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China 24, 72, and 144 hour Transit Without Visa ("TWOV") rules master thread

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Old May 2, 2014, 10:31 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: moondog
Note: This thread pertains only to entering the People's Republic of China (PRC, mainland China) as a transit passenger. For information on obtaining regular PRC visas in advance of arrival, please see the China Visas Master Thread.
Transit Without Visa (TWOV) and Transit Without Visa (entry permit)

China offers multiple options to facilitate direct transits where you are flying from country A to country B, via China. The type of entry procedure varies depending on the city (or cities) you will transit, and the length of time you will spend in China.

The information in this wiki was last updated in August 2023.

Disclaimers/Warnings

This thread is based on currently available published information, supplemented by the experiences of actual travelers. A number of us are happy to review prospective itineraries, and can often identify red flags that might warrant attention. That having been said, complying with stated policy does not guarantee entry.

Transit Without Visa / Transit Without Visa (entry permit)

If you are visiting a single city in China, you will be offered a 24-hour transit without visa (TWOV). If you are visiting multiple cities within China you may be offered at 24-hour TWOV (entry permit). This latter category replaces the previous 'transit visa on arrival' which was offered briefly in 2018.

While TWOV is pretty much a guarantee, if your transit is less than 12 hours, and you don't need to go landside in order to pull it off (e.g. PEK T3 to T2 requires this), you might not be granted an entry permit, especially in the case of day time connections.

If you hold one of 53 passports, you may be eligible for a longer stay in China, either 72 hours or 144 hours. Admission to China will be an entry permit under the transit without visa program (TWOV).

In all cases, China must be a transit en route to a third country. Your immediate flight out of China cannot be back to the same country you flew into China from.

Restrictions and warnings

There are considerations and potential complexities with each of the entry methods above. These include:
  • city specific restrictions, for example TWOV with entry permit may not be offered if you have a short stay in CAN or PVG (under 8 hours), or if you can't provide hotel reservations.
  • restrictions based on your passport/nationality
  • countries you may have previously visited (for example an entry stamp to Turkey may preclude you being offered TWOV)
  • the time from which your stay is measured (either actual arrival time, or 00:01 the day after you arrive)
  • the region you will be visiting (some regions are 72 hours, some 144 hours)
The information below represents a combination of the official rules (contained in TIMATIC) and anecdotal feedback from passengers who have recently used TWOV and reported any specific problems (for example, Turkey entry stamps, or refusal to allow entry if a stay is considered 'too short').

Note: other 'visas on arrival' mentioned in TIMATIC are unlikely to ever be available to most passengers.

The main problem using TWOV is the potential for misunderstanding of the rules by airline check-in staff. Some airline staff believe a visa is mandatory for China, no exceptions. These misunderstandings are generally resolved at the airport, but you should allow plenty of time. In rare cases where passengers missed their flights, the airlines have provided full compensation (that is, they have acknowledged the rules and guidance on which this thread is based are correct and that their staff have erred).

Current known issues

NOTE 1: Effective end August 2017, 24 hour TWOV involving travel through CAN may be subject to restrictions. The situation is changing on a daily basis. Please check the last few posts of this thread for the latest information.


Direct international air-to-air connections are permitted at CAN. Uncertainty remains around whether you are able to leave the airport during longer transits. Passengers with passports only eligible for 24-hour TWOV may be required to remain within the transit area regardless of how long they are in transit. Passenger who would otherwise also be eligible for 72-hour TWOV may be able to leave the airport if their transit exceeds 8 hours (but is less than 24 hours). Passengers with less than 8 hours needing to collect bags in CAN to transfer airlines may not be permitted to enter China for the purpose of collecting bags and re-checking. You may be required to contact the operating airline of your onward flight to collect your bags on your behalf and re-tag them to your final destination.
NOTE 2: Effective February 2018, 24 hour TWOV involving travel through Shanghai may be subject to restriction. The rules are not clear and you should check the last few posts/pages of this thread for the latest information.



TWOV is still operational in Shanghai however new rules are supposedly in operation - at least at PVG - limiting the ability for passengers to enter China and leave the airport. Passengers with: (1) short stays (under four hours), (2) same-day transfers (more than four hours, but with an onward flight on the same day as arriving), (3) a transit within 24 hours but without confirmed hotel accommodation, and/or (4) who do not need to collect bags and recheck for their onward flight may all be affected. Passengers in any one of these categories may be directed to the transfer line with direct air-side transfer (not allowed to enter China/leave the airport).
NOTE 3: 24 hour TWOV is may not available to passengers travelling on the following passports: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. See the 24-hour TWOV section below for more details. The most recent version of TIMATIC appears to have lifted this exemption for all cities except XMN. But there are no recent reports to confirm this.

NOTE 4: passengers seeking TWOV in China who have previously visited Turkey (entry stamps) may be refused entry.

WARNING for passengers flying American Airlines (AA) on itineraries USA-China-USA:
in cases where either your outbound or inbound to China has a short transit in a third country (for example LAX-xNRT-PVG-LAX, or LAX-PVG-xHKG-LAX), you may be denied boarding as AA will insist you need a Chinese visa. This is incorrect and AA have admitted liability in cases where boarding has been refused in these circumstances. Despite this there have been several recent reports where AA check-in staff do not interpret TIMATIC correctly and instead apply IATA ticketing rules (that is, that the intermediate transit must instead be a stopover of longer than 24 hours to make it count as a 'third country'). You are advised to arrive at your embarkation point with plenty of time in case this becomes an issue.


Key Points

To avail yourself of transit provisions, you MUST be travelling from country A, via China, to Country B (a 'third country').

-Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are treated as separate countries in this case (special provisions apply to Shenzhen, where travel to the SARs is not permitted for TWOV purposes)

-flights in your itinerary that don't involve China are completely irrelevant (e.g. if you are flying BOS-ORD-PEK-HKG-BOS, focus solely on ORD-PEK-HKG)

-some airline employees misunderstand TWOV procedures, so be prepared to advise them that China is the transit country
*in the event that the airline people at your small airport are clueless, focus on getting to the larger airport, and take matters up there

-print the following
*TIMATIC rules applicable to your situation (e.g. Japan-China-USA) link
*receipt for onward flight (from China)
*your China hotel reservation (this is not an official requirement, and you can stay anywhere you please after the fact, but having a hotel reservation in hand can speed things up)

-on arrival in your China POE, it helps to have your onward ticket and hotel reservations in hand

Overview

China offers four distinct opportunities for transit passengers to enter the PRC without a visa - a 24 hour TWOV (transit without visa, including a separate TWOV with attached entry permit), 72 hour TWOV and 144 hour TWOV

Which one you are eligible for depends on whether you have one or more stops in China, the city or cities you intend to visit, and the passport you travel on.

Note: special conditions apply for Urumqi (URC) – see below.


24-Hour TWOV

NOTE: please see warnings, restrictions, and 'current known issues' sections above for CAN, Shanghai, and passports excluded from using TWOV.

In circumstances where you are eligible for TWOV, the 24-hour period is measured from your first scheduled arrival into China, until your scheduled departure from China.

Note: special provisions apply to Urumqi (URC), where you are permitted to stay in transit for a maximum of 2 hours.

You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.

New rules became effective from September 2018. These rules govern when you can leave the airport, which cities offer TWOV, which routes restrict TWOV, and which nationalities are eligible.

These new rules are:

24-hour TWOV - entry permit (multiple stops allowed)

Passengers with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 24 hours can obtain an entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required for the next destination. When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep).

Excludes holders of BNO, Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) or Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) passports.

Exclusions: does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ). Does not apply to nationals of Syria transiting through Guangzhou (CAN). Does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN).

24-hour TWOV - other

Available to passengers with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.

Exclusions: this TWOV facility does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ) or to nationals of Syria through Guangzhou (CAN).

This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN).

This TWOV facility does not apply to holders of BNO, Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) or Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) passports (see below).

24-hour TWOV Hong Kong/Macao passport holders

Passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macau (SAR China) passport transiting through Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG) or Beijing (PEK) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport.

TWOV Urumqi (URC)

Passengers transiting through Urumqi (URC) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 2 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.

Exclusions: nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and Yemen.

Also excluded are holders of BNO, Republic of China (Chinese Taipei), Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) passports.

Note: eligible passport holders may also be able to obtain a 24-hour TWOV (with entry permit) if they have multiple stops within China in addition to Urumqi.

24 hour TWOV Shenzhen (new, September 2018)

Passengers transiting through Shenzhen (SZX) with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket within 24 hours to a third country can obtain an entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required for the next destination.

When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep)

Exclusions: does not apply when passengers are traveling to Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macao (SAR China).


72-Hour TWOV

72 Hour TWOV: available in selected cities, and only available if you fly non-stop into and out of China (no transits, ‘technical stops’ or connections are allowed inside China).

Passport holders from select countries are eligible for this scheme. Check your eligibility against the TIMATIC excerpt at the end of this wiki.

The number of cities offering 72 hour TWOV continues to expand slowly and the table below will be updated once cities appear in TIMATIC.

The 72 hour period is measured differently depending on which city you transit as outlined in the table below.

Caution: Most airline staff rely on TIMATIC to determine if you can board the aircraft. If the city you wish to fly to does not appear in TIMATIC, you may be refused boarding even if the city states it has officially launched 72-hour TWOV. Cities which fall into this category are listed separately in the table below.


72-hour TWOV – time measured from 00:01 the day after you arrive

A number of cities count the commencement time for TWOV from 00:01 the day after you arrive.

These cities are: Changsha (CSX), Chengdu (CTU), Chongqing (CKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Qingdao (TAO), Wuhan (WUH), Xi'an (XIY) and Xiamen (XMN)

(note: Hangzhou (HGH), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Tianjin (TSN) (have now been moved to the 144-hour TWOV category)


72-hour TWOV – time based on scheduled arrival time

Other cities are 'up to' 72 hours based on the scheduled arrival time of your inbound flight. You must have a departure time no later than 72 hours from the time you were scheduled to land. (If your flight lands early the time is measured from the time the flight was scheduled to land.)

These cities are: Guilin (KWL), Kunming (KMG), Harbin (HRB)


Prospective cities offering 72-hour TWOV

Some cities may advertise the intended availability of 72-hour TWOV however they may not yet appear in TIMATIC. You may be refused boarding as airline staff will usually rely on TIMATIC in deciding whether you are eligible to fly to – and enter – China. These cities will be moved into the appropriate category above once they are in TIMATIC.
Movements of travelers who qualify for 72-hour TWOV are restricted to the city/region of arrival. This limitation varies from city to city, but generally travelers are required to remain within about 100 miles of the arrival airport.

You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.


144-Hour TWOV

Commencing 30 January 2016 a number of cities, grouped in three areas, are offering 144-hour TWOV.

Passport holders from select countries are eligible for this scheme. Check your eligibility against the TIMATIC excerpt at the end of this wiki.

Similar to 72-hour TWOV, these cities will count the commencement time as 00:01 the day after you arrive.

These cities are:
  • area 1: Hangzhou (HGH), Nanjing Lukou (NKG), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), Shanghai Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Wusongkou (Baoshan) International Cruise Terminal or Shanghai Railway Station
and
  • area 2: Beijing (PEK), Tianjin (TSN), Shijiazhuang (SJW), Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port or Qinhuangdao Sea Port.
and
  • area 3: Dalian (DLC) and Shenyang (SHE)
and
  • area 4: Guangdong Province -- note: we will update this section after we get a chance to review the new sections in TIMATIC, which are a bit confusing, but the gist of it is that you can enter China in Guangdong by air (only CAN, SWA, and SZX), travel throughout the province during the course of 144 hours, and depart from a much longer list of airports and land borders, but you can't depart for HK or Macau if you arrive at SZX.

Movements of travelers who qualify for 144-hour TWOV are more generous than those offered for 72-hour TWOV, allowing travel between the cities (and provinces) within each of the three separate areas participating in the 144-hour program (that is, you can arrive and/or depart from any city or terminal listed within areas 1, 2 or 3 outlined above). However, travel between the three grouped areas is not permitted and requires a regular visa (that is, you can not arrive in one of the areas and depart from any other than the area in which you arrived).

You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.


Other Important Considerations

• The TWOV rules apply primarily to air travel but 144-hour TWOV variants are extended to select rail and cruise ship terminals. See the respective sections of this wiki for full details. .

• Passengers must have confirmed onward tickets to a third country (not the PRC, and not the country from which they arrived).

• Except for 24 hour TWOV (with entry permit), passengers must fly non-stop to/from their destination in China using two different countries. For this context, the SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are considered third countries, as is Chinese Taipei/Taiwan/Republic of China/Taiwan Province.


• Duration of stop in third country is irrelevant (e.g., LAX-PVG-NRT-LAX is compliant, even if NRT stop is for only a few hours).

• Travelers making intermediate stops within China, even on the same flight number, are not eligible for 72/144-hour TWOV (the 24-hour TVOA rule is still valid). All major Chinese airlines have flights of this nature (e.g. CA via DLC/XMN/PVG/CTU, CZ via CAN/XMN, MU via KMG/PVG), so be sure to examine them before booking. Travellers can arrive and depart from different airports in different provinces within the same 144-hour TWOV areas.

• Proof of onward flights is required. Flights must be ticketed — reservations alone, without an actual ticket number, will not be sufficient. You may also be asked for proof of hotel booking(s) by immigration at your point of entry to China.

• Onward flight can be on a separate ticket.

• You do not need to be traveling on Chinese carriers for any part of your itinerary.

• Different airlines for inbound/outbound are permitted, even on separate tickets (example: arrive Cathay Pacific, depart Lufthansa is ok).

• Most TWOV problems will occur with the carrier at the country of departure due to airline employees' misunderstanding of the rules. To avoid issues, it is wise to have a copy of the current TIMATIC version of the rules, along with confirmed onward tickets


TIMATIC

Sometimes members request official PRC documentation of these rules, but documentation from TIMATIC is typically more useful, as it's the most up-to-date source, and the one the airlines actually rely upon. Below the asterisks, you can view a complete version of China visa free transit that was in effect when KVS last updated it in 2019. According to KVS, the full (i.e. for all conceivable combinations of nationality, origin, transit city, and destination) text is no longer provided;. This means, individual prospective travelers should make their own queries as their trips draw near and print out (or save to phone) the applicable text along with proof of accommodation and onward transportation.

Here are just a few sites (there are many others, and we don't know which ones are the closest to real time) that host TIMATIC interfaces:
https://www.united.com/en/us/timatic/
https://skyteam.traveldoc.aero/
https://www.emirates.com/english/pla...n_results.aspx


February 2016 addition by moondog: There are occasional reports of airline staff at outstations having difficulty with TIMATIC as a credible data source. Beijing bound passengers can contact Beijing Exit/Entry Inspection directly on:

http://www.bjbj.gov.cn/
+86 10 5609 5400
Wechat: bjbianjian

(best to use Chinese whether you call or message them)
The TIMATIC text below is provided by KVS Tool and will only be updated when material changes to the TWOV rules are implemented. As such, travelers are advised to obtain a copy of the most recent TIMATIC data immediately before traveling. Besides KVS Tool and ExpertFlyer, some airline and alliance websites provide TIMATIC interfaces. Try this one: https://skyteam.traveldoc.aero/


IMPORTANT: When looking up China TWOV rules in TIMATIC, be sure to input China as the transit country, not the destination (e.g., origin = USA, destination = Hong Kong, transit country = China). If you don't have the patience to read the complete TIMATIC rules, which cover every contingency under the sun, we suggest using the following link:
https://www.emirates.com/english/pla...n_results.aspx

***************Hasn't been updated since 2019********************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** *******************
Source: [KVS Availability Tool 9.1.8/Diamond - TIMATIC: Country Information: Visa] (requires subscription)


Code:
[Visa Information] China (People's Rep.) (CN) [As of 29 Jul 2019]

TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
- Passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport transiting
through Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG) or Beijing (PEK)
with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third
country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international
transit area of the airport and have documents required for
the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport transiting
through Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG) or Beijing (PEK)
with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third
country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international
transit area of the airport and have documents required for
the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers transiting through Urumqi (URC) with a confirmed
onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 2
hours. They must stay in the international transit area of
the airport and have documents required for the next
destination. (SEE NOTE 88975)
- This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and Yemen.
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
British passport with nationality British National
(Overseas)".
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
Macao (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a
third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the
international transit area of the airport and have documents
required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975)
- This TWOV facility does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC),
Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi
(URC) and Yanji (YNJ).
- This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Syria
transiting through Guangzhou (CAN).
- This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri
Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen
transiting through Xiamen (XMN).
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
British passport with nationality British National
(Overseas)".
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
Macao (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train
ticket to a third country within 24 hours can obtain an
entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required
for the next destination.
When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have
multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep.).(SEE
NOTE 88975)
- This TWOV facility does not apply at Shenzhen (SZX) when
passengers are traveling to Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macao
(SAR China).
- This TWOV facility does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC),
Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji
(YNJ).
- This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Syria
transiting through Guangzhou (CAN).
- This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri
Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen
transiting through Xiamen (XMN).
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
British passport with nationality British National
(Overseas)".
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
- This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a
Macao (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates
transiting through Changsha (CSX), Chongqing (CKG) or Xi'an
(XIY) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third
country within 72 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day
following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen transiting through Changsha (CSX), Chongqing (CKG)
or Xi'an (XIY) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight
to a third country within 72 hours, starting from 00:01 on
the day following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates
transiting through Guilin (KWL) or Harbin (HRB) with a
confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country
within 72 hours. They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen transiting through Guilin (KWL) or Harbin (HRB)
with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third
country within 72 hours. They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a
confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third
country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day
following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Hangzhou (HGH), Nanjing (NKG), Shanghai: Hongqiao (SHA) and
Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal,
Shanghai Wusongkou (Baoshan) International Cruise Terminal
or Shanghai Railway Station; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket
to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on
the day following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Hangzhou (HGH), Nanjing (NKG), Shanghai: Hongqiao (SHA) and
Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal,
Shanghai Wusongkou (Baoshan) International Cruise Terminal
or Shanghai Railway Station; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a
confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third
country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day
following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Beijing (PEK), Tianjin (TSN), Shijiazhuang (SJW), Beijing
West Railway Station, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port
or Qinhuangdao Sea Port; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket
to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on
the day following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Beijing (PEK), Tianjin (TSN), Shijiazhuang (SJW), Beijing
West Railway Station, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port
or Qinhuangdao Sea Port; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a
confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country
within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following
the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following two
airports: Dalian (DLC) or Shenyang (SHE); and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a
third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the
day following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following two
airports: Dalian (DLC) or Shenyang (SHE); and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates
transiting through Chengdu (CTU) with a confirmed onward
ticket for a flight to a third country within 144 hours,
starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry.
They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination; and
- stay in the administrative area of Chengdu Municipality.
(SEE NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen transiting through Chengdu (CTU) with a confirmed
onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 144
hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of
entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination; and
- stay in the administrative area of Chengdu Municipality.
(SEE NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates
transiting through Kunming (KMG) or Wuhan (WUH) with a
confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country
within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following
the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen transiting through Kunming (KMG) or Wuhan (WUH)
with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third
country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day
following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from the same airport; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a
confirmed onward air or cruise ticket to a third country
within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following
the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Qingdao (TAO) or Qingdao Port; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen with a confirmed onward air or cruise ticket to a
third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the
day following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Qingdao (TAO) or Qingdao Port; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates
transiting through Xiamen (XMN) with a confirmed onward air
or cruise ticket to a third country within 144 hours,
starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry.
They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Xiamen (XMN), Xiamen International Cruise Center or Wutong
Passenger Wharf; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen transiting through Xiamen (XMN) with a confirmed
onward air or cruise ticket to a third country within 144
hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of
entry. They must:
- arrive at and depart from one of the following locations:
Xiamen (XMN), Xiamen International Cruise Center or Wutong
Passenger Wharf; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei
Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian
Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a
confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third
country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day
following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at one of the following airports: Guangzhou (CAN),
Shantou (SWA) or Shenzhen (SZX); and
- depart from one of the following locations: Guangzhou
(CAN), Meixian (MXZ), Shantou (SWA), Shenzhen (SZX),
Zhanjiang (ZHA), Dongguan Humen Sea Port, Dongguan Railway
Port, Doumen Sea Port, Foshan Gaoming Sea Port, Foshan
Railway Port, Guangzhou Sea Port, Guangzhou Tianhe Railway
Port, Heshan Sea Port, Jiuzhou Sea Port, Jiangmen Sea Port,
Lianhuashan Sea Port, Nansha Sea Port, Rongqi Sea Port,
Shekou Sea Port, Shenzhen Airport Support Sea Port, Shenzhen
Bay Port, Shenzhen Futian Port, Shenzhen Huanggang Port,
Shenzhen Luohu Port, Shenzhen Shatoujiao Port, Shenzhen
Wenjindu Port, Wanchai Sea Port, Wanshan Sea Port, Zhaoqing
Railway Port, Zhongshan Sea Port, Zhuhai Gongbei Port or
Zhuhai Hengqin Port; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket
to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on
the day following the day of entry. They must:
- arrive at one of the following airports: Guangzhou (CAN),
Shantou (SWA) or Shenzhen (SZX); and
- depart from one of the following locations: Guangzhou
(CAN), Meixian (MXZ), Shantou (SWA), Shenzhen (SZX),
Zhanjiang (ZHA), Dongguan Humen Sea Port, Dongguan Railway
Port, Doumen Sea Port, Foshan Gaoming Sea Port, Foshan
Railway Port, Guangzhou Sea Port, Guangzhou Tianhe Railway
Port, Heshan Sea Port, Jiuzhou Sea Port, Jiangmen Sea Port,
Lianhuashan Sea Port, Nansha Sea Port, Rongqi Sea Port,
Shekou Sea Port, Shenzhen Airport Support Sea Port, Shenzhen
Bay Port, Shenzhen Futian Port, Shenzhen Huanggang Port,
Shenzhen Luohu Port, Shenzhen Shatoujiao Port, Shenzhen
Wenjindu Port, Wanchai Sea Port, Wanshan Sea Port, Zhaoqing
Railway Port, Zhongshan Sea Port, Zhuhai Gongbei Port or
Zhuhai Hengqin Port; and
- have documents required for the next destination. (SEE
NOTE 88975)
NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when
passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or
Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA,
Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM).
- Warning:
All transiting passengers are subject to a check by
immigration. Passengers in transit must hold passports or
other documents accepted to enter China (People's Rep.).
- Warning:
For TWOV through Chengdu (CTU): before departure, a
notification must be sent by the carrier to immigration at
[email protected] .
- Warning:
For TWOV through Xiamen (XMN) for a maximum stay of 144
hours: before departure, a notification must be sent by the
carrier to immigration.
- Warning:
For TWOV through Changsha (CSX) or Guilin (KWL) for a
maximum stay of 72 hours: before departure, a notification
must be sent by the carrier to immigration.
- Warning:
For TWOV through Dalian (DLC) or Shenzhen (SZX): before
departure, a notification must be sent by the carrier to
immigration.
- Warning:
When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have
multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep.).



Visa required.

Visa Exemptions:
- Nationals of China (People's Rep.).
- Passengers with a China (People's Rep.) Travel Document (Lu
Xing Zheng).
- Passengers with a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and
Macao Residents (Hui Xiang Zheng, credit-card format) .
- Nationals of China (People's Rep.) with a Travel Permit to
and from Hong Kong and Macao when arriving from Hong Kong or
Macao (SAR China).
- Nationals of China (People's Rep.) with a Public Affairs
Hong Kong and Macao Travel Permit when arriving from Hong
Kong or Macao (SAR China).
- Nationals of China (People's Rep.) with a China (People's
Rep.) Travel Permit to and from Taiwan (Lu Bao Zheng).
- Passengers with a China (People's Rep.) Exit and Entry
Permit, with an endorsement to travel to China (People's
Rep.).
- Nationals of Mauritius for a maximum stay of 60 days.
- Nationals of Bahamas, Barbados, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada,
Qatar and Tonga for a maximum stay of 30 days.
- Nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina and San Marino with a
normal passport for a maximum stay of 90 days.
- Nationals of Belarus, Serbia, Seychelles and United Arab
Emirates with a normal passport for a maximum stay of 30
days.
- Nationals of Mongolia with a normal series E passport for
a maximum stay of 30 days.
- Nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Japan and Singapore with a
normal passport for a maximum stay of 15 days.
- Nationals of Korea (Dem. People's Rep.) with a Passport For
Official Trip".
- Passengers with a British diplomatic passport.
- Passengers with a British official passport containing a
"Visa Exempted" label issued by China (People's Rep.).
- Nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Cape Verde, Chile,
Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Guyana, Hungary, Indonesia,
Iran, Ireland (Rep.), Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Dem. Rep., Lithuania, Malaysia,
Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Moldova (Rep.), Montenegro,
Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russian
Fed., Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sudan,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine, Venezuela and Viet Nam with a diplomatic passport.
- Nationals of Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Rwanda, San Marino, Switzerland and
Uruguay with a diplomatic passport for a maximum stay of 90
days.
- Nationals of Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech
Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden with a diplomatic
passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE 70951)
NOTE 70951: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days.
- Nationals of Eritrea and Morocco with a diplomatic passport
for a maximum stay of 60 days.
- Nationals of Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Korea (Dem.
People's Rep.), Korea (Rep.), Kuwait, Lesotho, Liberia,
Mauritania, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria,
Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sao Tome and
Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa,
South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Togo,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates,
Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe with a diplomatic passport for a
maximum stay of 30 days.
- Nationals of Panama with a consular passport for a maximum
stay of 30 days.
- Nationals of Ireland (Rep.) with an official passport if
accompanying a Minister of the Irish government on an
official visit.
- Nationals of Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia,
Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Equatorial
Guinea, Guyana, Jamaica, Lao People's Dem. Rep., Malaysia,
Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Samoa, Serbia,
Slovenia, Sudan, Thailand and Viet Nam with an official
passport.
- Nationals of North Macedonia (Rep.) and Uruguay with an
official passport for a maximum stay of 90 days.
- Nationals of Botswana, Cambodia, Dominica, Korea (Dem.
People's Rep.), Korea (Rep.), Lesotho, Mongolia, Nepal,
Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore,
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia and Zimbabwe with an official passport for a maximum
stay of 30 days.
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bolivia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Colombia, Comoros, Costa
Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia,
Guyana, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Lithuania, Moldova (Rep.), Montenegro, Myanmar, Oman,
Poland, Romania, Samoa, Slovakia, Sudan, Tajikistan,
Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Venezuela with a
service passport.
- Nationals of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda and San
Marino with a service passport for a maximum stay of 90
days.
- Nationals of Algeria with a service passport for a maximum
stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE 70951)
NOTE 70951: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days.
- Nationals of Eritrea and Morocco with a service passport for
a maximum stay of 60 days.
- Nationals of Angola, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Israel, Kenya, Korea (Dem. People's
Rep.), Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Philippines, Russian
Fed., Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Suriname, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates
and Zimbabwe with a service passport for a maximum stay of
30 days.
- Nationals of Jordan, Oman, Peru, Sudan and Turkey with a
special passport.
- Nationals of Bahrain with a special passport for a maximum
stay of 90 days.
- Nationals of Egypt, Kuwait, South Sudan and United Arab
Emirates with a special passport for a maximum stay of 30
days.
- Passengers with a residence permit issued by China (People's
Rep.).
- Chinese Taipei passengers with a multiple-entry Mainland
Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng).
[[TIRULES/R210]]
- Chinese Taipei passengers with a single-entry Mainland
Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) for a
maximum stay of 3 months. [[TIRULES/R210]]
- Passengers with an APEC Business Travel Card [[TIRULES/R35]]
valid for travel to "CHN" for a maximum stay of 60 days.
(SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206) The card
is valid for the countries listed on the back of the card.
NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao
(SAR China) passport.
- Passengers with a Laissez-Passer issued by the European
Union [[TIRGL/EEU]] for a maximum stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE
70951)
NOTE 70951: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days.
- Passengers with a China (People's Rep.) Alien Permanent
Identity Card.
- Nationals of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova (Rep.), Russian
Fed. and Turkmenistan traveling as a tourist as part of a
tour group accompanied by a representative of a tour
operator accredited in both China (People's Rep.) and
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova (Rep.), Russian Fed. or
Turkmenistan for a maximum stay of 30 days.
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep.,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea
(Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North
Macedonia (Rep.), Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Ukraine with a
normal passport arriving at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay
of 30 days. They must have:
- a stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist
agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the
National Tourism Administration of China; or
- a confirmed hotel reservation and a return/onward ticket
and present them at the travel agent counter in the arrival
hall prior to immigration.
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen arriving at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 30
days. They must have:
- a stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist
agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the
National Tourism Administration of China; or
- a confirmed hotel reservation and a return/onward ticket
and present them at the travel agent counter in the arrival
hall prior to immigration.
- Nationals of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand with a normal
passport arriving at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 30
days. They must have a stamped name list or an invitation
letter from a tourist agent registered in Hainan province
and approved by the National Tourism Administration of
China. The list or the letter must have been applied 24
hours prior to arrival.
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep.,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan,
Kazakhstan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands,
New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Norway, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand,
USA and Ukraine with a normal passport arriving at Haikou
(HAK) for a maximum stay of 30 days. They must have a
stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist
agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the
National Tourism Administration of China.
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen arriving at Haikou (HAK) for a maximum stay of 30
days. They must have a stamped name list or an invitation
letter from a tourist agent registered in Hainan province
and approved by the National Tourism Administration of
China.
- Nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao
People's Dem. Rep., Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam arriving at Guilin (KWL)
and traveling as part of a tourist group (2 or more people)
to Guilin for a maximum stay of 6 days. Tours must be
organized by a travel agent registered in China (People's
Rep.).
- Tourists traveling in a group organized by a Chinese
international tour operator or registered travel agency for
a maximum stay of 6 days if:
- arriving from Hong Kong or Macao to take a trip to the
Zhujiang Delta in Guangdong province; and
- arriving at/departing from Dongguan (DGM), Guangzhou
(CAN), Huizhou (HUZ), Shantou (SWA), Shenzhen (SZX) or
Zhuhai (ZUH); and
- being a national of a country having diplomatic relations
with China (People's Rep.).

Merchant Seamen:
- Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals
of China (People's Rep.).
- Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals
of Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei
Darussalam, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Japan, Mauritius, San
Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Tonga and United Arab
Emirates.
- Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals
of Poland with a seaman book issued by Poland.
- Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals
of Ukraine with a seaman book issued by Ukraine.

Crew Members:
- Visa not required for nationals of:
- United Arab Emirates when traveling on Emirates Airlines.
- Luxembourg.
- Visa is not required for crew members of airlines that have
an agreement with the government of China (People's Rep.)
exempting crew members.
- Crew Members holding a C visa must travel on duty.
Deadheading crew are allowed to enter China (People's Rep.)
to operate commercial/cargo flights out of China (People's
Rep.), if holding:
- a passport, and
- China "C" visa, and
- a company ID, and
- proof of the purpose of travel and trip itinerary, such as
a general declaration (GENDEC) or company letter which has
been submitted to China Inspection and Quarantine.

Military:
- Same regulations as for passengers apply.

Visa Issuance:
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Beijing (PEK), Chengdu (CTU), Fuzhou (FOC),
Guilin (KWL), Haikou (HAK), Jinan (TNA), Ningbo (NGB),
Qingdao (TAO), Sanya (SYX), Shenyang (SHE), Shenzhen (SZX),
Wuhan (WUH), Wuxi (WUX), Xi An (XIY) and Xiamen (XMN) for a
maximum stay of 3 months. They must have 2 passport photos.
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Changchun (CGQ), Changzhou (CZX), Chongqing
(CKG), Dalian (DLC), Guiyang (KWE), Hailar (HLD), Harbin
(HRB), Hefei (HFE), Huangshan (TXN), Kunming (KMG), Nanchang
(KHN), Nanning (NNG), Quanzhou (JJN), Taiyuan (TYN), Tianjin
(TSN) , Urumqi (URC), Weihai (WEH), Xining (XNN), Xuzhou
(XUZ), Yancheng (YNZ), Yanji (YNJ), Yantai (YNT), Yinchuan
(INC) and Zhangjiajie (DYG) for a maximum stay of 3 months.
They must have 2 passport photos.
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Shanghai: Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG) for a
maximum stay of 3 months. The passenger must have never
applied for a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents
(Tai Bao Zheng) or the passenger must have an expired
Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng).
They must have 2 passport photos.
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Hangzhou (HGH) and Nanjing (NKG) for a maximum
stay of 3 months. They must have 2 passport photos.
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Guangzhou (CAN) for a maximum stay of 3 months.
The passenger must
- have never applied for a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan
Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) and have 2 passport photos; or
- have an expired Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan
Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) and have 2 passport photos.
The visa on arrival facility is available from 09:00 until
22:30 and the carrier must obtain a pre-clearance after
informing immigration authorities.
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Zhengzhou (CGO) for a maximum stay of 3 months.
They must have 2 passport photos. The passenger must not
arrive on a direct flight from Chinese Taipei. Before
departure, notification must be sent by the carrier to CGO
immigration.
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Wenzhou (WNZ) for a maximum stay of 3 months.
They must have 2 photos and carriers must notify the WNZ
immigration office before departure.
- Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei
(Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover:
Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Changsha (CSX) for a maximum stay of 3 months.
They must have 2 photos and carriers must send a telex
notification and a filled application form to the CSX
immigration office before departure.
- Passengers with a Port Visa Notification can obtain a visa
on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days.
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep.,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco,
Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia
(Rep.), Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Fed.,
Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, USA and Ukraine with a normal passport can
obtain a visa on arrival at Haikou (HAK) for a maximum stay
of 15 days. They must have a passport valid for at least 6
months on arrival and 2 passport photos.
Payable in cash and local currency only.
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen can obtain a visa on arrival at Haikou (HAK) for a
maximum stay of 15 days. They must have a passport valid for
at least 6 months on arrival and 2 passport photos.
Payable in cash and local currency only.
- Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep.,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands,
New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and
Ukraine with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival
at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 15 days. They must
have:
- a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival; and
- 2 passport photos; and
- a hotel reservation; and
- an invitation letter from Tourist Agency or other
corporations/organizers/sponsors; and
- contact information from a local person; and
- documents that prove the purpose of visit.
Payable in cash only. Local currency or US Dollars are
accepted.
Carriers must notify the SYX immigration office before
departure.
- Nationals of Korea (Rep.) with a normal passport can obtain
a visa on arrival at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 15
days. Their personal number on the bio-date page does not
start with 125 or 225. They must have:
- a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival; and
- 2 passport photos; and
- a hotel reservation; and
- an invitation letter from Tourist Agency or other
corporations/organizers/sponsors; and
- contact information from a local person; and
- documents that prove the purpose of visit.
Payable in cash only. Local currency or U.S dollar are
accepted.
Carriers must notify the SYX immigration office before
departure.
- Passengers with a British passport with nationality British
Citizen can obtain a visa on arrival at Sanya (SYX) for a
maximum stay of 15 days. They must have:
- a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival; and
- 2 passport photos; and
- a hotel reservation; and
- an invitation letter from Tourist Agency or other
corporations/organizers/sponsors; and
- contact information from a local person; and
- documents that prove the purpose of visit.
Payable in cash only. Local currency or US dollar are
accepted.
Carriers must notify the SYX immigration office before
departure.
- Passengers with a normal passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Beijing (PEK) for a maximum stay of 3 months if
they have confirmation that a visa has been approved before
departure. The airline must fax all documents to the
station manager prior to arrival and the passenger must
- have a confirmation from the Immigration authorities that
the visa will be issued on arrival; and
- passport contains at least 1 blank visa page for the
sticker-type visa; and
- have 2 passport photos and a letter of invitation issued
by the Chinese authorities or by a sponsor (approved by
Chinese authorities), who must meet passenger on arrival.
They can apply to extend their stay up to 6 months with an
Immigration judge (if coming on business purposes) (SEE NOTE
46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206)
NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao
(SAR China) passport.
- Passengers with a normal passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Chengdu (CTU), Shanghai (Hongqiao (SHA) or Pudong
(PVG) for a maximum stay of 1 month if they have
confirmation that a visa has been approved before departure.
The passenger must:
- have a letter of invitation issued by the Chinese
authorities, confirmation from the Immigration authorities
that the visa will be issued on arrival, 2 passport photos
and a confirmed return/onward ticket; and
- passport contains at least one blank visa page; and
- a sponsor (approved by Chinese authorities) meets
passenger on arrival.
(SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206)
NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao
(SAR China) passport.
- Passengers with a normal passport can obtain a visa on
arrival at Fuzhou (FOC) or Xiamen (XMN) for a maximum stay
of 1 month if they have confirmation that a visa has been
approved before departure. The passenger must
- have a letter of invitation issued by the Chinese
authorities, confirmation from the Immigration authorities
that the visa will be issued on arrival, 2 passport photos
and a confirmed return/onward ticket; and
- passport contains at least 1 blank visa page; and
- a sponsor (approved by Chinese authorities) meets
passenger on arrival. (SEE NOTE 2558) (SEE NOTE 2565) (SEE
NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206)
NOTE 2558: Facility not applicable to:
- nationals of Afghanistan, France, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and USA;
- stateless persons and refugees.
NOTE 2565: Facility not applicable to:
- nationals of Canada, Israel, Korea (Rep.), South Africa
and Vatican City (Holy See);
- holders of British passports.
NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao
(SAR China) passport.
- Passengers who are part of tourist groups of travel agencies
belonging to the Zhejiang Province can obtain a visa on
arrival at Hangzhou (HGH) for a maximum stay of 1 month.
(SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206)
NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao
(SAR China) passport.
- Passengers with a normal passport arriving at Chongqing
(CKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Guilin (KWL), Haikou (HAK), Kunming
(KMG), Qingdao (TAO), Sanya (SYX), Shenzhen (SZX), Weihai
(WEH), Xi An (XIY) and Yantai (YNT) can obtain a visa on
arrival if they have confirmation that a visa has been
approved before departure and:
- that a visa will be issued on arrival; and
- passport contains at least 1 blank visa page for the
sticker-type visa; and
- a sponsor (approved by Chinese authorities) meets
passenger on arrival.
They can apply to extend their stay.
(SEE NOTE 2558) (SEE NOTE 2568) (SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE
74203) (SEE NOTE 74206)
NOTE 2558: Facility not applicable to:
- nationals of Afghanistan, France, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and USA;
- stateless persons and refugees.
NOTE 2568: Passengers with a British passport are required
to hold a letter of invitation by the Chinese authorities
and 1 passport photo.
NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a
Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan)
passport.
NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong
Kong (SAR China) passport.
NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao
(SAR China) passport.
- Passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of
China Taiwan) passport and a national ID card issued by
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) can obtain a transit
visa at Beijing (PEK), Changchun (CGQ), Changsha (CSX),
Changzhou (CZX), Chengdu (CTU), Chongqing (CKG), Dalian
(DLC), Fuzhou (FOC), Guangzhou (CAN), Guilin (KWL), Guiyang
(KWE), Haikou (HAK), Hailar (HLD), Hangzhou (HGH), Harbin
(HRB), Hefei (HFE), Huangshan (TXN), Jinan (TNA), Kunming
(KMG), Nanchang (KHN), Nanjing (NKG), Nanning (NNG), Ningbo
(NGB), Qingdao (TAO), Quanzhou (JJN), Sanya (SYX), Shanghai:
Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG), Shenyang (SHE), Shenzhen
(SZX), Taiyuan (TYN), Tianjin (TSN) , Urumqi (URC), Weihai
(WEH), Wenzhou (WNZ), Wuhan (WUH), Wuxi (WUX), Xiamen (XMN)
Xi An (XIY), Xining (XNN), Xuzhou (XUZ), Yancheng (YNZ),
Yanji (YNJ), Yantai (YNT), Yinchuan (INC), Zhangjiajie (DYG)
and Zhengzhou (CGO) for a maximum of 3 months. They must
have 2 passport photos.

Additional Information:
- Extension of stay possible for holders of normal passports
issued to nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Japan and
Singapore by applying for a visa at an Exit & Entry
Administration Ministry of Public Security Office.
- Valid visas or resident permits in expired passports are
accepted if holding a new valid passport of the same
nationality. The personal information on both passports must
be the same.
- When a visa is used, a round entry stamp is placed in the
passport (i.e. a used single entry visa contains one round
entry stamp, a used double entry visa contains two round
entry stamps).
- Passengers traveling to Tibet must hold a special Tibet
Entry Permit.

Minors:
- An individual visa is not required for children traveling on
the passport of a parent or guardian, if their name is
endorsed in the visa of the passport holder.

Warning:
- Nationals of Afghanistan and Iraq with a service passport
must hold a visa issued in their home country. If visa is
issued in a third country, a residence permit or working
permit is also required.
- Nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and
Turkey with a normal passport must hold a visa issued in
their home country. If visa is issued in a third country, a
residence permit or working permit is also required.
- Holders of normal passports issued to nationals of Sri Lanka
must hold a visa issued in their home country. If visa is
issued in a third country, a residence permit or working
permit is also required.
- Stamped residence permits are not valid for entry.
- Visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused
entry.







China Forum Ambassadors: moondog----------anacapamalibu----------jiejie----------mnredfox

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China 24, 72, and 144 hour Transit Without Visa ("TWOV") rules master thread

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Old Nov 21, 2014, 10:15 am
  #496  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 102
I have sort of a nested ticket situation:

NRT-PVG-NRT, which I entered PVG with a single entry visa

and a separate PVG-HKG-PVG in between on a different ticket.

I'm planning to do the HKG-PVG leg a couple days before flying PVG-NRT. Will this be ok for TWOV? Or will I get flak for PVG-NRT being part of a roundtrip ticket not involving a 3rd country?

Thanks
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Old Nov 21, 2014, 11:18 am
  #497  
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They only care if you fly in from one country and out to another.
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Old Nov 23, 2014, 7:27 am
  #498  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NYC/SFO
Programs: UA 1K*MM, AA PP
Posts: 1,097
Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF
how did you go with the AA agents at LAX?
Actually, I ended up changing my flight - I flew SNA-ORD-PEK-NRT - I just got here from Beijing earlier today.

It took an extra few minutes for the SNA CSR checking me in to find the rules, and in Chicago there was a supervisor at the gate checking everyone's visas. She asked to see my full itinerary when I told her not to look for a visa (I have the extra pages passport) - good thing I just had flagship lounge print it for me.

However, the gentleman who was sitting next to me in C was also intending to take advantage of TWOV and he was coming in on ORD-PEK and leaving two days later (also today) on PEK-ORD (but continuing on to Chile the same day (though JFK. On a separate ticket).

He had a printout of his email and the response from Chinese Consulate in Chile whom he emailed about this saying that this is fine and he qualifies for TWOV, in addition his secretary apparently also phoned immigration at PEK (?!?) who supposedly also said that he'd be fine. He was also allowed on the plane at ORD by the same supervisor who wanted to see my full itinerary who told him "you should be fine".

Now, was he fine? I don't know - our flight was over four hours late and I didn't want to stand around once I got through D/P desk (since it was after midnight and TWOV desk was closed) - he was third or fourth in line behind me.

So, there you have it. A counterpoint to the opinion that you must have non-stop flights to and from China from different countries. At least three opinions that this is not the case (fourth one from the actual personnel working the immigration desk is the one that matters the most, and I don't know what they said).

I actually took a picture of the printout of the e-mail that this gentleman had from Chinese Consulate - I just noticed I have an e-mail address for him - I'm going to drop him an e-mail to find out if he had any problems getting in.
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Old Nov 23, 2014, 2:10 pm
  #499  
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Thanks for the update asya999 - if you have the time it would be useful to get some feedback from your fellow passenger regarding their experience.
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Old Nov 23, 2014, 6:48 pm
  #500  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
Originally Posted by asya999
Actually, I ended up changing my flight - I flew SNA-ORD-PEK-NRT - I just got here from Beijing earlier today.

It took an extra few minutes for the SNA CSR checking me in to find the rules, and in Chicago there was a supervisor at the gate checking everyone's visas. She asked to see my full itinerary when I told her not to look for a visa (I have the extra pages passport) - good thing I just had flagship lounge print it for me.

However, the gentleman who was sitting next to me in C was also intending to take advantage of TWOV and he was coming in on ORD-PEK and leaving two days later (also today) on PEK-ORD (but continuing on to Chile the same day (though JFK. On a separate ticket).

He had a printout of his email and the response from Chinese Consulate in Chile whom he emailed about this saying that this is fine and he qualifies for TWOV, in addition his secretary apparently also phoned immigration at PEK (?!?) who supposedly also said that he'd be fine. He was also allowed on the plane at ORD by the same supervisor who wanted to see my full itinerary who told him "you should be fine".

Now, was he fine? I don't know - our flight was over four hours late and I didn't want to stand around once I got through D/P desk (since it was after midnight and TWOV desk was closed) - he was third or fourth in line behind me.

So, there you have it. A counterpoint to the opinion that you must have non-stop flights to and from China from different countries. At least three opinions that this is not the case (fourth one from the actual personnel working the immigration desk is the one that matters the most, and I don't know what they said).

I actually took a picture of the printout of the e-mail that this gentleman had from Chinese Consulate - I just noticed I have an e-mail address for him - I'm going to drop him an e-mail to find out if he had any problems getting in.
Interesting but since we don't know what happened to him, we don't have a precedent here. Also, I would not rely on the opinion of people working in consulate. They do not know these rules as they don't have to deal with them. Generally when people have checked with them, the consulate said no even though the people in question clearly qualified.
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Old Nov 23, 2014, 6:53 pm
  #501  
 
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Posts: 6,710
Originally Posted by JPDM
Interesting but since we don't know what happened to him, we don't have a precedent here. Also, I would not rely on the opinion of people working in consulate. They do not know these rules as they don't have to deal with them. Generally when people have checked with them, the consulate said no even though the people in question clearly qualified.
I agree that it's unknown what happened to him so this incident is not to be taken as a precedent or "counterpoint". @asya999, I'd be willing to bet that had you hung around, you would have seen him refused TWOV and his airline called, and fines levied. And him possibly put back on the next flight to ORD at airline expense. That's typically what's happened to those who somehow made it past the airline screen. This gent was not in compliance with TWOV and the last people I'd believe to tell me my trip was OK would be the Chinese Embassy/Consulate. I'm surprised that airline check-in staff didn't pick up on this, but since he had a written statement from the Chinese Consulate, they probably took it on faith. There is an outside possibility that his status or business in Beijing was such that he was being given a prearranged, special allowance to travel visa-free, for reasons that you (and we) were not privy to.

Last edited by jiejie; Nov 23, 2014 at 6:59 pm
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Old Nov 23, 2014, 7:04 pm
  #502  
 
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Originally Posted by JPDM
Interesting but since we don't know what happened to him, we don't have a precedent here. Also, I would not rely on the opinion of people working in consulate. They do not know these rules as they don't have to deal with them. Generally when people have checked with them, the consulate said no even though the people in question clearly qualified.
I agree that some of these opinions are just that.

However, one of them was the supervisor at the gate in Chicago, and my understanding is that airlines don't have the luxury of being flexible or liberal with their interpretations since they face heavy fines right?

I changed my routing to avoid potential problem getting on my connecting flight in NRT as I believe that would leave least time for corrective action. This gentleman *did* have the option of, say, booking a new "compliant" ticket out of PEK on the spot (even if it was cancelable)

I will post an update should I hear back from fellow passenger (or his secretary).
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Old Nov 23, 2014, 7:16 pm
  #503  
 
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Posts: 6,710
Originally Posted by asya999
However, one of them was the supervisor at the gate in Chicago, and my understanding is that airlines don't have the luxury of being flexible or liberal with their interpretations since they face heavy fines right?

I changed my routing to avoid potential problem getting on my connecting flight in NRT as I believe that would leave least time for corrective action. This gentleman *did* have the option of, say, booking a new "compliant" ticket out of PEK on the spot (even if it was cancelable)

I will post an update should I hear back from fellow passenger (or his secretary).
Correct, airline faces a heavy fine if they fly passengers to China who are not in compliance with visa or TWOV regulations. I can't think of any reason why the supervisor would bend the rules except for the email the gent presented from the Consulate....and some supervisors wouldn't accept that.

Changing your routing was the wise course of action. And the gent might or might not have been given the option (once he already reached Immigration in China) to purchase a TWOV-compliant ticket out. Should have been a moot point, as without extenuating circumstances allowing him to travel visa-free, he shouldn't have been boarded in the first place. Is it possible that he had a different category of passport such as Diplomatic or Official, which come under different rules than what this forum thread covers?

Please do come back with an update on what happened, if you get additional info. Regardless, I don't think you'll find anybody here who will advocate for trying to do end runs around these regulations.
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Old Nov 24, 2014, 12:43 am
  #504  
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Originally Posted by jiejie
My guess is award availability necessitated the routing via PEK. It's definitely a TWOV-acceptable itinerary and 4.5 hours in Shanghai is plenty to make the airport switch. It will be annoying for sure.
Just an update after the trip--

NZ premium check-in at AKL initially refused my itinerary, with the agent claiming they just had trouble with a passenger a few days ago on a similar itinerary. I verbally challenged the agent twice but got nowhere until I pulled out my laptop and showed him the verbiage from TIMATIC. There was still ambiguity because it wasn't clear in the TIMATIC output (as printed out from the *A website) where there was a section break vs. continued text (the small hypen with a single line break wasn't obvious) so the agent kept reading the part that says "Visa required, except for Nationals of USA holding confirmed onward airline tickets to a third country, provided arriving in and departing from the same city" as referencing the 24-hour TWOV section just above. I kept trying to point out that was referencing the separate 72-hour TWOV. Finally the agent's supervisor told him to go talk to "Paul" (manager on duty or someone?) who apparently looked it up on the *A website himself and agreed with my assessment, and they let me check in.

Once that was cleared up, the staff couldn't have been nicer, so no complaints about them other than just making sure you are armed with good information. I'd suggest printing the TIMATIC data out and circling the applicable part of the 24-hour TWOV data so there's a visual break for the agent, which might help them more clearly understand the difference between the 24-hour and 72-hour TWOVs.

Then, NZ immigration had to take extra time to check my passport out because it was a thinner, slightly-fake-looking emergency passport issued by the consulate in AKL (my original passport was stolen when our rental car was broken into).

Immigration entering CN at PVG was fine--the officer did spend a little longer than normal looking at my passport (including through his loupe) vs. my travel companion's, but he ultimately stamped me in without any questions.

No sweat transferring to SHA. We did wait until the 9:02 Maglev departure to experience the fastest possible speed, which was definitely worth waiting for. Truly an exhilarating experience.

Upon arrival at the ticket counter at SHA at about 10:15, there was a bit of a commotion as they had no issues checking my travel companion's itinerary in, but they said I was not on the flight (separate but identical PNRs) and was booked on a flight out of PVG to PEK. I showed them a printout of my eticket from UA printed just a few days earlier showing I was indeed on the flight, and they poked around a bit, sent me to two other counters, and ultimately did get me rebooked on the right flight (good, since there was no way I could get back to PVG for an 11:30 flight!). I'm tempted to check with UA and see if there were any changes to the ticket and, if so, why and why I was not notified of any changes.

As expected, no issues going through exit passport control at PEK.

Wish I could have stopped over in China for just a little bit longer, but since we'd already used our en-route stopover in ICN on the way over, that'll just have to wait for another trip. Thanks again for everyone's help.
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Old Nov 24, 2014, 1:53 am
  #505  
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Originally Posted by asya999
So, there you have it. A counterpoint to the opinion that you must have non-stop flights to and from China from different countries. At least three opinions that this is not the case (fourth one from the actual personnel working the immigration desk is the one that matters the most, and I don't know what they said).
In spite of the fact that rules change at light speed in this area (i.e. anything is possible), under the current policies, the actions you describe are not a matter of "opinion".

By simply throwing out this "he said, she said" case in advance of any sort of verification, you are running the risk of leading others astray (with decidedly negative potential consequences).
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Old Nov 26, 2014, 2:32 am
  #506  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1
Hello everyone, I got a question about my flights and wanting to use the 24-hour transit without visa. My itinerary is basically this:

Yangon to Kunming (Arrives Kunming at 6:15 PM) - Nonstop
Kunming to Beijing Capital - Nonstop (9:05 PM to 12:25 AM)
Beijing Capital to Nagoya (Leaves Beijing at 2:45 PM the following day) - 1 stop in Qingdao

My understanding is 1) I will do immigration in Kunming 2) I do not need to change planes in Qingdao

Questions:
1) Will I be able to use the 24 hour TWOV?
2) If so,where do I get the 24 hour TWOV stamp, is it in Kunming where I do immigation?
3) If so, when I arrive in Beijing, will I be able to leave the airport? Do I need to get another stamp in Beijing or what is the process for leaving Beijing airport in my case if I can?

Any help is appreciated!
gaiusoctavius is offline  
Old Nov 26, 2014, 3:07 am
  #507  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
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Originally Posted by gaiusoctavius
Yangon to Kunming (Arrives Kunming at 6:15 PM) - Nonstop
Kunming to Beijing Capital - Nonstop (9:05 PM to 12:25 AM)
Beijing Capital to Nagoya (Leaves Beijing at 2:45 PM the following day) - 1 stop in Qingdao

My understanding is 1) I will do immigration in Kunming 2) I do not need to change planes in Qingdao

Questions:
1) Will I be able to use the 24 hour TWOV?
2) If so,where do I get the 24 hour TWOV stamp, is it in Kunming where I do immigation?
3) If so, when I arrive in Beijing, will I be able to leave the airport? Do I need to get another stamp in Beijing or what is the process for leaving Beijing airport in my case if I can?
1) Yes, assuming you meant same calendar day in PEK, 0025-1445.
2) Yes, wherever you enter China, that's KMG for you.
3) Yes, you're already in China, getting on then off a domestic flight. Nothing will stop you from walking out.

The PEK-TAO flight is a purely domestic flight. When you come back to PEK by taxi/train/car/bus, you check in and go through domestic security check (including ID and photo taking). You do not change plane in TAO, but you do have to get off the plane, go through outbound passport control (leave China), and get back on the same plane. This TAO departure time must be within 24 hours of KMG arrival. From all the different dates I have looked up, this departure time is always well before 1815. If this is true, you're eligible for TWOV.
HkCaGu is offline  
Old Nov 26, 2014, 3:10 am
  #508  
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Originally Posted by HkCaGu
1) Yes, assuming you meant same calendar day in PEK, 0025-1445.
2) Yes, wherever you enter China, that's KMG for you.
3) Yes, you're already in China, getting on then off a domestic flight. Nothing will stop you from walking out.

The PEK-TAO flight is a purely domestic flight. When you come back to PEK by taxi/train/car/bus, you check in and go through domestic security check (including ID and photo taking). You do not change plane in TAO, but you do have to get off the plane, go through outbound passport control (leave China), and get back on the same plane. This TAO departure time must be within 24 hours of KMG arrival. From all the different dates I have looked up, this departure time is always well before 1815. If this is true, you're eligible for TWOV.
One point- I am not sure if the OP will be able to check into a hotel or guesthouse as they will not have a TWOV from PEK or a VISA to register the OP with? Small point if the OP has somewhere private to stay- difficulty if not or they plan to pull an all nighter without a hotel I suppose.
TRAVELSIG is offline  
Old Nov 26, 2014, 3:30 am
  #509  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
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Posts: 2,907
Originally Posted by TRAVELSIG
One point- I am not sure if the OP will be able to check into a hotel or guesthouse as they will not have a TWOV from PEK or a VISA to register the OP with? Small point if the OP has somewhere private to stay- difficulty if not or they plan to pull an all nighter without a hotel I suppose.
From the Google images I have been able to find, the "permitted to stay until (next day)" stamps do not specify "stay in (municipality/province)", so shouldn't it be valid for hotels everywhere?
HkCaGu is offline  
Old Nov 26, 2014, 3:34 am
  #510  
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Originally Posted by HkCaGu
From the Google images I have been able to find, the "permitted to stay until (next day)" stamps do not specify "stay in (municipality/province)", so shouldn't it be valid for hotels everywhere?
Excellent question.

I was under the impression they were only valid in the direct area- for example if you have the stamp for CAN (Guangzhou) it is not valid for a hotel in Shenzhen (70 kms away).

I will defer to the experts.

The last time I used a TWOV was in Shanghai and as we were staying some distance from the centre (and thus no longer technically Shanghai) there was a concern however it was able to be resolved.
TRAVELSIG is offline  


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