From December 28, 2017, the visa-free transit policy has been implemented in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province. The policy applies to citizens from 53 countries who hold valid international travel documents, and passenger tickets for connecting travel to a third country (region) with confirmed seats and a departure time within 144 hours.
According to the Ministry of Public Security regulations, individuals who do not hold a valid Chinese passport and who apply for 144-hour visa-free transit status should meet the following requirements:
I. They must be citizens from one of the 53 eligible countries specified, and hold valid international travel documents certifying their nationality and identity;
II. They must have valid passenger tickets for connecting travel (including an airplane ticket, ferry ticket or train ticket) to a third country or region with confirmed seat and a departure time within 144 hours, or other relevant supporting documents.
III. They may choose to enter or depart through any port at Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port, Hebei Shijiazhuang International Airport or Qinhuangdao Harbor, and must stay in the administrative areas of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.
After document examination and verification is conducted by the border authority at the port of Beijing Capital International Airport or Beijing West Railway Station, applicants who meet the above requirements will be issued with a temporary entry permit which will enable them to enter and stay in Beijing, Tianjin or Hebei Province for 144 hours according to regulations.
Special notes:
1. Individuals who do not hold a Chinese passport and who have successfully applied for 144-hour visa-free transit may stay in the administrative areas of Beijing, Tianjin or Hebei Province for up to 144 hours. If they overstay or stay in places outside the designated locations, they will be punished according to relevant regulations.
2. Individuals travelling on the 144-hour visa-free transit and staying in hotels or accommodations other than hotels (including self-purchased houses, rented houses, and borrowed houses) in China are required to register their temporary residence according to law. Those who stay in hotels in China are required to check in and adhere to the hotels’ check-in and personal identification protocols. Those who stay in accommodations other than hotels are required to register their temporary residence with local public security facilities within 24 hours of arrival, either in person, or by the person who is providing the accommodation. Registration is required at every residence that the individual stays in during the 144-hour visa-free transit. If one changes residence multiple times, he/she is required to register with the public security facility for each place of residence where he/she is staying, within 24 hours of arrival.
The 144-hour visa-free transit policy applies to the following 53 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, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.