144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in China
China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy is carried out in Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Chengdu, Xi'an, Chongqing, Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Xishuangbanna and other 5 areas in Yunnan as well as Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, to facilitate international travelers. It allows passengers from 54 countries or regions to transit in Guangdong Province, Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Liaoning Province, Sichuan Province or Chinese cities of Xi'an, Chongqing, Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Kunming and other main cities or autonomous prefectures in Yunnan for no more than 144 hours (6 days) without holding a visa.
Who can enjoy China 144-hour visa exemption? - List of 54 Qualified Countries
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China 144-hour visa sample |
25 Schengen Agreement Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, 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
* The same as countries enjoying 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit.
What is an eligible transit route?
A → B: one of the allowed areas in Mainland China → C
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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 areas in China, and you cannot have a cross-area visa-free tour among them:
1. Guangdong
2. Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang
3. Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei
4. Liaoning
5. Chengdu
6. Xiamen
7. Qingdao
8. Wuhan
9. Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Yuxi, Puer, Chuxiong, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, Wenshan
10. Xi'an
11. Chongqing 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.
In which Chinese cities can I get a visa exemption for 144 hours?
1. Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang
Shanghai: All international air, sea and railway ports, including Pudong Airport, Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Wusong Passenger Transport Center and all railway stations.
Hangzhou of Zhejiang: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport
Ningbo of Zhejiang: Ningbo Lishe Airport
Nanjing of Jiangsu: Nanjing Lukou Airport
Cruise ports in Lianyungang, Wenzhou and Zhoushan
Entry and Exit Ports
Passengers can enter and leave from any of the above ports. Eg: One can take a cruise to Shanghai and leave by air from Hangzhou or Nanjing.
Areas Allowed to Stay
Passengers can move around Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If one have to go to other cities or can't leave within 144 hours, he/she should go to a nearby Public Security Bureau to apply for a visa.
See more about 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang
2. Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei
Beijing: Capital International Airport, Daxing International Airport
Tianjin: Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port
Shijiazhuang of Hebei: Zhengding International Airport
Qinghuangdao of Hebei: Qinhuangdao Beidaihe International Airport
Passengers are allowed to enter and exit from any of these ports and move around the three places.
See more about 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei
3. Liaoning Province
Dalian: Zhoushuizi International Airport, International Cruise Port
Shenyang: Taoxian International Airport
Passengers are allowed to enter and exit from either of the two ports and move around the whole province.
See more about 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Liaoning
See more about 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Chengdu
5. Xiamen: Gaoqi International Airport and Cruise ports
6. Wuhan: Tianhe International Airport
7. Yunnan: Changshui International Airport, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, Mohan Railway Port
8. Qingdao: Liuting International Airport and sea ports
Passengers are permitted to stay in the whole Shandong Province.
See more about 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Qingdao
9. Guangdong
Passengers are allowed to enter via Guangzhou Airport, Shenzhen Airport, Jieyang Airport, Guangzhou international cruise port, Shenzhen international cruise port and travel within Guangdong Province.
See more about 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Guangdong
10. Xi'an: Xi'an Xianyang International Airport
See more about 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Xi'an
11. Chongqing: Jiangbei Airport, Wanzhou Wuqiao Airport
See more about 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Chongqing
12. Henan: Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport
How do I request the 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 144-hour visa-free stay permit upon arrival
4. Claim the luggage
5. Go through the customs
6. Leave the airport
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Note for Step 3:
Upon arrival, find the 144-hour visa-free counter at the immigration inspection to apply for the entry 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.
Documents Needed for Application
Passport valid for at least 3 months from date of entry
![British passport](/images/photogallery/2018/0629115610.jpg)
Ticket to a third country with confirmed seat and date
![International Flight Tickets](/images/photogallery/2018/0629115624.jpg)
Fully completed Arrival/ Departure Card
![China Temporary Arrival Card](/images/photogallery/2018/0629115632.jpg)
* Prepare a valid visa if the third country or region in your plan requires.
* Hotel reservations may be required if you want to leave the airport.
How to count the layover time of 144 hours?
It counts from 00:00 of the day following passengers' arrival. That is to say, the allowed time to stay is actually longer than 144 hours.
Eg: If one arrives at 6:00 am on July 1, the layover time counts from 00:00 of July 2 and the passenger should hold a ticket with the scheduled departure time before 23:59 of July 7. In this case, the allowed stay period is 162 hours in maximum.
What can I do during the 144 hours?
Weeklong Tour in China
Convenient transportation among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei endows tourists with a smooth trip, whether they enter by air, cruise ship, or international train. It's a must to visit the Great Wall and Forbidden City to explore China's long history and traditional culture. The Ancient Cultural Street in Tianjin and Shanhaiguan Great Wall in Hebei should not be missed either.
If using the visa-free transit in Shanghai, after visiting the Bund, Huangpu River, and skyscrapers, one can travel to Suzhou to see the classical Chinese gardens and elegant water towns. A stroll by the West Lake in Hangzhou and a taste of the delicious local snacks must be a perfect ending of the trip.
A trip to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Zhuhai along China's south coast is a good choice to feel the energetic economic development.
Business Conferences and Trade Fairs
6 days are enough to attend various trade fairs or forums in Beijing, Shanghai, or the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, conduct market research, review suppliers' factories, or sign contracts with partners.
Further Contact Information
Shanghai | General Station of Immigration Inspection | 0086-21-51105100 |
Nanjing | Lukou Airport | 0086-25-968890 |
Hangzhou | Xiaoshan Airport | 0086-571-96299 |
Beijing | Capital International Airport Immigration Inspection | 0086-10-56095400 |
West Railway Station | 0086-10-56092165 | |
Tianjin | Binhai International Airport | 0086-22-24905908 |
International Cruise Home Port | 0086-22-25605128 | |
Shijiazhuang | Zhengding International Airport | 0086-311-88027961 |
Qinhuangdao | Qinhuangdao Beidaihe International Airport | 0335-7520000 |
Dalian | Zhoushuizi International Airport | 0086-411-96600 |
Shenyang | Taoxian International Airport | 0086-24-96833 |
Guangzhou | Baiyun Airport | 0086-20-36066622 |
Shenzhen | Bao'an Airport | 0086-755-82327700 |
Jieyang | Chaoshan Airport | 0086-663-3828770 |
Chengdu | Shuangliu Airport | 0086-28-85205555 |
Xiamen | Gaoqi Airport | 0086-592-96363 |
Qingdao | Liuting Airport | 0086-532-96567 |
Wuhan | Tianhe Airport | 0086-27-96577 |
Kunming | Changshui Airport | 0086-871-96566 |
Xi'an | Xianyang Airport | 0086-29-96788 |
Chongqing | Jiangbei Airport | 0086-23-966666 |
Note:
Note that if 1) you are not able to show any of the required documents listed above, 2) or your route does not qualify, 3) or you have overstayed in a country or been refused in visa application before, you may face the possibility of being refused at the 144 visa-free counter. For fear of inconvenience caused by such case, please make sure that you are eligible or apply for a regular visa in advance.
Further Reading:
China Visa-free Policy
How to Travel to China without a Visa
Shanghai 15-day Visa-Free Policy for Cruise Tour Groups
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I am traveling with the Highspeed train from Luang Prabang (laos) to Kunming. I read that there is 90 minutes to cross the Laos-China border. Will this work with the current visa exemption rule? I am nervous to cross the border at the train station. We should be able to visit China for up to 15 days without a visa currently. (info of Swiss embassy on visa-free entry: http://ch.china-embassy.gov.cn/ger/ls_fw_s_1/sbqz/202405/t20240508_11300755.htm)
Thanks for your help
Aidan
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https://gaj.sh.gov.cn/crj/ka144/default.jsp
The online application doesn't seem to always work properly and it is not clear if it is worth doing.
Any recommendations?
Thank you.
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Just do not worry. It is important that your itinerary is an eligible one and all the formalities you are supposed to accomplish will be accomplished upon your landing in Shanghai. Just have your flight tickets available for inspection as well as your accommodation booking confirmation for at least the first overnight in Shanghai. The processing of the formalities upon your landing in Shanghai are free of any charge.
You should just be relaxed and enjoy your journey and the time you will have in Shanghai and in your following destinations. Have a nice journey.
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London ---- Hong Kong (direct flight; stay in HK for 6 days)
Hong Kong ----- Shanghai (direct flight; stay in Shanghai for 5 days)
Shanghai ------- London (with a short transit via Hong Kong; not leaving the airport).
Would you be able to confirm if this route would still be elligible for the 144 hour visa. It’s seems not?
And, another question; if I book flights separately (rather than one one flight itinerary) is this okay? So if I book a single direct flight from London to Shanghai and then a single flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong is this okay, as long as I can provide evidence of the departing flight on arrival in China?
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As far as your second question is concerned, I assure you that separate tickets are fine and they always were as long as they assure that your itinerary will be:
Country A - Country B (mainland China) - Country C
In other words, your itinerary:
London - Shanghai - Hong Kong
Is definitely eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in Shanghai regardless of the fact that you will fly on separate tickets. When you land in Shanghai, you will present your flight tickets and you will be allowed to exit the airport and to enjoy your time on your own. Please, have in mind that you will have to present your flight tickets even in London at the time of check-in because they will want to confirm that your flight itinerary is eligible for Chinese 144 hour visa free transit scheme. Have a nice journey.
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we want to go to HOng kong too. it is much cheaper for me to get my flight to Pudong On a return and fly as below -
MANC - Pudong 1st -7th August (144 hour transit free visa)
Pudong- Hong Kong 8th - 12th August (don’t need visa)
Hong Kong to Pudong 12-14th august (144 hour transit visa free)
Pudong to Manchester - 15th august.
Is this eligible for 144 hour visa twice? Please can someone confirm. Or would it count as a round trip?!
I’m so confused. Thank you!
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Manchester - Shanghai - Hong Kong
Hong Kong - Shanghai - Manchester
In the eyes and based on 144 hour visa free transit rules, one visa free transit journey ends in country A (UK in your case), travels through country B (mainland China in your case) and terminates when it reaches country C (Hong Kong acts as a country for this rule regardless of the fact that it is an integral part of the country of China). When it has reached country C, the journey is over and you can start a new one. So, you should not be confused, but quite contrary, relaxed and enjoy your upcoming journey.
If you plan to stay at your friend in Shanghai instead of a hotel, you can do that, just have her/his full identity, address and a phone number ready because you will have to supply the immigration officials with these details. Also, you will have to register at the closest PBS within 24 hours upon your arrival, accompanied with your friend. Just a formality, but it has to be done. If you plan to stay at the hotel, you do not perform any formality.
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