The 144-hour Visa Free Transit in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing
The 144-hour visa-free transit policy is part of China’s transit without visa (TWOV) programs and came into effect since January 30, 2016. It allows foreign travelers from 53 countries and regions to transit in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xiamen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Kuming, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Liaoning Province, Shangdong Province and Hebei Province for less than 144 hours (6 days) without China visa, before continuing their journey to the third country or region.
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Continents
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Number
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Countries or Regions
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In Europe
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26 Schengen area countries
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Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Switzerland, Norway
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In Europe
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14 other counties
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Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus
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In America
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6
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the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile
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In Oceania
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2
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Australia & New Zealand
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In Asia
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6
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Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates and Qatar
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In the Following Ports of Entry, You Can Get a Visa Exemption for 144 Hours:
In Beijing: Beijing Capital International Airport ( PEK), Beijing West Railway Station;
In Tianjin: Tianjing Binhai International Airport (TSN), Tianjin International Cruise Home Port;
In Chengdu: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU);
In Wuhan: Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH);
In Xiamen: Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN);
In Kuming: Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG);
In Shanghai: Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Hongqiao international Airport (SHA), Shanghai sea ports (i.e, Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Wusong Passenger Transport Center), Shanghai rail ports;
In Hebei Province: Shijiahzhuang Zhengding International Airport (SJW), Port of Qinhuangdao;
In Shandong Province: Qindao Liuting International Airport ( TAO), Port of Qingdao;
In Jiangsu Province: Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG);
In Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH).
Note: you are supposed to stay in the specified geographic areas, which are Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and are not allowed to go to other cities.
How to Apply for 144-hour Visa-free Transit in China?
There is exclusive access for security check in the designed ports of entry if you request for 144-hour transit visa exemption. However, all of the following criteria must be met and you must provide the required documents.
Requirements
- Passengers should hold an onward air ticket to the third country with confirmed seat and date, as well as a valid visa to a third country or region (if necessary). That means you may not return to the same country where you are from.
- Passengers must arrive and depart from the designed ports of entry.
- During the stopover, passengers can travel in Shanghai, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province, but are not allow visiting any other cities of China.
- The stopover time was limited to 144 hours. But the 144-hour visa-free transit begins at 0:00 on the next day. Therefore, passengers are actually allowed to stay for a little longer than 144 hours.
Required Documents
- Your valid passport or other international travel document
- An onward air ticket to the third country with confirmed seat and date
- A valid visa to the third country (if necessary)
- A completed entry/exit application card
Procedure – Six Steps to Apply for 144-hour Transit Visa Exemption
- The carrier must be notified before arrival so that they can convey your request to the immigration office for processing
- Fill in the entry/exit application card
- Apply for 144 hours of transit permit (144-hour TWOV) on arrival. After your 144-hour free transit request is approved, the official will affix a stop seal on your passport to show the length of time allowed.
- Claim your luggage
- Go through customs procedures
- Procedures finished, you may leave the airport
Note: If a passenger must go visit another city or can't leave the country in 144 hours, he/she must apply for an ordinary China visa at the local public security bureau. Or they will be fined.
>> Good news has that the State Council of China will designate more ports of entry and exit for the 144 hour TWOV program. In the near future, nationalities of the above mentioned 53 countries can also get 144-hour visa-free transit in Guangdong Province (via Guangzhou Baiyuan International Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, or Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport), Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.
144-hour Convenient Visa to Guangdong Province
144-hour Convenient Visa to Guangdong Province’s 10 cities begins to be carried out in late 2000. it offers simplified entry and exit procedures to passengers who have just visited Hong Kong and Macau and allows them to stay for not longer than 144 hours (6 days) without China visa. For almost two decades, the policy has provided great convenience for billions of passengers and benefits a lot to promote the tourism development of China’s Pearl River Delta region.
Eligible Entry Ports (Cities) in Guangdong Province
The ten cities are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou and Shantou.
China’s 144-hour Convenient Visa Requirements
To be eligible for this convenient visa to enter Guangdong Province, the applier must:
- Be from the countries or regions that have diplomatic relations with China
- Hold a valid passport
- Join a group tour arranged by a registered travel agency in Macau or Hong Kong
- Travel with a group of minimum 3 people and maximum 43 people
- Enter and exit at the designated ports (see above stated)
- Arrive and depart together with the same group
- Stay and visit the designated geographic areas, and are not allowed to visit any other places
Application Procedures
When entering Guangdong Province via the designated ports, passengers applying 144-hour Convenient Visa need not fill in the arrival/departure card, and will be released after checking the passports and the list of names of tour group members. The entire process is as follows:
1) Your Hong Kong or Macau travel agency submits the name list of all group tour members to a registered travel agent in Guangdong Province for the 144-hour Convenient Visa application.
2) The travel agency in Guangdong Province then will submit the application documents to the offices of designated ports of entry.
3) It normally takes about one working day for the processing.
4) The eligible applicants then may enter and exit the designated ports, and stay in the designated cities.
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