ALL-IN-ONE! Guide for foreign nationals to learn about 144-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy
China has implemented a 24-hour visa-free transit policy for foreign nationals from all other countries around the world at all its accessible exit-entry ports. Want to know more? Let's take a look below!
What's the requirement?
Foreign nationals holding valid international travel documents and connecting tickets with confirmed seats, who intend to transit via China by international flights, ships, or trains to third countries or regions, are exempt from visa applications, provided that their stay periods in China will not exceed 24 hours and that they will remain within the corresponding ports. Those who plan to leave the ports must apply for temporary entry permits at the exit-entry border inspection authorities of the corresponding ports.
Currently, 41 exit-entry ports (Please see the attached pictures below) in 19 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government of China have implemented the 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit policy for foreign nationals from 54 countries. Citizens of 54 countries who hold valid international travel documents and confirmed connecting tickets for flights, trains and ships departing for third countries within 72/144 hours after having arrived in China, are eligible to transit through any of those ports without visas.
List of ports:
The latest expansion of the scope of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, which involves two provinces, will provide more options for foreign nationals to travel and trade in China. Moving forward, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) will continue to optimize the extant visa-free transit policies and intensify the institutional opening-up of immigration management. NIA also aims to welcome more foreign nationals to China with a more inclusive gesture and contribute to the greater opening-up and high-quality development of China.
Q: How can foreigners who are eligible to apply for 144-hour visa-free border crossing?
A: Eligible travelers can present their valid entry and exit documents and a combined ticket for a journey to a third country (region) with a confirmed date and seat within 144 hours to the staff, and the person in charge of the transport carrier will make a declaration to the border control point before arrival at the above-mentioned border control point according to the regulations. After verification and approval, the border checkpoint will process the 144-hour visa-free border crossing formalities.
Q: Can I apply for a 144-hour visa-free border crossing if I do not buy an exit ticket at the time of entry and plan to buy a ticket for departure to a third country within 144 hours after entering the country?
A: No. According to the regulations, eligible foreigners applying for a 144-hour visa-free entry must have a combined air ticket with a confirmed date and seat, i.e., they must have purchased an outbound air ticket before they enter the country.
Q: Can I apply this policy if I come to China from a country (region) with 144-hour visa-free entry and have booked an air ticket to return to my home country (region) within 144 hours on a confirmed date and seat?
A: No. According to the regulations, the 144-hour visa-free entry policy is for foreigners traveling to a third country or region in transit, so the country of origin and the country of destination must be different.
Q: What should foreigners who apply for the 144-hour visa-free entry policy pay attention to?
A: The border control authorities will not issue temporary entry permits to foreigners whose passports or other international travel documents are valid for less than 3 months, or who have the stamp of refusal by the visa authorities of China, or who have a record of illegal entry/exit, illegal residence, or illegal employment in the past 5 years.
During the period of visa-free entry and stay, foreigners should abide by Chinese laws and regulations, and should not exceed the permitted stay area or time limit. If a foreigner stays in a hotel, the hotel will register him/her as a lodger. If a foreigner resides or stays in a residence other than a hotel, he/she or the person who stays with him/her should register with the police station of the public security organ in the place where he/she resides or the service station for foreigners within 24 hours of his/her moving in.
For those who have exceeded the scope or time limit of the stay area and left the country through non-designated border crossing ports, as well as those visa-free entries who have not registered their accommodation by the law, the entry/exit border control authorities or the local public security authorities shall impose penalties following the law.
Q: What should foreigners do if they are unable to leave the country in time within 144 hours after applying for a 144-hour visa-free entry procedure due to special reasons?
A: In case of force majeure and other reasons to stay in the visa-free zone for more than 144 hours, they should apply to the Exit-Entry Administration of the public security authorities for the corresponding stay documents according to regulations.
Q: What are the requirements to apply for visa-free entry for transit?
A: 1. The applicant must be a citizen of one of the 54 countries covered by the visa-free entry/exit permit.
2. The applicant must hold a valid international travel document that proves his/her nationality.
3. The applicant must have a joint ticket or relevant proof of travel to a third country (region) with a confirmed date and seat within 144 hours.
List of 54 countries:
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Within their stay periods, they can travel, engage in business activities, visit their friends and relatives, and engage in other short-term activities (subject to the relevant provisions if applicable to mutual visa exemption agreements signed with China or China's unilateral visa exemption).
(English Editor: Darius Zhao, Kiki Zhang)
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