On July 5, the National Immigration Administration reported that in the first half of this year, 14.635 million foreigners entered the country through various ports across the country, an increase of 152.7% year-on-year. Among them, 8.542 million people entered through visa-free channels, accounting for 58% and an increase of 190.1% year-on-year.
On July 15, the National Immigration Administration announced that the scope of application and applicable ports of the 144-hour transit visa-free policy will be further expanded. The scope of stay under Yunnan Province’s 144-hour transit visa-free policy will be expanded from Kunming City to nine administrative regions including Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu’er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, and Wenshan. Three ports, namely Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, and Mohan Railway Port, have been added as applicable ports for the 144-hour transit visa-free policy. As of now, a total of 37 ports have implemented the 144-hour transit visa-free policy.
Some netizens praised that the country’s introduction of the 144-hour transit visa-free policy “lets the world see a more open China.” Some netizens are also curious about who came up with this policy.
The prototype of the current “transit visa exemption” policy comes from the implementation of the Exit-Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China on July 1, 2013. Article 22 of it stipulates that foreigners who transit to a third country or region with a connecting flight ticket and stay in a specific area approved by the State Council for no more than the specified time limit can be exempted from applying for a visa.
In 2013, the 72-hour transit visa exemption policy was implemented at specific ports in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, etc.
In 2015, the “Several Opinions of the State Council on Improving Port Work and Supporting Foreign Trade Development” proposed that “expand the scope of pilot ports for the policy of joint passenger transportation transfer, port visas and transit visa exemptions in eligible places.” In January 2016, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang implemented a 144-hour transit visa exemption policy for people from 51 countries; starting from December 28, 2017, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region implemented a 144-hour transit visa exemption policy for foreigners from 53 countries; starting from January 1, 2018, Liaoning implemented a 144-hour transit visa exemption policy for people from 53 countries; in 2019, many regions across the country followed up and opened the 144-hour transit visa exemption.
Since 2023, China has successively introduced and resumed various visa exemption policies, which has become the direct driving force for the continuous heating up of inbound tourism this year, including mutual visa exemption, unilateral visa exemption policy, transit visa exemption, regional inbound visa exemption policy, and adding Norway as the 54th country applicable to the 72/144-hour transit visa exemption policy.
First, mutual visa exemption refers to an agreement signed between two or more countries or regions to allow citizens of other countries to enter their territory and do not need a visa within a certain period of time. This year, China has signed mutual visa exemption agreements with many countries, making exchanges between China and foreign countries more convenient. Which countries have mutual visa exemptions? How long is the stay? See the picture below:
| Serial Number | Country | Length of Stay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | Holders of valid ordinary passports of China or ordinary passports of Georgia. When entering, exiting or transiting in the other contracting party, a single stay shall not exceed 30 days. The cumulative stay within 180 days shall not exceed 90 days. Visa exemption. |
| 2 | Antigua and Barbuda | N/A |
| 3 | Thailand | As of March [date in 202?], the mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Thailand officially takes effect. Holders of service passports and ordinary passports of China and holders of ordinary passports of Thailand can enter each other’s countries visa-free. A single stay shall not exceed 30 days. The cumulative stay within 180 days shall not exceed 90 days. As of July 15, Thailand extends the visa-free stay period for Chinese citizens to 60 days for a single entry. |
| 4 | Singapore | Holders of ordinary passports of both sides can enter each other’s countries visa-free for private affairs such as tourism, visiting relatives and business, and the stay shall not exceed 30 days. |
| 5 | Albania | Citizens of both countries holding diplomatic and official passports can enter each other’s countries visa-free. Holders of valid ordinary service passports and ordinary passports of the People’s Republic of China and holders of entry passports of the Republic of Albania. From the date of entry into the other country, the stay shall not exceed 90 days within 180 days. Visa exemption. |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | Holders of ordinary passports of China and Kazakhstan. For activities such as business, trade, signing contracts, providing services and other business activities, supervision, medical treatment, international transportation and transit. When entering, exiting or transiting in the other country, the single stay shall not exceed [number of days] from the date of entry. The cumulative stay within 180 days shall not exceed [number of days]. |
| 7 | Dominica | Citizens of the People’s Republic of China holding valid diplomatic, official, ordinary service passports and ordinary passports and citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica holding valid diplomatic, official passports and ordinary passports. When entering, exiting or transiting in the other contracting party, the stay shall not exceed 30 days from the date of entry. Visa exemption. |
| 8 | Maldives | Chinese citizens holding valid Chinese passports can stay in the Maldives for a short term not exceeding 30 days for tourism, business, visiting relatives and transit without a visa. For activities such as work, residence, journalism and other activities that require approval from the competent authorities of the Maldives, relevant procedures should be completed before entry. |
| 9 | Suriname | Citizens of both countries holding valid passports can enter, exit or transit in the other country. From the date of entry, the stay shall not exceed 30 days. Visa exemption. |
| 10 | Armenia | Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports of China and Armenian citizens holding ordinary passports of Armenia. When entering, exiting or transiting in the other contracting party, the cumulative stay within 180 days from the date of entry shall not exceed 90 days. Visa exemption. |
| 11 | Belarus | Holders of diplomatic passports, official (including ordinary service) passports, ordinary passports, passports of Hong Kong or Macao Special Administrative Regions who enter Belarus and stay for not more than 30 days can be exempted from visas. The total stay shall not exceed 90 days. Belarusian citizens holding ordinary passports can enter China visa-free and stay for not more than 30 days. The cumulative stay within a calendar year shall not exceed 90 days. |
| 12 | Montenegro | Citizens of both countries can stay visa-free in the other country for 90 days within any 180 days. |
| 13 | Qatar | Chinese citizens holding valid Chinese diplomatic, official, ordinary service and ordinary passports can enter Qatar visa-free and stay for not more than 30 days. Qatar citizens holding valid Qatari diplomatic, special, official and ordinary passports can enter China visa-free and stay for not more than 30 days. |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | N/A |
| 15 | Barbados | Citizens of both countries holding valid passports can enter, exit or transit in the other country without a visa. The visa-free stay period is 30 days. |
| 16 | Serbia | N/A |
| 17 | Tonga | N/A |
| 18 | Grenada | N/A |
| 19 | Fiji | Chinese citizens holding valid passports of the People’s Republic of China and citizens of the Republic of Fiji holding valid passports of the Republic of Fiji. When entering, exiting or transiting in the other country, visa exemption for a stay of not more than 30 days. |
| 20 | Bahamas | N/A |
| 21 | Seychelles | N/A |
| 22 | Mauritius | N/A |
| 23 | San Marino | N/A |
Second, unilateral visa exemption refers to a country or region unilaterally allowing citizens of another country or region to enter without a visa, without requiring the corresponding visa exemption treatment from the other country or region. At present, China implements a unilateral visa exemption policy for 16 countries including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Brunei, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland.
Third, transit visa exemption refers to a policy that allows foreign passengers to transit through a certain country on their way to a third country or region without applying for a transit visa according to the laws or relevant regulations of the transit country and can make a short stay in the transit country. Well-known ones are 24-hour, 72-hour, and 144-hour transit visa exemptions.
At present, all open passenger ports in China implement a 24-hour transit visa exemption policy for people from all countries in the world. Foreigners holding valid international travel documents and confirmed connecting flight tickets, taking international flights, ships, or trains to transit from China to a third country or region and staying in China for no more than 24 hours without leaving the port can be exempted from visas; if they need to leave the port, they should apply to the port entry-exit border inspection authority for a temporary entry permit.
At present, 41 open ports in 19 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) implement a 72-hour or 144-hour transit visa exemption policy for people from 54 countries. See the following table for city ports:
| Serial Number | Province (Autonomous Region/ Municipality)/Region | Applicable City | Applicable Port | Scope of Stay | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption Policy | |||||
| 1 | Hunan Province, Heilongjiang Province | Changsha, Hunan | Changsha Huanghua International Airport | Hunan Province | |
| 2 | Harbin, Heilongjiang | Harbin Taiping International Airport | Harbin City | ||
| 3 | Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region | Guilin, Guangxi | Guilin Liangjiang International Airport | Guilin City | |
| 4 | Beihai, Guangxi | Beihai Port (Passenger Transport) | Beihai City | ||
| 144-hour Transit Visa Exemption Policy | |||||
| 1 | Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region | Beijing | Beijing Capital International Airport | 144-hour transit visa exemption policy is implemented jointly in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. For foreigners who meet the policy application conditions, they can enter from the ports applicable to this policy in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and stay in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei for no more than 144 hours and exit from the ports applicable to this policy in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. | |
| 2 | Beijing Daxing International Airport | ||||
| 3 | Beijing West Railway Station | ||||
| 4 | Tianjin | Tianjin Binhai International Airport | Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei | ||
| 5 | Tianjin | Tianjin International Cruise Home Port | |||
| 6 | Shijiazhuang, Hebei | Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport | |||
| 7 | Qinhuangdao, Hebei | Qinhuangdao Sea Port (Passenger Transport) | |||
| 8 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Shanghai | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | 144-hour transit visa exemption policy is implemented jointly in Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region. For foreigners who meet the policy application conditions, they can enter from the ports applicable to this policy in Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region and stay in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang for no more than 144 hours and exit from the ports applicable to this policy in Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region. |
| 9 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Shanghai | Shanghai Pudong International Airport | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 10 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Shanghai | Shanghai Sea Port (Passenger Transport) | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 11 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Shanghai | Shanghai Railway Port | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 12 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Nanjing, Jiangsu | Nanjing Lukou International Airport | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 13 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Lianyungang, Jiangsu | Lianyungang Sea Port (Passenger Transport) | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 14 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 15 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Ningbo, Zhejiang | Ningbo Lishe International Airport | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 16 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Wenzhou, Zhejiang | Wenzhou Port (Passenger Transport) | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 17 | Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region | Zhoushan, Zhejiang | Zhoushan Port (Passenger Transport) | Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang | |
| 18 | Guangdong Province | Guangzhou, Guangdong | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport | Guangdong Province | For foreigners who meet the policy application conditions, they can enter from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jieyang airports or Nansha Port and Shekou Port and stay in Guangdong Province for no more than 144 hours and exit from the 36 open ports with passenger transport functions in Guangdong Province. |
| 19 | Guangdong Province | Guangzhou, Guangdong | Nansha Port (Passenger Transport) | Guangdong Province | |
| 20 | Guangdong Province | Shenzhen, Guangdong | Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport | Guangdong Province | |
| 21 | Guangdong Province | Shenzhen, Guangdong | Shekou Port (Passenger Transport) | Guangdong Province | |
| 22 | Guangdong Province | Jieyang, Guangdong | Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport | Guangdong Province | |
| 23 | Liaoning Province | Shenyang, Liaoning | Shenyang Taoxian International Airport | Liaoning Province | |
| 24 | Liaoning Province | Dalian, Liaoning | Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport | Liaoning Province | |
| 25 | Liaoning Province | Dalian, Liaoning | Dalian Sea Port (Passenger Transport) | Liaoning Province | |
| 26 | Shandong Province | Qingdao, Shandong | Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport | Shandong Province | |
| 27 | Shandong Province | Qingdao, Shandong | Qingdao Sea Port (Passenger Transport) | Shandong Province | |
| 28 | Henan Province | Zhengzhou, Henan | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport | Henan Province | |
| 29 | Chongqing Municipality | Chongqing | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport | Chongqing Municipality | |
| 30 | Yunnan Province | Kunming, Yunnan | Kunming Changshui International Airport | Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu’er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe and Wenshan | |
| 31 | Yunnan Province | Lijiang, Yunnan | Lijiang Sanyi International Airport | Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu’er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe and Wenshan | |
| 32 | Yunnan Province | Xishuangbanna, Yunnan | Mohan Railway Port | Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu’er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe and Wenshan | |
| 33 | Sichuan Province | Chengdu, Sichuan | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport | Chengdu, Leshan, Deyang, Suining, Meishan, Ya’an, Ziyang, Neijiang, Zigong, Luzhou and Yibin | |
| 34 | Shaanxi Province | Xi’an, Shaanxi | Xi’an Xianyang International Airport | Xi’an City and Xianyang City | |
| 35 | Fujian Province | Xiamen | Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport | Xiamen City |
Fourth, visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering on cruise ships. Starting from May 15 this year, foreign tourist groups (two or more people) taking cruises and organized and received by domestic travel agencies can enter in groups without visas through cruise ports in 13 cities including Tianjin, Dalian in Liaoning Province, Shanghai, Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province, Wenzhou and Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province, Xiamen in Fujian Province, Qingdao in Shandong Province, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Beihai in Guangxi, Haikou and Sanya in Hainan Province. They can stay for no more than 15 days. The tourist groups must follow the same cruise ship to the next port until leaving on this cruise. The activity range is coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) and Beijing.
Fifth, visa-free policy for foreigners entering Hainan. People from 59 countries holding ordinary passports can enter Hainan without a visa for short-term reasons such as tourism, business, visiting, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, and sports competitions (except for work and study reasons) and stay for no more than 30 days. The entry and exit ports are all open ports in Hainan Province. The activity range is the administrative region of Hainan Province. Which are the 59 countries? Click here. The National Immigration Administration has decided to expand the reasons for visa-free entry of some countries’ personnel into Hainan. Those that meet mutual or unilateral visa exemptions shall follow their provisions.
Sixth, visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN countries entering Guilin, Guangxi. Tourist groups from ASEAN countries (two or more people, holding ordinary passports) organized and received by domestic travel agencies in China can enter and exit without visas through Guilin Airport port. The activity range is the administrative region of Guilin City, Guangxi. They enter and exit in groups and can stay for no more than 144 hours.
Seventh, visa-free policy for foreigners in Hong Kong and Macao regions entering Guangdong in groups. In November 2000, the Pearl River Delta region implemented a 144-hour visa-free entry policy. Foreign citizens from countries that have established diplomatic relations with China who have already arrived in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and hold ordinary passports can stay in nine cities in Guangdong Province including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou and Shantou area for 144 hours by participating in tourist groups organized by legally registered travel agencies in Hong Kong and Macao regions.
This policy is called the “144-hour visa-free policy for foreigners in Hong Kong and Macao regions entering Guangdong in groups.” It is a kind of regional inbound visa exemption policy. Foreign tourists must enter and exit in groups from Hong Kong and Macao regions and can only move within a specific range in Guangdong Province.
The calculation time for the stay under the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh inbound visa exemption policies starts from 0:00 on the day after entry.
If none of the above visa exemption policies apply, don’t worry! There is still the “port visa” that you can try.
Foreign passengers holding ordinary passports who have urgent reasons to come to China for business cooperation, exchanges, investment and entrepreneurship, visiting relatives and private affairs, or for humanitarian reasons such as coming to China to attend funerals or visit critically ill patients and don’t have time to get visas processed at embassies and consulates abroad can apply to the port visa authority for port visas. As of now, China has carried out port visa business at ports with more international routes and a large number of foreign entries, covering 100 open ports in 73 cities across the country.
Counting from 2013, China has implemented the transit visa exemption policy for 11 years. Now, China’s visa-free “circle of friends” continues to expand, and measures to facilitate personnel exchanges are continuously optimized. It is more convenient for foreigners to come to China.