China has recently adopted an international standard by implementing a 24-hour transit visa exemption policy for citizens of all countries at its open ports. According to official sources, individuals holding confirmed seat reservations on connecting flights, international vessels, or trains with transit times not exceeding 24 hours and who do not leave the designated port in China are eligible for visa-free transit.

As of now, 31 ports in 23 cities across 18 provinces in China have extended the 72/144-hour transit visa exemption policy to citizens of 54 countries. These countries include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Travelers from these 54 countries can take advantage of this policy by presenting valid international travel documents and a confirmed seat reservation on connecting flights within a specified time frame. If their stay in China does not exceed 24 hours and they remain within the port area, they are not required to obtain a visa. However, if they wish to leave the port area, they must apply for a temporary entry permit from the border control authorities.

To benefit from this transit visa exemption policy, eligible travelers can submit their applications to the border control authorities at the designated ports of entry in the cities implementing the policy. The border control authorities will then process temporary entry procedures, and the visa-free stay period will commence from the day following their entry into China.

Question: Hello, our company would like to invite foreign clients to China for urgent business talks at very short notice. What are the requirements for foreigners to apply for the 72/144-hour visa-free transit in China?

Answer: Hello, thank you for your interest in and support for our immigration management. Any foreigner applying for the 72/144-hour visa-free transit needs to meet the following three conditions:

1. He/she must be a citizen of one of the countries entitled to the 72/144-hour visa-free transit (Please check the table below for the list of the countries entitled. ↓↓↓);

2. He/she must hold a valid international travel document (valid for no less than three months) that can prove his/her nationality and identity, and meet the conditions for entering a third country/region;

3. He/she must hold a connecting ticket to a third country/region with a confirmed date and seat for departure within 72/144 hours or relevant certificates as per the amount of time applied for the visa-free transit, fill out the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners, and accept inquiries from the entry-exit border inspection authority.

Foreigners who meet the above conditions can apply for the 144-hour visa-free transit at the entry-exit border inspection authorities in 20 cities in China, or the 72-hour visa-free transit in three cities. Application is not possible in the cities that have not yet implemented this policy.  

Kind Reminder

The border control authorities will not issue temporary entry permits to a foreigner if:

– His/her passport or any other international travel document is expiring in less than three months, or any of his/her travel documents has a rejection stamp by a visa-issuing agency in China;

– He/she has a record of illegal entry or exit, illegal residence, or illegal employment within the last five years.

Foreigners under these circumstances are not entitled to the 72/144-hour visa-free transit.

News from National Immigration Administration