144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in China

China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy is carried out in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning as well as Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, to facilitate international travelers. It allows passengers from 53 countries or regions to transit in either Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region or Liaoning Province for no more than 144 hours (6 days) without holding a visa.

Who can enjoy China 144-hour visa exemption? - List of 53 Qualified Countries

24 Schengen Agreement 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, 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

* The same as countries enjoying 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit.

* The same as countries enjoying 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit.

What is an eligible transit route?

A → B: one of three areas in Mainland China → C

144-hour Visa-free Transit Route

A and C should be different countries or regions out of Mainland China.

* Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can be the Destination A or C, so the route "UK-Shanghai-Hong Kong" is acceptable as the typical route "US-Hangzhou-Japan".

B refers to only one of the following three areas in China, and you cannot have a cross-area visa-free tour among the three:

1. Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang

2. Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei

3. Liaoning

Key point: The international flights flying in and out of China – from A to B and from B to C – should be non-stop, without a stopover anywhere in Mainland China.

Eg:

× UK – Guangzhou – Shanghai - Hong Kong

× US – Beijing – Shanghai - France

Note: Both of Beijing and Shanghai are eligible for this policy, but you can only have one between the original country and the third country.

√ US – Dalian - South Korea

√ Singapore – Shanghai – Hangzhou - Malaysia

Note: Shanghai and Hangzhou (provincial capital of Zhejiang) are within one visa-free area.

In which Chinese cities can I get a visa exemption for 144 hours?

1. Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang

Shanghai: All air, sea and railway ports, including Pudong Airport, Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Wusong Passenger Transport Center and all railway stations.

Hangzhou of Zhejiang: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport

Nanjing of Jiangsu: Nanjing Lukou Airport

Entry and Exit Ports

Passengers can enter and leave from any of the above ports. Eg: One can take a cruise to Shanghai and leave by air from Hangzhou or Nanjing.

Areas Allowed to Stay

Passengers can move around Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If one have to go to other cities or can't leave within 144 hours, he/she should go to a nearby Public Security Bureau to apply for a visa.

How do I request the 144-hour TWOV China: transit without visa?

6 Steps to Apply for 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit:

1. Inform the carrier when boarding

2. Fill an Arrival/Departure Card

3. Apply for the 144-hour visa-free stay permit upon arrival

4. Claim the luggage

5. Go through the customs

6. Leave the airport

Note for Step 3:

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

Documents Needed for Application

1. Passport valid for at least 3 months from the date of entry

2. Ticket to a third country with confirmed seat and date International Flight Tickets

3. Fully completed Arrival/Departure Card

* Prepare a valid visa if the third country or region in your plan requires.

How to count the layover time of 144 hours?

It counts from 00:00 of the day following passengers' arrival. That is to say, the allowed time to stay is actually longer than 144 hours.

Eg: If one arrives at 6:00 am on July 1, the layover time counts from 00:00 of July 2 and the passenger should hold a ticket with the scheduled departure time before 23:59 of July 7. In this case, the allowed stay period is 162 hours in maximum.