Enter China Without Visa: 24, 72 & 144 Hour Options!
Foreign travelers transiting through China have several options for transit visa exemptions. These transit visa exemptions allow eligible foreign travelers a visa free visit for 24, 72, or 144 hours.
Although requirements for each transit visa exemption are different, each transit visa exemption stipulates that foreign travelers are only eligible when traveling through China between two different countries. Further, onward travel must occur within 24, 72, or 144 hours of arrival.
Procedure
[Note] In most cases, the transit visa exemption only allows the traveler to visit the province of their arrival.
The 24 hour Transit Visa Exemption
Foreign travelers transiting through China within 24 hours to reach another country of destination may be eligible for a 24 hour Transit Visa Exemption. This visa exemption is available to all foreigners, and most ports of entry in China.
The 72 hour Transit Visa Exemption
Foreign travelers transiting through China within 72 hours to reach another country of destination may be eligible for the 72 hour Transit Visa Exemption.
This visa exemption is only available to citizens of participating countries traveling through participating ports of entry in China.
To obtain this visa exemption, the foreign national must have a valid passport from one of the 53 countries, which includes:
| Continent | Country |
Asian (6) | Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. |
Schengen countries in Europe (24) | Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovak, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. |
Other European countries (13) | Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania. |
American countries (6) | The United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile. |
Oceanian (2) | Australia and New Zealand. |
Further, eligible travelers must be transiting through one of the following 19 cities:
Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hangzhou, Harbin, Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xiamen, or Xi’an.
[Note]Notably, authorities continue to expand the list of cities where 72 hour Transit Visa Exemptions are applicable.
The 144 hour Transit Visa Exemption
Foreign travelers transiting through China within 144 hours to reach another country of destination may be eligible for the 144 hour Transit Visa Exemption.
This visa exemption is available to citizens of countries that are eligible for the 72 hour Transit Visa Exemption; however, the number of paticipating cities is more limited.
To obtain this visa exemption, the foreign national must have a valid passport from one of the 53 countries that are eligible for the 72 hour Transit Visa Exemption.
Currently, the 144 hour Transit Visa Exemption is only available to travelers transiting through 6 cities:
Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jieyang, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Nanjing.
[Note]Authorities announced that the visa exemption will be expanded to Beijing, Tianjian, and another location in Hebei province, while other cities will likely follow.
The 144 hour transit visa exemption destinated ports are as follow:
Guangdong Province
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport(CAN)
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport(SZX)
Jieyang Chaoshan Airport(SWA)
Jiangsu,Zhejiang&Shanghai
Shanghai Pudong International Airport(PVG)
Shanghai-Hongqiao International Airport(SHA)
Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal
Shanghai WuSongKou International Cruise Terminal
Shanghai Railway Port
Nanjing Lukou International Airport(NKG)
Hangzhou International Airport(HGH)
Are You Qualified For China Z-visa!
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