144-Hour Transit Visa: Your Step-by-Step Guide (Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing)
144-Hour Transit Visa: Your Step-by-Step Guide
China's 144-hour (6-day) visa-free transit policy is one of the most convenient entry options for international travelers. Available at 37 ports across 20 provinces — including the major hubs of Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing — this policy allows citizens of 53 countries to visit without applying for a visa in advance. This guide covers everything you need to know to use it successfully.
Eligibility Requirements
You qualify if: (1) You hold a passport from one of 53 eligible countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, South Korea, most EU countries, and more). (2) You arrive from a third country (not the country of your passport). (3) You have a confirmed onward ticket to a third country (or back to your home country) within 144 hours. (4) You enter and exit through designated ports within the same province/region.
Regional zones: Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (10 ports), Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang (5 ports), Guangdong (3 ports including Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and Shenzhen). You may travel freely within the regional zone but cannot leave it.
