Policy Dynamics |144-hour Visa-free Transit to 37 Locations

On July 15, 2024, the Chinese National Immigration Administration announced that three new ports of entry—Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, andMohan Railway Port—have been added to the list of ports eligible for the 144-hour visa-free transit policy. This brings the total number of ports of entry in China where this policy is applicable to 37.

According to the announcement, starting from July 15, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy will be implemented at the Zhengzhou Aviation Port in Henan Province, with the allowed stay area being the administrative region of Henan Province. Additionally, the allowed stay area for the 144-hour visa-free transit policy in Yunnan Province will be expanded from Kunming City to nine cities (prefectures) including Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu'er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, and Wenshan.

To date, the Chinese National Immigration Administration has implemented the 144-hour visa-free transit policy at 37 ports, including those in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang and Qinhuangdao in Hebei, Shenyang and Dalian in Liaoning, Shanghai, Nanjing and Lianyungang in Jiangsu, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, and Zhoushan in Zhejiang, Zhengzhou in Henan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Jieyang in Guangdong, Qingdao in Shandong, Chongqing, Chengdu in Sichuan, Xi'an in Sha’anxi, Xiamen in Fujian, Wuhan in Hubei, and Kunming, Lijiang, and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan.

Under the relevant policy, citizens of 54 countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, holding valid international travel documents and a connecting flight ticket with a confirmed date and seat for a destination within 144 hours, can transit through these ports to a third country (region) without a visa. They can stay in the designated areas for up to 144 hours and engage in short-term activities such as tourism, business, visiting relatives, or other purposes (if the country has signed a visa-free agreement with China or if China has unilaterally granted visa-free status, those rules apply).

A relevant official from the Chinese National Immigration Administration stated that since China implemented the 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy in January 2013, it has played a significant role in supporting high-level opening up, facilitating the movement of people between China and other countries, and promoting international exchange and cooperation. This expansion of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy in two provinces provides more options for foreign nationals visiting China for tourism and business. 

Moving forward, the Chinese National Immigration Administration will continue to improve and optimize the visa-free transit policy, advancing the opening up of immigration management systems to welcome foreign nationals to China with a more open attitude, fully supporting and promoting high-level opening up and high-quality development.

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