Transit Visa Exemptions in China: 24-Hour, 72-Hour, and 144-Hour Options

Foreign travelers transiting through China have several options for transit visa exemptions. These transit visa exemptions allow eligible foreign travelers a visa-free visit for 24, 72, or 144 hours.

Although requirements for each transit visa exemption are different, each transit visa exemption stipulates that foreign travelers are only eligible when traveling through China between two different countries. Further, onward travel must occur within 24, 72, or 144 hours of arrival.

To obtain a transit visa exemption, travelers should review eligibility requirements, and confirm their eligibility with their local Chinese embassy.

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After confirmation, travelers must communicate their intention to obtain a transit visa exemption to their airline prior to travel. The airline will liaise with border control officials, who grant transit visa exemptions to travelers that meet requirements after verification.

In most cases, the transit visa exemption only allows the traveler to visit the province of their arrival. However, travelers entering China via Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Nanjing can travel within Shanghai, Zhejiang province, and Jiangsu province, and travelers entering via Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, and Qinhuangdao can travel within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Starting from January 1, 2019, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy was implemented in Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Kunming. On May 1, 2019, the 144-hour visa-free policy in Guangdong province was further expanded.

From December 1, 2019, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy will expand the stay area in Sichuan province; Zhejiang province will allow it to be accessed from more ports of entry; and Chongqing and Shaanxi provinces will get upgraded from the 72-hour visa-free transit policy. In Sichuan, the 144-hour visa-free transit will expand the stay area to 11 cities besides Chengdu. Similarly, in Zhejiang, Ningbo will also be an applicable point of entry to access this visa-free transit; previously, it was applicable only from Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport.

The 24-hour Transit Visa Exemption

Foreign travelers transiting through China within 24 hours to reach another country of destination may be eligible for a 24-hour Transit Visa Exemption. This visa exemption is available to all foreigners, and most ports of entry in China.

The 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption

Foreign travelers transiting through China within 72 hours to reach another country of destination may be eligible for the 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption. This visa exemption is only available to citizens of participating countries traveling through participating ports of entry in China.

To obtain this visa exemption, the foreign national must have a valid passport from one of the 53 countries, which includes:

• 24 Schengen countries in Europe (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 European countries (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, UK, and Ukraine);
• Six countries in North and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and US);
• Two Oceanic countries (Australia and New Zealand); and
• Six Asian countries (Brunei, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, and UAE).

Further, eligible travelers must be transiting through one of the following cities – Changsha, Guilin, or Harbin.

Xi’an and Chongqing currently enjoy the 72-hour policy but will upgrade to 144-hour one starting from December 1.

Authorities will continue to expand the list of cities where 72-hour Transit Visa Exemptions are applicable.

(Beijing, Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Wuhan, and Xiamen have already upgraded to the 144-hour visa-free transit policy.)

The 144-hour Transit Visa Exemption

Foreign travelers transiting through China within 144 hours to reach another country of destination may be eligible for the 144-hour Transit Visa Exemption. This visa exemption is available to citizens of countries that are eligible for the 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption; however, the number of participating cities is more limited.

To obtain this visa exemption, the foreign national must have a valid passport from one of the 53 countries that are eligible for the 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption.

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The 144-hour Transit Visa Exemption was first introduced to three cities in East China’s Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang area: Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Nanjing. The exemption was then expanded to North China’s Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, namely: Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, and Qinhuangdao.

On January 1, 2019, the 144 hour visa-free policy was implemented in the cities of Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Kunming.

As of May 1, 2019, Guangdong province expanded the 144-hour visa exemption policy to cover every international airport in the province – Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao-an, and Jieyang Chaoshan – as well as four railways, eight land entries, and 15 ports. Travelers who obtain a transit visa exemption in Guangdong can travel freely throughout the province for the duration of the exemption.

Starting December 1, 2019, travel to the following regions will benefit from the 144-hour visa-free transit policy:

• Xi’an and Chongqing, which currently enjoy the 72-hour visa-free transit policy, will allow the 144-hour visa-free transit policy from Xi’an Airport and Chongqing Airport, respectively.
• Ningbo will be added to the 144-hour visa-free transit zone of Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang and passengers can enter or leave China from Ningbo Airport and travel within the transit zone.
• Chengdu, which currently enjoys the 144-hour visa-free transit only in Chengdu city, will get its stay area expanded to 11 cities, including Leshan, Deyang, Suining, Meishan, Ya’an, Ziyang, Neijiang, Zigong, Luzhou, and Yibin.

After this expansion, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy will be implemented in 27 ports across 20 cities.

The 20 cities are – Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Chengdu, Xiamen, Kunming, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jieyang, Chongqing, Xi’an, and Ningbo.

Hainan Visa Exemption

Since May 1, 2018, visitors from 59 eligible countries can travel to South China’s Hainan province visa-free for up to 30 days.

Unlike other visa exemptions in China, visitors to Hainan enjoying visa-free access do not need to be traveling to a third country. However, they must book their visits via travel agencies registered in Hainan and approved by China’s National Tourism Administration.

To be eligible for visa-free travel to Hainan, visitors must hold a valid passport from one of the following countries:

• 25 Schengen countries in Europe (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, and Switzerland);
• 15 other European countries (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Macedonia [FYROM], Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine;
• Six countries in North and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United States);
• Two Oceanic countries (Australia and New Zealand); and
• 11 countries in Asia and the Middle East (Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and UAE).

Confirm eligibility before departure

Travelers planning on visiting China with a visa exemption are advised to confirm their eligibility with the relevant port of entry in China or their local Chinese embassy/consulate before departure. The nature of the traveler’s itinerary and other factors may influence eligibility to qualify for a visa exemption.

Prospective travelers may also use a tool released by China’s State Council to determine their eligibility for a visa exemption based on their nationality and port of entry. The tool can be accessed here.

Travel China Cheaper’s “China Visa-Free Transit Guide” is also an excellent resource for travelers.

(This article was originally published on September 6, 2017. It was updated on May 7, 2019 and November 14, 2019.)

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