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144-hour Visa-free Transit in Beijing, Tianjin & Hebei

The 144-hour visa-free transit has been implemented in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei since December 28th, 2017. It enables air, train, and ship passengers heading for a third country or region to stay within the three places for up to six days without needing a visa application.

Tourists qualifying for the 144-hour free transit can move freely in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei within the 6 days. For example, if an UK passport holder entering from Beijing Capital International Airport intends to visit Beijing for 6 days, and then catch a leaving flight in Tianjin airport, there is no problem that the 144-hour visa-free transit can cover the trip and no visa will be required for the British.

Who can enjoy the 144-hour visa exemption? - List of 54 Qualified Countries

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

What Is An Eligible Route?

A: departure country ⇒ B: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei ⇒ C: the third country or region

Passengers cannot have any stop in Mainland China between A and B, and B and C. For example, if the passenger stops in Guangzhou before entering Beijing, Tianjin, or Hebei, he or she cannot enjoy the 144-hour visa-free transit.

How to Apply for 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit?

For the application, documents including your passport valid for at least three months, visa (if applicable) and onward ticket to the third country or region should be prepared. Then you can follow the steps in the chart.

What Are the Eligible Transit Ports?

	Ports	Contact Information
Beijing	Capital International Airport	0086-10-56095400
	Daxing International Airport	0086-10-96158
	West Railway Station	0086-10-56092165
Tianjin	Tianjin Binhai International Airport	0086-22-24905908
Tianjin	Tianjin International Cruise Home Port	0086-22-25605128
Hebei	Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport	0086-311-88027961
	Qinhuangdao Beidaihe International Airport	0086-335-7520000
	Qinhuangdao Port	0086-335-3093256

As only the West Railway Station in Beijing allows the 144h visa-free transit, passengers taking international trains to / from Moscow, Ulaanbaatar, and North Korea cannot enjoy it, while those takings trains to / from Hanoi and Hong Kong are eligible.

From May 15, 2024, foreign cruise tour groups organized by China travel agencies can enter through 13 coastal cities visa free like Tianjin, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Sanya and stay in coastal provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities including Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Shanghai and Tianjin and also the capital Beijing for 15 days.

What Can I Do During the 144 Hours?

Sightseeing in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei

Thanks to the developed intercity high speed trains, it is quite easy for visitors to transfer from Beijing to Tianjin or cities in Hebei. The One-Card system for public buses and subways will run in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, making it even more convenient to travel in the region. Why not take advantage of this visa-free transit and easy transportation to make a trip in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region?

Foreigners transiting under eligible countries’ passports are able to enjoy 144-hour visa-free transit to travel within the qualified transit zone. Beijing is not only the political and economic center of China, but also a well-known tourist resort covering a large number of attractions, such as the Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven. Paying a visit to the grand Great Wall will highlight your private trip in Beijing. You could also go to Qinhuangdao City to appreciate the fascinating natural landscape of Beidaihe. In addition, viewing the Chengde Mountain Resort is recommended for it will provide you with a retreat in hot summer.

Recommended Tours

Beijing Mini Group Day Tour from $89

Great Wall Day Tour from $139

Beijing 3 Days Tours from $245

4 Days Best Private Beijing Tour from $529

Cost-efficient Shopping With Tax Refund Policy in Beijing and Tianjin

Trans-city tax refund in Beijing and Tianjin will help you to reduce the budget. Travelers can buy things at designated tax free stores in Beijing and Tianjin and choose to apply for a tax refund in either city. For example, if you buy things in Tianjin and your leaving flight is in Beijing, you can get the refund at the Beijing airport.

Read More:
An Ultimate Guide for Layover in Beijing
How to Plan an 8-hour Layover in Beijing: Advices for 4 to 12 Hours’ Stay
Perfect Plan for an Overnight Layover in Beijing: 12 to 24 Hours
What to do in Beijing in one day – 6 Special Things to Do
Long Layover in Beijing – How to Spend 1 to 6 Days in Beijing?
How Many Days to Spend in Beijing?
Beijing Itinerary 4 Days: What to Do & How to Plan
Beijing Itinerary 5 Days: What to See & How to Plan
How to plan a Beijing itinerary 6 days?
Beijing Itinerary 7 Days: How to spend one week in Beijing

Further Reading on China 144-Hour Visa-Free Policy:

144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang
144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Liaoning
144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Guangdong
Xiamen, Wuhan, Qingdao, Chengdu, Kunming, Xi'an, Chongqing

- Last updated on Oct. 03, 2024 by Catherine He -

Questions & Answers on 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Beijing, Tianjin & Hebei

Asked by Jani from SLOVENIA | Sep. 26, 2024 04:32

Visa or free transit visa for 144h visit?

Hello,
I am planning to visit the fair in Beijing. I fly directly from the Schengen country to Beijing and back to the Schengen country. The visit to the fair will last less than 144 hours. Do I need a visa or can I apply for free transit, even though it is not a classic transit but a short visit?
Thanks in advance for your answer.

Answers (2)

Answered by Borut | Sep. 26, 2024 23:40

Jani, you can do that, but under the condition that your flight originates from one and terminates in another Schengen country. This is eligible itinerary:

Budapest (Hungary) - Beijing - Milano (Italy)

or

Vienna (Austria) - Beijing - Prague (Czechia)

However, you cannot do this:

Budapest (Hungary) - Beijing - Budapest (Hungary)

Also, those flights have to be of nonstop type and you cannot have two landings within mainland China in a row of any kind. For example, this is not allowed:

Budapest - Shanghai - Beijing - Vienna

Or to be totally precise, the very basic rule of 144 hour visa free transit clearly states that the immediate points before your mainland Chinese destination have to be in two different countries or eligible territories (eligible territories are Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau).

So, regardless of the fact that you will use your travel as a visit, if you have a formula A (country) - B country (China) - C (country), you are considered to be in a transit and you have a right to enjoy 144 hour visa free transit in wider Beijing area absolutely visa free. I wish you a pleasant journey.

Answered by Borut | Oct. 03, 2024 03:44

Jani, I wanted to inform you that Slovene citizens will not need a visa to visit China for a stay of up to 15 days starting from October 15. So, if it happens that you fly after that date, you can have an itinerary as you wish because you can enter China visa free and you do not have to bother yourself with this visa free transit and similar stuff.

Asked by Gonzalo Hernandez from MEXICO | Sep. 18, 2024 10:52

Mexican: Going from Kenya to Beijing them to Mexico with a stop in USA

For the 144 hour visa free: I’m Mexican going to Kenya for 9 days. Then take a flight to Beijing with one stop at Doha. Arrive to Beijing on the 12th Oct. Staying in Beijing until 18th Oct for a Conference. Leave Beijing to Mexico on 18th Oct with one stop in USA. Is the is OK?

Answers (1)

Answered by Borut | Sep. 18, 2024 23:16

Yes, your itinerary is eligible for 144 hour visa free transit, but you should have in mind that your itinerary is not allowed to have any additional landing within mainland China beside Beijing. If your immediate points before and after Beijing are Doha and a certain airport in US, you are perfectly and undeniably eligible for 144 hour visa free transit scheme and you can proceed with your travel plans.

Also, it is important to emphasize that it is perfectly acceptable to use separate flight tickets and unrelated airlines as long as your itinerary is acceptable as it is in your case. All in all, you are good to go and I wish you a pleasant journey.

Asked by Jim from USA | Sep. 06, 2024 20:43

Eligible Routing?

I'm a US citizen who wants to spend 4 days in Beijing.

Origin: South Korea
Layover: Hong Kong (4 hour layover)
Destination: Beijing

4 days later...

Depart: Beijing
Layover: South Korea (3 hour layover)
Destination: USA

Is this eligible routing for 144 hour visa free transit? My understanding is that only immediate flights to/from Mainland China matter. So in my case, Country A = Hong Kong, Destination B = Beijing, Country C = South Korea.

And that's true even if I don't clear immigration during my layovers? I plan on staying in the terminal if possible.

Answers (1)

Answered by Borut | Sep. 08, 2024 23:59

Jim, you have perfectly understood the scheme. Indeed, you are definitely and undeniably eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in wider Beijing area. It is true that only the immediate points count regardless of the nature of the formalities you will have to or not have to accomplish there. So, your immediate points are Hong Kong and an airport in South Korea and you can proceed with your travel plans with absolute peace of mind. Have a nice journey.

Asked by Karmin from UNITED STATES | Sep. 03, 2024 09:36

Does flight to China have to be Non-stop?

Hello. I am hoping to visit Beijing on the 144-hour Visa Free Transit Policy. I have booked a flight for my family and I that leaves Athens on October 13 via Egypt Air then has a 2 hour layover in Cairo before heading to Beijing where we will arrive on October 14. We have hotel reservations in Beijing, then will be departing Beijing on October 16 on a non-stop flight to Singapore via Air China, but the seats will not be assigned until check in. Question #1 Is it okay that my flight from Athens has a layover in Cairo before arriving in Beijing? and Question #2 Is it okay that my seats have not yet been assigned for my departing flight from Beijing to Singapore? Thank you so much for your assistance.

Answers (1)

Answered by Borut | Sep. 03, 2024 23:16

Question #1, Your itinerary is perfectly fine. It is definitely within the rules of 144 hour visa free transit because all that matters is that you have the immediate points before and after Beijing in two different countries. As you can see, your itinerary will have its immediate points in Egypt and Singapore - two different countries. Just proceed with your travel plans because your itinerary is definitely eligible for 144 hour visa free transit.

Question #2, Seat requirements are just a redundant and outdated requirement that does not apply at all. In reality, seat allocations is now explained as a possession on a confirmed ticket. So, even here, you can have absolute peace of mind because you are definitely fine with your confirmed flight tickets.

If you encounter a person being it Greece or Egypt who obviously do not properly understand the concept of 144 hour visa free transit scheme, just kindly remind her/him to take a look at Timatic. Timati is an online tool used by airlines to determine someone`s eligibility. To conclude, you are good to go. Enjoy your journey.

Asked by Ethan from USA | Jun. 14, 2024 19:43

Required Documents/ 144 Hour Visa

Hello I will be arriving in Beijing later this summer for the 144 hour visa. I am wondering what documents I will need to provide in order to successfully enter the country.

Answers (1)

Answered by Borut | Jun. 16, 2024 23:11

The first and the most important detail is that your itinerary is eligible for 144 hour visa free transit. It is also important to use correct terminology because this is not a visa, but 144 hour visa free transit, so there is no visa of any kind.

Your immediate points before and after Beijing have to be in two different countries or eligible territories (eligible territories: Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), so please, take care of this detail. Also, you are not allowed to have two landings in a row within mainland China.

As far as your documents are concerned, it is enough to have your passport and to present your onward flight tickets. It is also highly recommended to have a hotel booking confirmation for at least the first overnight in Beijing.