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Introduction to Visa Exemption
2018-11-24 23:50

A foreign citizen can enter China without a visa under any one of the following circumstances:

1. Transit

1) Transit within 24 hours

A foreign citizen with a valid passport or other valid international travel document transiting through China to a third country or region by an international aircraft, train or ship with a connecting ticket and confirmed date and seat is exempted from visa if he/she will stay only within the port limited area for no more than 24 hours.

A foreign citizen who is transiting through China within 24 hours to a third country or region by an international aircraft with a connecting ticket and confirmed date and seat, shall apply for temporary entry permit from exit/entry border inspection agencies when he/she will either exit the airport or transit from two or more cities.

2) Transit within 72 hours

A foreign citizen with a valid passport or other valid international travel document issued by the following 53 countries transiting with 72 hours from certain airports of China to a third country or region with a connecting air ticket with confirmed date and seat can apply to stay in the transit city without visa for 72 hours.

The 53 countries are: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Montenegro, Monaco, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.

The airports include: Beijing Capital International Airport, Tianjin Binhai International Airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, Kunming Changshui International Airport, Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, Harbin Taiping International Airport, Qingdao Liuting International Airport, Changsha Huanghua International Airport.

Special notes: To apply for 72-hour visa-free transit permit, please inform the airline at check-in to declare your request to the relevant boarder checkpoint before landing.

For more information, please refer to the website of relevant airports or border checkpoints.

3) Transit within 144 hours

A foreign citizen with a valid passport or other valid international travel document issued by the following 53 countries transiting with 144 hours from certain airports of China to a third country or region with a connecting air ticket with confirmed date and seat can:

A. enter from any of the following ports: Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Railway Station, Nanjing Lukou International Airport and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, and stay in Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province without visa for 144 hours.

B. enter from any of the following ports: Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Port, Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport, Qinghuangdao Port, and stay in Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, Hebei Province without visa for 144 hours.

C. enter from any of the following ports: Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, and stay in Liaoning Province without visa for 144 hours.

The 53 countries are: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Montenegro, Monaco, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.

Special notes: To apply for 144-hour visa-free transit permit, please inform the airline at check-in to declare your request to the relevant boarder checkpoint before landing.

For more information, please refer to the website of relevant airports or border checkpoints.

2. Tour in the Pearl River Delta or Guilin

1) A foreign citizen holding an ordinary passport issued by any country with diplomatic relations with China is exempted from visa if he/she is already in Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR and joins a tourist group organized by a travel agency which is registered in Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR, for a tour in the Pearl River Delta region (including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing and Huizhou) with a stay no more than 6 days.

2) Citizens of ASEAN states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) when joining a tourist group (2 people or more) organized by a travel agency qualified by competent tourism departments in Guilin can enter Guilin from Guilin Liangjiang International Airport and stay in Guilin for no more than 6 days.

3. Tour in Hainan Province

A foreign citizen with an ordinary passport issued by the following 59 countries travelling to Hainan for sightseeing can enter Hainan through one of its open ports without a visa and stay there for a maximum of 30 days. However, the passenger should be received by one of the travel agencies registered in Hainan Province.

The 59 countries are: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Malaysia, Montenegro, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.

For details of the policy, please refer to the following website:http://en.explorehainan.com/en/plan/visas.shtml (English)

4. Citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan

A citizen of Singapore, Brunei or Japan with an ordinary passport is exempted from visa if he/she visits China's mainland for tourism, business, or visiting friends or relatives, can enter China from ports open to foreigners and stay for no more than 15 days.

Visa is required for citizens of the above-mentioned three countries when:

1) the intended stay is more than 15 days.

or 2) the purpose of visit is study, work, permanent residency, official visit or news coverage.

5. Holders of Valid APEC Business Travel Card

The APEC Business Travel Card is a substitute of a multi-entry visa valid for 3 years. A card holder who presents a valid passport whose image and biometric data exactly matches that on the APEC Business Travel Card can enter China multiple times during the validity of the card with each stay of no more than 2 months.

6. Holders of Foreigner's Permanent Residence Card of China

7. Holders of Residence Permit for Foreigners issued by public security authorities of China

A Foreign citizen entering China with D, J1, Q1, S1 X1or Z visa are required to apply for a residence permit at local public security authorities within 30 days of entry into China. Once approved, the permit holder is allowed to stay in China or enter/exit China multiple times during the validity of the permit. No visa renewal is necessary.

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