Interpretation of the 144-hour transit visa-free policy

Short-term travel to China, temporary business visits ... For foreigners who often enter and leave China, the convenience of entry and exit is definitely the most anticipated thing.

The new year is coming, and the good news is coming. With the approval of the State Council, since January 1, 2019, five cities of Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Chengdu and Kunming have implemented the 144-hour visa-free transit policy for foreigners. Citizens from 53 countries, with valid international travel documents and a joint ticket to a third country (region) within 144 hours, can enter the country without a visa from the relevant ports in the above cities, namely Xiamen, Shandong, Wuhan and Chengdu.

The 144-hour visa-free transit policy for foreigners implemented in five cities, including Xiamen, is a further optimization of the current 72-hour transit visa-free policy, which not only extends the visa-free stay time from 72 hours to 144 hours, but also increases the entry and exit ports. Visa-free transit personnel can enter and leave the country from Xiamen Airlines and Seaport, Qingdao Airlines and Seaport, Wuhan Airport, Chengdu Airport and Kunming Airport respectively.

It is reported that since 2013, the State Council has successively approved 18 cities including Beijing to implement 72-hour visa-free transit policies for personnel from 53 countries, and 144-hour visa-free transit policies for Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shenyang, Liaoning and Dalian.

144-hour transit visa-free tips

Q: How to calculate the 144-hour transit visa-free time?

A: After the border inspection authorities issue temporary entry permits for passengers, passengers can stay in the prescribed administrative areas for 144 hours without a visa from 0: 00 the next day.

Q: How do foreigners who meet the 144-hour visa-free conditions apply for transit?

Answer: Eligible passengers can only show their valid entry and exit certificates and joint tickets to third countries (regions) with fixed dates and seats within 144 hours to the check-in transport staff, and the person in charge of the transport will report to the border inspection station before arriving at the above-mentioned ports as required. After verification and approval, the border checkpoint will handle the relevant procedures for 144-hour transit visa exemption.

Q: Can I apply for a 144-hour visa-free transit if I don't buy an exit ticket at the time of entry and plan to buy an exit ticket to a third country within 144 hours after entry?

A: No. According to the regulations, when eligible foreigners apply for a 144-hour transit visa-free, they must hold a joint ticket with a confirmed date and seat, that is, they must have bought the ticket when they leave the country before entering the country.

Q: A city that comes to China from a certain country (region) for a 144-hour visa-free transit has already booked its air ticket back from the country (region) within 144 hours after the date and seat are confirmed. Can this policy be applied?

A: No. According to the regulations, the 144-hour transit visa-free policy is aimed at foreigners transiting to third countries or regions, so the countries of departure and destination must be different.

Q: What should foreigners pay attention to when applying for the 144-hour transit visa-free policy?

A: The border inspection authorities will not issue temporary entry permits to those who hold passports or other international travel documents with a validity period of less than 3 months, or who are stamped by the visa authorities in China for refusing to sign, or who have illegal entry and exit, illegal residence and illegal employment records within 5 years.

During the visa-free transit stay, foreigners shall abide by the laws of China and shall not exceed the permitted stay area or stay time limit. If you stay in a hotel, the hotel will handle the accommodation registration for you. If you live or stay in a residence other than the hotel, you should register with the police station of the public security organ or the service station for foreigners in your place of residence within 24 hours after you check in.

The entry-exit frontier inspection organ or the local public security organ will punish foreigners who leave the country from non-designated transit ports beyond the scope or time limit of their stay, and those who fail to register their accommodation in accordance with the law without visas.

Q: What should foreigners do if they can't leave the country within 144 hours due to special reasons after going through the 144-hour transit visa-free formalities?

A: In case of force majeure and other reasons, if you need to stay in the visa-free stay area for more than 144 hours, you should apply to the exit-entry administration department of the public security organ for the corresponding stay certificate as required.

Q: What are the requirements for applying for visa-free transit?

Answer: 1. The applicant must be a citizen of 53 countries that are within the scope of visa-free transit.

2. Applicants must hold valid international travel documents that can prove their nationality and identity.

3. The applicant must hold a joint ticket to a third country (region) with a confirmed date and seat within 144 hours or relevant certificates.

The 144-hour transit visa-free policy covers countries

The 144-hour transit visa-free policy implemented this time is a further optimization of the original 72-hour transit visa-free policy, which extends the visa-free stay time from 51 countries to 53 countries.

There are 24 countries with Schengen visa agreements in Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

15 other European countries: Russia, Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco and Belarus.

Six American countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

2 countries in Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.

Six Asian countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar.