China 72/144 Hours Visa-Free Transit Policy 2024/2025

China has always been an ideal tourist destination. It is just a pity that the visa process in China is a little tough in comparison. With the visa-free transit policy, you can stay in China for 72 or 144 hours and enjoy yourself in a short China tour. Thus, we've prepared the most complete guide to help you learn more the visa-free transit policy and prepare for your visa-free travel in China.

What is the Visa-Free Transit Policy in China?

Currently, China actually has three different visa-free transit policies: 24-hour, 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit. If you tend to transit to a third country via China, you can enter China temporarily without a visa. For example, your itinerary starts from the USA and includes a layover in China on your way to Thailand. This means China is not your final destination, but a stopover on your journey. In this case, you can take advantage of China's visa-free transit policy.

The Forbidden City in Beijing

24-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy

This policy is valid for all other countries around the world. If you have valid international travel documents and connecting tickets, and need to transit via China by international flights, ships, or trains to a third country or region, you can stay in China within 24 hours at your arrival ports.

72-Hour and 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy

The 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free policy is available for citizens from 54 countries. With this policy, you can take a international flight or cruise to transit in 38 exit-entry ports in 18 provinces of China without a visa. And you can stay in a certain area no more than 72 or 144 hours (depending on your city of entry).

Visa-Free Countries for 72/144 Hour Transit in China

American Countries:

United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile

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-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, and Norway

Oceanian Countries:

Australia and New Zealand

Asian Countries:

South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar

Where Can You Visit in 72/144 Hours?

If you enter China through any of the following cities of entry and wait for transfer, you can visit the corresponding regions or cities in the following table, including inland cities as well as some famous coastal cities.

72-Hour Visa-Free Transit Area

144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Area

Compared to cities of entry like Xiamen, Wuhan and Chongqing, which only allow you to visit the city itself, entering from the following cities will give you a larger range of activities. You can visit an additional city or even an entire province.

What should I do before entering China?

• 1. Have an onward ticket to the next country with a confirmed date and seat for departure within 72 or 144 hours.
• 2. Fill out the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners at the port.
• 3. Make sure your passports have a validity of at least 3 months.
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How Are the 72 or 144 Hours Calculated?

Counting starts at 12 am on the second day of your arrival. For example, if your flight arrives in Beijing at 14:00 on October 1, but the count does not start until 00:00 on October 2. You may have more hours for sightseeing in China until the last second of 23:59 on October 7. However, if there is any delay in your departure time to the next country, an extension is required.

The Li River in Guilin

Recommended Places for a Visa-Free China Tour

Some cities under the 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit policies restrict your stay in the city or one additional city, such as Xiamen, Kunming, Wuhan, Chongqing, Harbin, Guilin, and Xi'an. Three days and six days are perfect for a visa-free tour in single city. If your city of entry allows you to visit one or more provinces of China, you may find it difficult to decide where to visit. Here we have some recommended cities in each area:

• Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province: Beijing and Tianjin
• Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province: Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Suzhou
• Guangdong Province: Guangzhou and Shenzhen
• Liaoning Province: Shenyang and Dalian
• Shandong Province: Qufu, Jinan, Tai'an and Zibo
• Sichuan Province: Chengdu, Meishan, Leshan and Zigong

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Planning a Visa-Free Trip to China

If your next trip takes you through China, why not take full advantage of the visa-free policy and enjoy a 6-day trip in this enchanting country? Don't worry about the complexity of your itinerary with so many options, contact us or write to trip@odynovotours.com, and we will plan the itinerary for you. Trust our professional team to give you a satisfactory answer. We look forward to working with you on your China tour.