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72-Hour Visa-Free Transit FAQ

Passport holders of following the 54 countries can enjoy 72-hours visa-free Transit via Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, and airports of cities including Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian, Harbin, Xi'an, Guilin, Kunming, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin, Qingdao, Nanjing, Changsha, and Xiamen:

 Schengen 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

 Other European Countries: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland, Macedonia, Monaco, Republic of Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, UK, Ukraine

 America: US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile

 Oceania: Australia, New Zealand

 Asia: Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar

 Note:
Passengers holding passports of the above countries, if transiting in Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Xi'an, Chongqing, Liaoning, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xiamen, Qingdao or Kunming can enjoy a free stay of 144 hours. 

Passengers transiting in Guangdong can enter from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an Airport, or Jieyang Chaoshan Airport, and leave from any port in Guangdong.

Passengers transiting in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang can enter and exit from Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport, Nanjing Lukou AirportNingbo Lishe Airport or any port in Shanghai.

Those who transit in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei can enter and exit from Capital International Airport, Beijing West Railway Station, Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port, Zhengding International Airport or Qinhuangdao Beidaihe International Airport.

Those who transit in Liaoning can enter and exit from Shenyang Taoxian International Airport or Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport.

Those who transit in Chengdu, Wuhan, Kunming can only enter and exit from Shuangliu International Airport, Tianhe International Airport, or Changshui International Airport.

Those who transit in Xiamen or Qingdao can enter and exit from Gaoqi International Airport or Liuting International Airport and their sea ports. 


 See more about 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy.

For the most frequently asked questions about this policy concerned, we try to make a sweeping generalization here, and hope this is helpful.
 

FAQ about 72-hour Visa-free Transit:

 1. What documents are required for passengers from the above countries to benefit from this policy and apply for permits to go out of the airport?

 Passengers are qualified to transit in those cities without visa only if they have valid passport or travel documents, as well as the confirmed flight ticket onward to the third country or region and valid visa (if required).

 2. How and where can I apply for a transit permit if I plan to go out of the airport during my stopover?

 You can put forward your request for transit to your airline in advance, so that the airline can declare this to the Immigration Inspection prior to your visit. You will be granted a transit permit at the airport if you meet all requirements. NOTE: Beijing Capital International Airport has now changed this procedure, passengers can apply directly for 72 hour free transit permit after arrival at the airport.

 3. I plan to enter Shanghai first and then buy ticket to another country within 72 hours. Am I allowed entry and transit without visa?

 According to the requirements, you must provide confirmed ticket to the third country or region when apply for the free transit permit. Otherwise, you can not enjoy this policy.

 4. I have a flight ticket from New York to Shanghai, and a separate ticket back to Los Angles. May I use this 72 hour free transit?

 The answer is NO. The place of departure and destination should not be in the same country or region. If you fly from New York to a third country via Shanghai, then you apply to this policy.

 5. If I can not depart within 3 days, what should I do?

 If you cannot depart from the transit city within the 3 days allowed, then you should apply for a Chinese visa from local Public Security Bureau.

 6. I plan to take a flight to Beijing for 3 days, and then take Trans-Siberian train from there to Ulan Bator in Mongolia. Am I eligible for this trip?

 Visa is required if you visit China this way. 72 hour free transit policy is for air passengers only. That is to say, you have to leave by air from the same airport. For passengers who plan to enter or leave China by train or cruise, they should apply for either Chinese transit (G type) or tourist (L type) in advance.

 7. If the arrival and departure of flights is more than 72 hours, is it permissible remain in the airport for some of the time and go to the city for the 72 hours or is the timing form the flight times?

 If it is only several hours more than the requirements, you can apply to enjoy this policy without waiting. According to the latest information from the airports, the 72 hours are calculated from 00:00 the following day of the entry date to the scheduled departure time in almost all the airports. However, if you happen to transfer in Beijing, you had better consult the airport in advance by dialing 0086-10-56095400, just in case that the 72-hour period counts from the scheduled arrival time to the departure time.

 8. If I understood correctly, even with this free transit policy for 72 hours, a transit permit has to be done at the airport when arriving? And this transit permit has to be then registered in a police station in the 24 next hours? What happens if my stay there is only of 20 hours? Can I save myself this registration which is probably time-consuming?

 Yes, you are right, the transit permit should be done at the airport on arrival. But the registration will be done when you check into a hotel. It is not necessary to register yourself personally at the local police station.

 Anyway, if you still have questions on 72 hour visa-free transit, please contact the Immigration Office or airport for more information.

Beijing Airport Immigration Inspection 0086-10-56095400
Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection 0086-21-51105100
Guangzhou Airport Immigration Inspection 0086-20-36066950
Chengdu Airport 0086-28-85205555
Chongqing Airport 0086-23-966666
Shenyang Airport 0086-24-96833
Dalian Airport 0086-411-96600
Harbin Airport 0086-451-82894220
Xi'an Airport 0086-29-88796997
Guilin Airport 0086-773-2845359
Kunming Airport 0086-871-96566
Hangzhou Airport 0086-571-96299
Wuhan Airport Immigration Inspection 0086-27-85333600
Tianjin Airport Immigration Inspection 0086-22-24905908
Qingdao Airport 0086-532-96567
Nanjing Airport 0086-25-968890
Changsha Airport 0086-731-96777
Xiamen Airport Immigration Inspection 0086-592-5706805

 Further Reading:
China Visa-free Policy

How to Travel to China without a Visa


- Last updated on Sep. 02, 2024 by Brenda Lian -
Questions & Answers on 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit FAQ
Asked by Richard from UNITED KINGDOM | Oct. 08, 2024 06:24Reply
I am traveling to Taiwan, with 3 day lay over in Shanghai for visits
Can I get the 144 hour visa on arrival at Shanghai, as I will be going to Taiwan and then onto Hong Kong and then back to UK I am UK citizen and flying from UK to Shangha
Answers (1)
Answered by Borut | Oct. 08, 2024 23:27
00Reply


Richard, if your flight itinerary is:

UK - Shanghai - Taiwan

And you do not have any other landing (stop) of any kind within this segment beside the presented you are definitely eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in wider Shanghai area and you do not need any kind of visa. Please, just use correct terminology because this is not 144 hour visa, but 144 hour visa free transit.

Upon your landing in Shanghai you will approach 24/144 hour visa free transit where you will apply for a temporary entry permit by presenting your flight itinerary and your accommodation booking for at least the first overnight. Your permit will be granted and you will exit Shanghai to spend your time on your own. Have a nice journey.
Asked by Cristian from FRANCE | Sep. 17, 2024 06:24Reply
GUANGZHOU TO HONGKONG A/R VISA OR NOT VISA ?
Good morning. I am unable to obtain a clear answer to my question which consists of knowing whether a visa is necessary for a French citizen who has an 18-hour stopover in Guangzhou before going to Bali, and who would like to go to Hong Kong for a quick day trip? Thank you for your response and for all the contributions that make this site great. Yours truly. Christian
Answers (2)
Answered by Borut | Sep. 17, 2024 23:39
00Reply


Christian, since you are a French citizens you have to understand that you can enter/exit/stay/explore China absolutely visa free for a period of up to 15 days. In other words, you should just fill out an arrival card that will be dispensed on board of the plane before landing in Guangzhou where you will tick transit purpose. When you land you will just proceed to the immigration with your passport and the filled out arrival card. After a short check, you will exit the airport and you are free to explore the city or to take a high speed train to Hong Kong West Kowloon station. Also, you will easily return from Hong Kong, using again West Kowloon train station to Guangzhou. You will again fill out an arrival card before your departure from Hong Kong back to Guangzhou because your first arrival card will expire when you exit mainland China. You should just take care to plan your day trip carefully in order not to lose your connecting flight to Bali. Have a nice journey.
Answered by Cristian | Sep. 26, 2024 07:49
00Reply


Thank you very much for your response and your detailed and precise information. It's appreciable. Yours sincerely
Asked by Rebecca from UNITED KINGDOM | Aug. 31, 2024 06:10Reply
72 Hour Visa Free Shanghai
Hi…fly into Shanghai from London and change airlines for flight to Osaka….fly back to Shanghai from Tokyo for 2 days(3 nights) then fly back to London…..so 2 hours transit then 2 days in Shanghai a week later…..am I eligible for a 72 hour visa? Slight issue is have a Turkey stamp in my passport which I’ve read means potentially this is not allowed? Does anybody know? Thanks!
Answers (2)
Answered by Borut | Sep. 01, 2024 23:20
00Reply


Rebecca, bot of your transits via Shanghai are perfectly fine. During your first layover in Shanghai you will be covered by 24 hour visa free transit. However, you do not have to perform any formality for your very short transfer. You will just walk from one to the other gate and you will not be a subject of immigration or customs inspection, but you will just cross a security check between the two gates. You do not need to fill out any forms and perform any formality.

During your second transit in Shanghai you will be covered by 144 hour visa free transit and not 72 because 72 does not exist in Shanghai already for years. So, immediately upon landing you will approach 24/144 hour visa free transit where you will apply for a temporary entry permit by presenting your flight itinerary and your accommodation bookings. After a short check, your permit will be granted and you will then cross the immigration in order to enjoy your time in wider Shanghai area.

Turkey stamp is not a problem/issue and this subject seems to becoming a false legend. There is no a single problem as far as the Turkish stamp is concerned. You are definitely good to go.
Answered by Rebecca | Sep. 02, 2024 07:46
00Reply


Thank you so much Borut that is very helpful
Asked by Gary from UK | Aug. 06, 2024 01:48Reply
72 hours free-visa transit via Shanghai
HI, I am a UK citizen with the following proposed schedule, am I eligible for a 72 Hour visa on arrival ?

London to Tokyo (via Shanghai 3 hrs layover to change plane only)
Tokyo to Taipei
Taipei to Shanghai - Would like to exit and visit Shanghai area only for 72 Hrs
Shanghai to London
Answers (2)
Answered by Borut | Aug. 08, 2024 13:02
00Reply


You are definitely eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in Shanghai.
Answered by Leo | Aug. 08, 2024 20:09
00Reply


For the first arrival in Shanghai, you are eligible for 24-hour visa free transit. And for the second, you will be covered by 144-hour, which has replaced 72-hour visa free years ago.
Asked by Roslyn from AUSTRALIA | Jun. 09, 2024 21:20Reply
Aus Citizen - 144hr visa free transit
Hi,
We are travelling 25th September Australia to Shanghai (via Hong Kong on the same day but 2 different flights - booked at the same time so just transiting through Hong Kong as there was no direct flight to Shanghai), leaving Shanghai on the 28th, heading to Hong Kong before returning to Australia. Are we eligible for the 144hr visa free travel?
Answers (1)
Answered by Borut | Jun. 10, 2024 23:29
00Reply


Roslyn, unfortunately your itinerary is not eligible for any kind of visa free transit. Visa free transit rule is simple and it requires that your immediate points before and after mainland China have to be in two different countries or eligible territories (eligible territories are Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau). As you can see you have Hong Kong for both immediate points and this fact disqualifies your itinerary for any kind of visa free transit. If you only could, you should think about changing your flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong into Shanghai to Macau. That would be eligible for 144 hour visa free transit. After you land in Macau you are free to take a ferry or bus to Hong Kong. Try to adapt your itinerary in order to avoid the necessity to obtain a visa in advance.
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