Visa-Free Stay for Foreigners From 54 Countries – Complete Guide
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Beside foreign nationals from 53 countries and regions that could take 144/72-hour visa-free transit in China, those from Norway will also get benefit from same policy soon, according to China’s foreign minister Qin Gang.
Prior to the COVID pandemic, data revealed that the Visa-Free Transit programme has allowed 452,000 foreigners entry from January 2013 to September 2019.
The 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy & Tips!
One of China’s policies for granting visa exemption to eligible foreigners travelling from specific countries is the 144/72-hour visa-free transit policy. It enables travellers from 53 countries or regions to transit through certain cities for up to 144/72 hours (6 or 3 days) without needing a visa, provided they are from the countries listed, enter and leave China through ports that are eligible, stay in the permitted cities and regions, and meet other requirements.
Cities With a 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Policy
The 144-hour and 72-hour visa-free transit policies for personnel from 53 countries are currently in effect in a total of 23 cities in 18 provinces (including autonomous areas and municipalities).
Among them, 27 ports in 20 cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Chengdu, Xiamen, Kunming, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jieyang, Chongqing, Xi’an and Ningbo carry out the 144-hour visa-free policy for foreigners in transit; 3 ports in Changsha, Guilin and Harbin implement the 72-hour visa-free policy for transiting foreigners.
List of 53 Countries Eligible for 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit
To obtain this visa exemption, the foreign national must have a valid passport from one of the 53 countries, which includes:
24 countries in the Europe Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
15 other countries in Europe: Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, and Belarus.
6 countries in the Americas: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
2 countries in Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.
6 countries in Asia: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
If there is any doubt regarding whether the policy covers the transiting Chinese cities or the nations of origin, one can check the State Council of China’s website: http://app.www.gov.cn/govdata/html5/2018/visafreetransit/pc/index.html
↓ Application Documents↓
-Valid passport issued by 53 countries mentioned above
-Visa for a third country or region
-A fully completed Arrival/Departure Card (including name, nationality, passport no., visa no., issuance place, flight no., purpose of visit, date of birth, gender)
-An onward ticket with confirmed seat is needed
-The foreign travelers may also be required to answer some questions at immigration control upon arrival.
It is crucial to remember that foreign nationals applying for visa-free transit in China must have different departure and arrival nations. Those who don’t have tickets to other countries or who return to their home country after arriving in China will be turned away and must apply for a regular visa.It will be illegal to enter China under the visa-free transit programme if you do not continue your journey to a third nation.
- Procedure
- Inform the
airlines when boarding
- Fill an Arrival /
Departure Card
- Apply the
144-hour permit
- Claim the luggage
and go through the custom
- Leave airport
Please be aware that you can apply for the stay permit upon arrival, which will be stamped in your passport to indicate the maximum duration of stay, at the immigration inspection where you can obtain a 144-hour visa-free period. If you have a China visa but don’t want to use it this time, don’t forget to let the officer know.
For those who enter from Shanghai, they can also make online application through https://gaj.sh.gov.cn/crj/144zy.jsp and print the entry card after arrival.
↓72/144 Visa-Free Arrival FAQ↓
1) How to Count the Stay Time for the 144/72 Hours?
It counts from 00:00 of the day following passengers’ arrival. That is to say, the allowed time to stay is actually slightly longer than 144/72 hours.
2) What Can You Do During the 144/72 Hours?
6-day or 3-day tour in the specified cities
Business meetings and trade fairs
The 144-hour visa-free transit policy is mentioned in the China International Import Expo website. As a suggestion for those who meet the criteria: https://www.ciie.org/zbh/en/19SER/TBS/144Hour/
3) Important Things to Know (You May Be Rejected!)
The 144-hour visa-free transit policy does not mean the foreign travelers can go to any city in China. It depends on the exact port of entry.
In most cases (except in Guangdong Province), the foreign travelers will be required to exit the country through one of the same ports that are permitted for entry. In most cases, this will be the same port as the one you arrived through.
However, there are specific circumstances in which entrance without a visa may be refused!
In any of the following situations, the immigration authorities at the border may decline to provide you a temporary entrance permit:
1) If Chinese laws or administrative regulations prohibit your entry to China;
2) If a previous rejection stamp from a Chinese visa-issuing body is present in your passport or another international travel document, or if it expires in less than three months;
3) If you have previously entered or left China illegally, lived or worked there unlawfully within the preceding five years;If you have a history of breaking the rules governing lodging registration within the previous two years and the circumstances were deemed “severe”;
4) If you are not travelling through China on your way to a third country after leaving China, as the visa-free transit policy only applies to such individuals.
5) The crew members of international aircraft or ships, as well as their accompanying family members, are not covered by the visa-free transit policy.
Source:xinhua
*The opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author.*
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