Oct 11,2024 by travel-chengdu
Chengdu City - A Pefect Guidelines of 144-Hour Visa-free China Travel
144-hour transit visa-free policy
38 open ports in 18 provinces (regions, cities) including Beijing and Shanghai in China have implemented a 144-hour visa-free transit policy. Citizens of 54 countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, holding valid international travel documents such as ordinary passports and connecting tickets to third countries (regions), who transit through China can complete visa-free transit procedures at ports and stay in designated areas for no more than 72 hours or 144 hours without a visa. Foreigners may engage in short-term activities such as tourism, business, and visits while transiting China.
Which countries' personnel can apply for the 144-hour transit visa-free policy?
·40 European 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, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway;
·6 countries in the Americas
United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile;
·2 Oceania countries
Australia, New Zealand;
·6 Asian countries
South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
Among them, those that comply with China's mutual exemption and unilateral visa exemption policies can follow their regulations.
What conditions can foreigners apply for 144-hour visa-free transit?
1. Citizens of countries eligible for visa-free transit policies;
2. The individual must present a valid international travel document with a validity period of no less than 3 months, which meets the entry requirements for traveling to a third country (region);
3. You need to hold a connecting ticket or relevant certificate for a third country (region) with a date and seat confirmed within 72/144 hours, fill in the entry card for temporary foreigners, and accept the inquiry from the entry-exit border inspection authority;
4. There is no refusal stamp from Chinese visa authorities, and there is no record of illegal entry, exit, residence, or employment within the past 5 years.
Which cities can apply for a 144-hour visa-free transit policy?
Foreigners who meet the application conditions can apply for a 72-hour transit visa exemption to the entry-exit border inspection authorities at four ports, including Harbin Taiping International Airport, Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, and Beihai Port Shore (passenger transport), or apply for 144-hour transit visa exemption to the entry-exit border inspection authorities at 23 cities, including Beijing and Tianjin.
Port of Arrival
Chengdu Tianfu International Airport
Cities allowed to stay in Sichuan Province
Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Ziyang, Yibin, Ya'an, and Meishan.
When do 144 hours start counting?
If foreigners meet the conditions for visa-free transit, the entry-exit border inspection authorities will handle temporary entry formalities for them, and the visa-free stay time will start from 0:00 on the next day of entry. For example, if Bob completed the temporary entry procedures at 15:00 on July 5th, his stay will be counted from 00:00 on July 6th.
Apart from the 144-hour transit visa-free policy, does China have any other types of transit visa-free policies?
Except for the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, all ports open to the outside world in China implement a 24-hour visa-free transit policy for citizens from all over the world. Foreigners who travel from China to a third country or region via an international aircraft, ship, or train with a reserved connecting ticket and stay in China for no more than 24 hours without leaving the port or specified area are exempted from applying for a transit visa; If you need to leave the port or designated area, you should apply for a temporary entry permit from the port entry and exit border inspection authority. Foreign nationals who transit through 9 international airports including Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Xiamen Gaoqi, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao'an, Chengdu Tianfu, and Xi'an Xianyang with international connecting tickets within 24 hours to a third country or region are exempt from border inspection procedures and can directly transit without a visa.
What should be paid attention to after foreigners enter the country through the 144-hour transit visa-free policy?
During the visa-free stay in transit, foreigners shall abide by Chinese laws and regulations, and shall not exceed the permitted stay area and time limit. Those who stay in hotels should have their accommodation registered by the hotel; If a person lives or lodges at a residence other than a hotel, he or she or the host shall, within 24 hours after entering the country, register his or her accommodation with the local police station of the public security organ or the service station for foreigners in the place of residence.
What should I do if unable to leave the country within the prescribed time limit or need to stay beyond the restricted area due to special reasons?
If it is necessary to stay in China for an emergency, reasonable reason, force majeure, or other reasons beyond the specified time limit, or beyond the permitted stay area, it shall apply to the exit and entry administration department of the public security organ for the corresponding foreigner's stay permit in advance.
For transit visa-free foreigners who leave the country beyond the specified time or area, beyond the specified port, or who fail to handle accommodation registration according to the law during their stay, the public security organ or the entry-exit border inspection organ will deal with them according to law.