144-hour visa-free transit in Beijing is the ideal way for travelers wanting time in this fabulous city without having to go through a visa application process.
Created for the purpose of simplifying travel arrangements, 144 hours visa-free transit in Beijing means that so long as you meet the requirements (we cover these below in detail), you can enter and leave Beijing visa-free.
Ready to travel visa-free to China’s capital? Let’s get you sorted with what you need to know.
> Learn more about China transit visas in this article.
What does 144-hour visa-free transit in Beijing mean?
Visa-free travel means exactly that: Travel without a visa.
The 144-hour visa-free transit policy was made available to international visitors to China in December 2019. Available at 27 different ports of entry in 20 cities, 144-hour visa-free transit zone for Beijing encompasses the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province. This allows visitors to transfer via certain ports of entry to stay within the administrative precincts of Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, and Hebei Province for 144 hours.
| City/Province | Ports of entry |
| Beijing | Beijing International Airport
Beijing Daxing International Airport Beijing West Railway Station |
| Tianjin | Tianjin Binhai International Airport
Tianjin International Cruise Home Port |
| Hebei Province | Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport
Port of Qinhuangdao |
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Okay, so that’s all great, but how do you know if your country is on the list of those eligible for visa-free travel in China? Relax, we have you covered. We’ve already put that list together.
The good news is that the 144-hour visa-free transit policy applies to 53 countries (check out the list below).
| 24 Schengen countries 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, Switzerland |
| 15 European countries | United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Belarus, Monaco |
| 6 countries in North and South America | United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile |
| 2 Oceania countries | Australia, New Zealand |
| 6 Asian countries | Japan, Korea, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar |
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If you’ve spotted your country within the list, then it’s time to step through other requirements to meet the visa-free transit policy.
To qualify for a 144-hour visa-exemption transit, here’s what you need:
- A valid passport with at least 6 months validity and required visas for destination countries (if relevant)
- Your ticket for travel beyond China with a confirmed date and seat, indicating departure within the 144-hour window. The ticket must also show your destination before arrival in China, including any stopovers outside China (required as evidence of a third country). For transit purposes, Hong Kong and Macau are considered third territories. Be aware that your departure city and the destination city must be in different countries or regions.
- To smooth the process on arrival in China, let the airline check-in staff know you will need a visa-free transit. They will advise customs at the related Chinese airport custom of your request before landing.
- Prior to disembarking from the plane, you will complete the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners.
- Once you have disembarked from the plane, visit the relevant customs counter to obtain approval for your 144-hour visa-free transit and have your passport stamped with a “Temporary Entry Permit”.
And that’s it. Who knew visiting Beijing could be so easy?
Still not sure whether the 144-hour visa-free transit is right for you?
There’s no doubt international travel comes with restrictions and it always pays to be doubly sure that you’re meeting all the entry requirements when visiting another country. If you’re still unsure as to whether you qualify for the 144-hour visa-free transit in Beijing, run through the list of specific exclusions list right here:
- Those who are inadmissible to China in accordance with relevant laws and administrative regulations
- Those whose international travel documents are valid for less than 3 months at the time of application, or those who possess international travel documents containing refusal stamps affixed by Chinese visa-issuing authorities;
- Those who have records of illegal entry or exit, illegal stay or residence, or illegal employment in China in the past 5 years;
- Those who have seriously violated the regulation of registering their addresses for temporary residence in China with the public security bureaus in the past 2 years.
In addition, foreign crew members aboard international sailing vessels and their accompanying family members are not eligible for this policy.*
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