China's 144h Transit Visa Exemption Policy

Approved by the State Council, citizens with passports from 54 countries holding valid international travel documents and onward flight tickets with a confirmed seat to a third country (region) within 144 hours after arrival are allowed to transit via some Chinese airports without applying for Chinese visas.

Airports with Transit Visa Exemption Policies Where Xiamen Airlines Operates International Routes

Transit City	Maximum hours allowed to stay	Areas allowed to stay
Xiamen	144 hours	administrative area of Xiamen
Beijing	144 hours	administrative area of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province
Shijiazhuang	144 hours	administrative area of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province
Hangzhou	144 hours	administrative area of Shanghai, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province
Dalian	144 hours	administrative area of Liaoning Province
Xi'an	144hours	administrative area of Xi'an and Xianyang
Tianjin	144 hours	administrative area of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province
Qingdao	144 hours	administrative area of Shandong Province
Chongqing	144 hours	administrative area of Chongqing

The above information can also be found on the website of the National Immigration Administration.

54 Eligible Countries

25 Schengen Agreement Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway.
15 Other European Countries: Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, Monaco and Belarus.
6 American Countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
2 Oceania Countries: Australia and New Zealand.
6 Asian Countries: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Requirements for the 144-hour Transit Visa Exemption Policy

1. Passengers must be citizens from one of the 54 eligible countries specified above;

2. Passengers must have a valid international travel document and a valid passenger ticket for connecting travel (airplane ticket or ship ticket) to a third country/region with a confirmed seat and that the departure time is within 144 hours after arriving in cities mentioned above.

For example, a South Korean citizen travels from Seoul via Xiamen to Europe can apply for 144-hour visa-free transit. However, if he/she comes to Xiamen from South Korea and return to South Korea directly from Xiamen, or he/she doesn’t hold a connecting travel ticket with confirmed date and seat before he/she enters Xiamen, he/she cannot apply for visa-free transit.

Requirements and Notifications for Transit via Xiamen

1. Xiamen Ports of Entry and Exit for the 144-hour Visa-free Transit

Citizens of the 54 eligible countries can only apply for the 144-hour visa-free transit when entering and exiting via Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, Wutong Wharf and Xiamen International Cruise Center.

2.Duration of Stay in Xiamen.

The duration of stay as referred to in the 144-hour visa-free transit policy will begin from 00:00 o'clock the following day after entry into Xiamen. For example, if a 144-hour transit visa-free passenger enters at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport today, starting from 00:00AM tomorrow, he/she is allowed to stay in Xiamen for 144 hours. The duration of stay will be specified on the temporary entry permit issued by the Chinese immigration inspection authority on his/her passport.

3.E-application System for 144-hour Visa-free Transit at Ports of Entry in Xiamen

Effective from 1st Jan 2019, passengers can use the E-application System for 144-hour Visa-free Transit to apply for visa-free transit via Xiamen in advance.

Notice：The information of this webpage is for reference only and has no legal validity. For details of the policy, please refer to the news issued by the National Immigration Administration.