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, and Kunming 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, and Kunming 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
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
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
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
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
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 sea ports
6. Wuhan: Tianhe International Airport
7. Kunming: Changshui International Airport
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, or Jieyang Airport, and travel within Guangdong Province.
See more about 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Guangdong
10. 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
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
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
Ticket to a third country with confirmed seat and date
Fully completed Arrival/ Departure Card
* 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.
3 Days Private Beijing City Tour from $429
Beijing Mini Group Tours from $139
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
Flying from USA to Shanghai (non-stop)
Taking Cruise from Shanghai to Japan (next day) 5 day cruise
Return on Cruise ship to Shanghai
Flying from Shanghai to USA (non-stop) same day
Does this qualify for 2 - 144hr visas?
When I say 24 or 144 hour visa free transit, it depends whether your layover in Shanghai, counting from your scheduled arrival in Shanghai, until your scheduled departure from Shanghai is shorter or longer than 24 hours. It is obvious that your second stay in Shanghai will be shorter than 24 hours, but I cannot be certain about your first stay. Never mind and you really do not have to bother about this because being it 24 or 144 hour visa free transit, this is perfectly the same in your case and you can proceed with your travel plans with perfect peace of mind, free from visa related formalities.
Roundtrip Ticket 1: NYC > Shanghai (5/16/24 - 6/1/24)
**144 Hours: Will enter Shanghai 5/17, since this policy starts the next day..thinking I could stay 5/18-5/23 in the city. Before 5/23 ends, I will be leaving.
Roundtrip Ticket 2: Shanghai > Astana (5/23/24 - 6/1/24)
I plan to enter Shanghai for ~5-6 days from USA, and then leave for Astana (Kazakhstan) for a business trip. Once the trip is over, I plan to return back to Shanghai in time for my flight back to USA on 6/1/24 (I will not be leaving Shanghai Pudong Airport, simply returning to Shanghai so I can return home).
Also, my Roundtrip 2 may contain a stop in either Xi'an/Urumqi to transfer flights to Astana (not leaving airport)...those are the only options I see available for my specific dates above.
Booking 2 roundtrips here instead of various one-way tickets because I find it more affordable. Please let me know if I am eligible. Thank you!
I have a trip coming up to Astana, Kazakhstan. If I were to purchase a roundtrip from NYC to Shanghai (ex: 6/1 - 6/20), and purchase a roundtrip from Shanghai to Astana (6/5 - 6/19 or 6/20), could this qualify? In my mind, I'm thinking that so long as I have purchased the ticket with Astana and just plan the Shanghai stop as a place to transfer flights back to NYC, I should have no issues. I have not seen others on the internet say they ever purchased roundtrip flights in this way to use the visa-free entry, so asking on this forum.
Much appreciated, thank you!
New York - Shanghai - Astana - Shanghai - New York
Or in other words, you plant to have roundtrip Shanghai - Astana - Shanghai within the roundtrip New York - Shanghai - New York.
If my understanding is correct and based on the dates you have presented, I can just confirm that you are definitely eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in Shanghai twice or better to say that the first time in Shanghai you will be eligible for 144 hour visa free transit and during your second arrival in Shanghai you will be covered by 24 hour visa free transit since your layover (transit time) in Shanghai will be shorter than 24 hours. This is fine, eligible and no visa is needed.
Just one important, additional information. During your second arrival in Shanghai, you will have to exit the airside because since you are flying in separate tickets, you will have to exit the airside in order to collect your luggage and to perform new check-in for your flight to New York. This is all fine and the first thing you will do upon your landing from Astana is to approach the transit counter where you will apply for a temporary entry permit in order to be allowed to exit the airside to perform new check-in and all other formalities. Here you will present your flight tickets and after a short check, you will be granted a free temporary entry permit.
In the end, I would like to emphasize one detail... There are no direct flights between Shanghai and Astana and vice versa, so you should be careful that your itinerary Shanghai to Astana and vice versa does not have any additional landing within mainland China because if you plan something like this, you would be ineligible for 144 hour visa free transit!
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