72/144-hour Visa-free Transit Step By Step!

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Since the 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy was introduced in China, the number of applicable countries and ports has been growing. China’s Transit Without Visa (TWOV) program allows expats to enter the country for up to six days visa-free, provided their travel plans meet certain requirements.

However, many expats are still quite confused about how it works - the most common questions are: can I enjoy the policy? How long can I stay, and where? 

Who can enjoy China 72/144-hour visa exemption?

List of 53 Qualified Countries.

24 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

15 Other European Countries:

      Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Belarus, Monaco

6 American Countries:

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

2 Oceania Countries:

      Australia, New Zealand

6 Asian Countries:

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

What is an eligible transit route?

A → B: one of three areas in Mainland China → C

 A and C should be different countries or regions out of Mainland China.

* Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can be the Destination A or C, so the route "UK-Shanghai-Hong Kong" is acceptable as the typical route "US-Hangzhou-Japan".

B refers to only one of the following three areas in China, and you cannot have a cross-area visa-free tour between the three:

1. Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang

2. Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei

3. Liaoning

 Key point: The international flights flying in and out of China – from A to B and from B to C – should be non-stop, without a stopover anywhere in Mainland China.

Eg:

×  UK – Guangzhou – Shanghai - Hong Kong

×  US – Beijing – Shanghai - France

Note: Both of Beijing and Shanghai are eligible for this policy, but you can only have one between the original country and the third country.

√  US – Dalian - South Korea

√  Singapore – Shanghai – Hangzhou - Malaysia

Note: Shanghai and Hangzhou (provincial capital of Zhejiang) are within one visa-free area.

What are the applicable ports? And what are the areas open to travel?

➀ Ports for 144-hour visa exemption and areas open to travel.

➁ Ports for 72-hour visa exemption and areas open to travel

72小时过境免签政策口岸和免签停留范围

Documents for Application:

1) Passport valid for at least 3 months from the date of entry.

2) Visa for a third country or region (if applicable).

3) A full completed Arrival/Departure Card (including name, nationality, passport no., visa no. & issuance place, flight no., purpose of visit, date of birth, gender).

4)An onward ticket with confirmed seat is also needed.

How do I request the 72/144-hour TWOV China: transit without visa?

6 Steps to Apply for 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit:

1.  Inform the carrier when boarding

2.  Fill an Arrival/Departure Card

3.  Apply for the 72/144-hour visa-free stay permit upon arrival

4.  Claim the luggage

5.  Go through the customs

6.  Leave the airport

*Note for Step 3:

Upon arrival, find the 72/144-hour visa-free counter at the immigration inspection to apply for the stay permit, which will be stamped on your passport indicating the allowed stay time. Remember to tell the officer if you have a visa for China but don't want to use it this time

How to count the layover time of 144 hours?

After confirming passenger’s qualification for 72/144-hour visa-free transit, the immigration inspection station will issue the foreign passenger a temporary entry permit. Then from 00:00 of the next day upon his/her arrival in China, the passenger can stay in the designated areas without a Chinese visa for 72/144 hours.

If you have other questions, feel free to check out The State Council’s English website. Click in the website or Scan the QR code to enter the State Council English website for more information.

http://app.www.gov.cn/govdata/html5/2018/visafreetransit/pc/index.html

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