China offers 144 hour visa-free transit in more cities!!

Starting from December 1, 2019, more Chinese cities will begin offering 144 hour Visa-Free transit services to foreign travellers from 53 countries, according to the National Immigration Administration.

As of December 28, 2017, 6 airports and railway stations have implemented the visa-free policy for foreigners holding valid international travel documents. These apply for 2-part travelers from one of 53 selected countries going to another country within 144 hours of arriving in China.

Since China is opening up to the outside world, and in order to further promote economic and social development,  China has launched more visa-related policies prefferable to foreign visitors.

Thus, from December 1, 2019, cities including Qingdao of Shandong province, Xiamen of Fujian province, Wuhan of Hubei province, Chengdu of Sichuan province, and Kunming of Yunnan province will also implement the policy.

Applicable cities and ports

• 20 cities of the 144-hour visa free policy

27 ports in 20 cities have implemented the 144-hour visa-free policy for foreigners crossing the border, and implemented regional and port linkage in:Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Chengdu, Xiamen, Kunming, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jieyang, Chongqing, Xi’an, Ningbo.

• 3 cities have a 72-hour visa free policy

3 ports in 3 cities have implemented the 72-hour visa free policy for foreigners, which are:Changsha, Guilin, and Harbin.

Who can apply?

People from 53 countries were allowed to transit visa-free for 144 hours or 72 hours:

Continent	Number	Country or Region
Europe	24 Schengen area countries	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 countries	Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Belarus and Monaco
America	6	the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile
Oceania	2	Australia & New Zealand
Asia	6	Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates and Qatar

Documents for application

• Valid passport issued by the listed 53 countries

• Visa for a third country or region

• A fully completed Arrival/Departure Card

• A ticket for the second half of the journey, with a confirmed seat

Procedure

1. Inform the airlines when boarding
2. Fill an Arrival / Departure Card
3. Apply for the 144-hour permit (see below)
4. Claim luggage and go through customs
5. Leave airport

Upon arrival, find the 144-hour visa-free counter at the immigration inspection table to apply for the permit, which will be stamped in your passport indicating the maximum length of stay. Remember to tell the officer if you have a visa for China but don’t want to use it this time.

Stay up to date

The government offers a mobile version of its website to stay up to date with the Visa-Free policy, as more and more countries get added to the list. This website can also show you the exit ports relevant to you.

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