the transit visa?
No, that won’t be a problem as long as you’re departing from the same city (Beijing, in this case).
I read some comments elsewhere that suggest that in order to make use of the VISA-free transit you must inform the airline during check-in for your inbound flight, and your luggage cannot be checked through to your final destination. Is that correct? We are going to leave the airport (PEK) for just a few hours and dragging along all our luggage would be a bit of a hassle.
For visa-free transit, you will need to get your luggage. Thankfully, the airports have paid storage for luggage that you can use.
thank you for this amazing article. i already apllied for a visa that i intend to use in a trip to china in march. In the meantime, can i go through China (in January) in transit enjoying the visa free permit without spending the visa i already applied for? Thank you
You should, although I would check that the visa you applied for and received was a multi-entry visa. If it was, you can just use that multiple times without any issues!
hi Josh, do you know with what stamps you cannot get a 144hours transit visa upon arrival? i have a stamp from the uae and turkey
I don’t think there’s a hard-and-fast rule here…it really depends on the customs officer as well as the port of entry.
Great article. Does this policy work in reverse? Every comment i see is based on home country -> china -> 3rd county -> home. Can you do Home country -> 3rd country -> china -> Home (assuming all the other requirements – no layovers, not exiting shanghai, < 144 hours, etc.) have been followed? THanks for the help!!
Excellent article.
A question, if I book a multi-city ticket, eg Australia -> Hong Kong -> Beijing -> Macau -> Hong Kong -> Australia. Am I eligible for a visa-free visa?