Question: Hello, our company would like to invite foreign clients to China for urgent business talks at very short notice. What are the requirements for foreigners to apply for the 72/144-hour visa-free transit in China?

Answer: Hello, thank you for your interest in and support for our immigration management. Any foreigner applying for the 72/144-hour visa-free transit needs to meet the following three conditions:

1. He/she must be a citizen of one of the countries entitled to the 72/144-hour visa-free transit (please check the table below for the list of the countries entitled);

2. He/she must hold a valid international travel document (valid for no less than three months) that can prove his/her nationality and identity, and meet the conditions for entering a third country/region;

3. He/she must hold a connecting ticket to a third country/region with a confirmed date and seat for departure within 72/144 hours or relevant certificates as per the amount of time applied for the visa-free transit, fill out the Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners, and accept inquiries from the entry-exit border inspection authority.

Foreigners who meet the above conditions can apply for the 144-hour visa-free transit at the entry-exit border inspection authorities in 20 cities in China, or the 72-hour visa-free transit in three cities. Application is not possible in the cities that have not yet implemented this policy.

Kind Reminder

The border control authorities will not issue temporary entry permits to a foreigner if:

- His/her passport or any other international travel document is expiring in less than three months, or any of his/her travel documents has a rejection stamp by a visa-issuing agency in China;

- He/she has a record of illegal entry or exit, illegal residence, or illegal employment within the last five years.

Foreigners under these circumstances are not entitled to the 72/144-hour visa-free transit.