Are you planning your Beijing Layover Tour? You may think whether you need a transit visa in Beijing? This is the question frequently asked by many travelers who are going to transit in Beijing and continue to fly for a third country.
Yes, basically you need a Chinese visa to visit Beijing if you want to exit from Beijing Capital Airport for a few hours’ layover tour or 2 or 3 days’ short stay in Beijing. But currently, 53 countries are entitled to 144 hours free visa transit stay in Beijing. So Visa-free travel to Beijing is possible now!
Please note that people having a round trip to Beijing are not entitled to free-visa stay in Beijing.
Which are the 53 countries and what the preconditions for getting the free visa transit stay permit in Beijing? I will answer your questions one by one.
1. Prerequisites for getting the 144 hours transit free visa
1) The Eligible 53 nationalities include 24 Schengen Countries in Europe:
1-1): 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, Slovak, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
2-2): 15 other European countries:
Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco and the Republic of Belarus.
3-3): 6 American countries:
The United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
4-4): 2 Oceanian countries:
Australia and New Zealand.
5-5): 6 Asian countries:
Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
2) Travelers must have valid passports.
3) Travelers must have confirmed tickets to a third country or regions (Hong Kong and Macau).
Officially Designated Entry Points in the three places of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei:
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Ports of entry and exit are extended to designated international railway stations, seaports and airports.
Previously, the policy was once applied only at airports. Now passengers are allowed to arrive and exit at the following six points in the three places: Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.
Beijing Capital International Airport
Tel: 0086-10-96158
Beijing West Railway Station in the capital
Tel: 0086-10-51824233
Tianjin Binhai International Airport
Tel: 0086-22-96777
Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in Tianjin
Tel: 0086 -22-25605128
Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport
Tel: 0086-311-96360
Qinhuangdao seaport in Hebei province
Tel: 0086-335-3099676
How to Apply for 144-Hour free-visa stay in the three areas ( Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province):
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When you disembark your plane or ship, just follow the throng or the signs directing you to international arrivals, immigration and customs.
Passport Control/Immigration
In the Passport Control/Immigration Area, find your special lanes for 144-hour visa-free transit passengers.
Some 144-hour transit passengers miss their layover tour in Beijing simply because they cannot locate the special lanes to get the visa-free permit. Actually the special lanes for 144-hours visa-free transit are located just on the left side of the Lanes for Foreign Citizens as well as on the right side of the Lanes for Chinese Citizens.
You need to fill up the entry registration card and get your 144- hours free visa stay permit, a stamp on your passport. The items for filling up the registration to get your 144-hour free visa stay permit:
Name，Sex, Birth, Passport Number, Nationality, Arrival Date, Arrival Flight, Exit Time, Exit Flight, Contact Phone Number in Beijing, Address in Beijing (Tianjin or Hebei), Reception Unit or Person, Reception Unit Phone Number.
Go through Customs, claim your luggage ( if necessary ) and leave airport.
Very Important Notice:
If your airline by which you are travelling doesn’t have the latest information the 144-hour visa free transit policy in Beijing, plus they inform you that only those with valid visa’s can travel with them.
Then you can show them the official website of Beijing Capital Airport to verify that you will not encounter any problems in Beijing. Please check out the links below:
http://en.bcia.com.cn/server/notice/144visafree/
http://en.bcia.com.cn/server/notice/144visafree/144visafree_policy.shtml
What you can do during your 144-hour visa-free stay in the three Areas:
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The 144-hour visa-free transit allows you for a sufficient time to visit Beijing, or Tianjin and Hebei per your travel request.
For more information Beijing tours, Tianjin tour and Hebei tour, please check out the following links:
Beijing Layover tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Tianjin Tour
Tianjin Cruise Port Transfer & Tour
Hebei Tour
Shijiazhuang Tour
Chengde Tour
Zhangjiakou Tour
Qinhuangdao Tour
Further Readings
Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites
Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping
Wangfujing Night Snack Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Beijing Huguosi Street
Any questions, just drop a line.
We are taking cruise ship from Japan, Korea and the last stop is Tianjin China. Then we stay at hotel in Beijing for 3 days before our flight from Beijing airport to London Heathrow.
Please advise if we qualify for 114 transit visa?
Many thanks
Dear Long Hoang,
Yes, you are entitled to the 144-hour visa-free transit in Beijing if you are from one of the eligible 53 countries including UK.
Kinder reminder:
1) You still need to go through a special counter at Beijing Capital Airport for layover passengers who will fill up a form to get a permit for the visa-free stay in Beijing.
2) Beijing is basically safe. But you are advised to be always vigilant about potential tourist scams in Beijing. Check out the link below for more information:
https://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/china-travel/tourist-traps-in-china/top-10-tourist-scams-beijing
Have a nice time in Beijing!
Have a nice time!
Dear Daniel,
Thanks for quick response. We are British citizens and taking cruise ship from Japan, Korea and last stop we get off at Tianjin China then we transfer to Beijing to stay at hotel and doing Beijing tour before our flight from Beijing airport back to London Heathrow UK.
Please advise that we can get 114 transit visa at the Tianjin cruise port?
Many thanks again
Dear Long Hoang,
Yes, you can get the travel permit at the customs in the cruise terminal for the visa-free stay up to 144 hours in Beijing. Enjoy your trip!
Hello, is a visit and one night overnight stay at Mutianyu Great Wall allowed on a 144 transit visa?
(Some guesthouses in Beijing that I found on Booking.com emailed me they could not host me with this visa type.)
Dear Maggie,
As far as I know, if you are entitled to a 144 transit visa ( or permit ) at Beijing Capital Airport, yon can stay at any hotel in Beijing including the inn or hotel near Mutianyu Great Wall.
Hello… we are Canadians. Is it possible to get the 144 hour visa free permit when arriving on the trans-Siberian/ Trans-Mongolian train from Ulaanbaatar
Dear Dawn,
As far as I know, you still need to apply for China visa since Beijing Railway Station ( where you arrive at Beijing ) is not the entry port for offering the 144 hour visa free permit. If you fly for Beijing or arrive at Beijing West Railway Station ( not for the trans-Siberian/ Trans-Mongolian trains), you are entitled to the the 144 hour visa free permit.
Hi,
I have booked a round trip from Australia to Beijing (PEK) between 14th and 24th.
I am also planning to book a round trip to Seoul from Beijing on the 18th to the 20th.
Will I still be eligible for the 144 hour Visa since each stay is less than 144 hours?
Thanks.
David
Dear David,
It seems that Beijing is your destination for both of your trips, not your transit country for a third country ( a final destination ).
Basically people will enjoy the 144 hour Visa-free stay in Beijing if you transit in Beijing for a third country instead of a round trip to Beijing. So you need to fly to Beijing and then fly out for a third country.
Hope you get it. Have a nice time in Beijing!
I am flying to Beijing from the USA to achieve my Delta status. If I don’t check in a bag and don’t leave the airport, do I require a visa?
Dear Kasia,
Thanks for your inquiry!
If you are flying out from Beijing to a third country as an American citizen, you are eligible for the transit 144-hour visa-free stay in Beijing. If you are flying back to your original place, then you are not entitled to the policy. Have a nice trip！
I am currently in Singapore as a tourist and plan to go to Beijing for about 3 days, then go to Thailand for a short time and then go back to Singapore where I am staying at friends place.
do I qualify for the 144 hours visa-free stay or can i have problems because after Thailand I am going back to Singapore?
thank you in advance.
Dear Finn，
Yes, in your case, as a Singapore resident, you are definitely eligible for the visa-free transit stay in Beijing! Have a nice trip to Beijing!
I’m a USA citizen fly from USA to Beijing stay 3 nights / on day 4 fly to Taiwan, go on cruise to Japan, Korea with return to Taiwan then fly home to USA. will I need a Visa?
Dear Mike,
Thanks for your inquiry!
In your case you are entitled to the 144 hour visa-free stay in Beijing. Just follow the crowd and go through a special counter for 144-hour passengers for registration. Please note don’t go to the 24-hour transit gate ( not for you).
Have a nice trip!
Hi.
Can we use the 144 transit visa if we fly from London to Beijing, the next day we fly to Korea for a week then fly from Korea to Beijing for 6 days then back to London?
Many thanks for your help
Dear Rachel，
Thanks for your inquiry!
Basically, you are entitled to the 144 transit visa for your two layover trips in Beijing! Have a nice time!
Can I get I transit visa in Beijing if I have been leaving in China and now I want to exit as first as possible because am sick or pregnant and I have tried to get an exit visa but I didn’t get?