China 144-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou

144-hour visa-free region

Recently, China announced a new 144-hour visa-free transit policy, which allows you to enjoy a longer stay (6 days) in China without a visa.

This visa currently only applies to passengers transiting through China via the following cities: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Dalian, and Shenyang.

The major difference from the 24-hour and 72-hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV) policies, is that you can travel within one of three whole regions.

Which Countries Are Covered in the Policy?

The nationals of the following countries are eligible for the visa exemption program:

Americans (of 6 countries): the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and the Republic of Chile

European citizens (of 39 countries): Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, and Monaco

Oceanians (of 2 countries): Australia and New Zealand

Asians (of 6 countries): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar

Which Ports of Entry Are Involved?

Passengers can enter/leave China via any of the ports within one of three areas, and must stay within their Permitted Area of Stay [January 1st, 2018]:

Area 1: Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, and Zhejiang Province
Area 2: Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province
Area 3: Liaoning Province

Area	City	Port of Entry	Permitted Area of Stay
1	Shanghai	Shanghai Pudong International Airport	Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, and Zhejiang Province
		Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
		Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal
		Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal
		Shanghai Railway Station*
	Nanjing	Nanjing Lukou International Airport
	Hangzhou	Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
2	Beijing	Beijing Capital International Airport	Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province
	Beijing	Beijing West Railway Station*
	Tianjin	Tianjin Binhai International Airport
	Tianjin	Tianjin International Cruise Home Port
	Shijiazhuang	Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport
	Qinhuangdao	Qinhuangdao Sea Port
3	Dalian	Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport	Liaoning Province
3	Shenyang	Shenyang Taoxian International Airport	Liaoning Province

(Guangdong Province is going to carry out this transit policy, but the government has not released an official statement yet.)

* Shanghai Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station are applicable for passengers traveling on the Shanghai–Kowloon/Hong Kong through train only.

The list of entry points may change at any time. Therefore, we always suggest you confirm this information before planning your trip.

What Are the Conditions?

If you want to enjoy the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, you need to meet relevant qualifying criteria, as detailed below:

You must be in transit to a third country or region (Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are included). For example, USA–Shanghai–Taiwan is acceptable for a 144-hour transit visa in Shanghai but an application for USA–Shanghai–USA is not.
You must use one of three types of transport: train, ferry, or airplane.
You must hold, before entry into China, an onward ticket departing Mainland China within 144 hours.
You enter and leave from one of the eligible ports of entry. Your arrival port and departure port can be different. For example, you can arrive in Shanghai and leave from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
Your must have no stopovers of any kind within mainland China prior to arrival or after departure at the port of entry.
Your transit time is no more than 144 hours.
You must stay within the permitted area during your stay.
You must be a passport holder from one of the 53 countries listed above, and your passport must be valid for at least 3 months from the date of intended arrival.

What Documents Are Needed?

You need to provide the documents listed below to apply for the 144-hour visa-free transit:

Valid passport
onward tickets to a third country (region) with confirmed date and seat
Visa for a third country/region (if needed)
Arrival and departure cards (completely filled in)

144-Hour Transit in 5 Steps

1) Inform your carrier of your intent to use 144-hour TWOV, and acquire your onward ticket before travel.

2) Fill in arrival and departure cards (available on flights).

3) At the dedicated counter for 144-hour visa-free transit at your arrival port, provide the immigration officer with your documents.

4) Claim your luggage, go through customs, and exit the airport, as you would with a visa.

5) Leave from a designated port as normal before midnight on the sixth full day, handing in your completed departure card at immigration.

How Are the 144 Hours Calculated?

The 144 hours start from 00:00 on the day after entry. For example, if you enter Shanghai at 6am on June 1^st; your 144 hours starts from 00:00 on June 2^nd, and you can stay until 23:59 on June 7^th.

So you can actually have more time than 144 hours if you can find suitable transport.

[Please note that some airports have their own special regulations about how they count these hours: from airplane touchdown, or from midnight, or from when they issue the visa-free travel permit in the airport. So find out in advance about the specific airport regulations. ]

If you are unable to depart on time due to unavoidable reasons, such as a flight cancellation, you must apply for a visa from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. To avoid this don’t cut it too close.

Differences Between 24, 72, and 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit

There are three types of transit without a visa (TWOV) programs in mainland China: 24-hour TWOV, 72-hour TWOV, and 144-hour TWOV.

	24-Hour TWOV	72-Hour TWOV	144-Hour TWOV
Nationalities Covered	Nearly all nationalities	53 nationalities	53 nationalities
Ports of Entry	Most Chinese cities	18 cities	Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Shenyang
Arrival and Departure	Can be by different ports.	Must be by the same port	Can be by different ports.
Means of Transport	Plane, ship, or train	By air	Plane, ship, or train
Travel in Mainland China	Limited to the transit area	Limited to a city area	Limited to a region

[The above information was updated on January 31st, 2018. The situation changes on a daily basis. Please double-check when you plan your tour.]

Take a Visa-Free Transit Tour with China Highlights

Touring Shanghai with China Highlights

A 144-hour visa-free tour to China has become a reality. We can customize a tour for you to make the most of your time. Just let us know your interests and requirements.

Here are our most popular Shanghai and Beijing area tours, for inspiration:

5-Day Essence of Shanghai and Hangzhou Tour — a combination of the essence of Shanghai and Hangzhou, including Wuzhen Ancient Water Town
3-Day Water Town Photography Tour from Shanghai — taking you to photograph three of the top six water towns in China
Private 4-Day Emperor's Tour of Beijing — taking you to explore the emperors' Forbidden City, walk along the Great Wall, and relax at the Summer Palace