China offers visa-free entry to travelers holding ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Slovenia, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Japan. Citizens from those countries are able to enter China without a visa and stay for no more than 30 days for business, tourism, family visits and transit purposes till December 31, 2025.
So if your nationality is one of those countries, you DO NOT need to follow below instructions to apply for the transit visa, just please go to immigration directly.
1. How to get the “24/240 Hours Transit Visa (Temporary Entry Permit)” and where to find our booking counter? (Please print it out or save it to your phone)
Apply for Temporary Entry Permit (Picture I)
Immigration (Picture II)
* Please follow below instructions if your flight landing at Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 3.
Step 1: When you get off the airplane please follow the sign “Exit, Baggage Claim”. Please keep walking until you see “Temporary Entry Permit Application Counter”. (The opposite of the arrival gate E29) (Please see the picture I)
Please DO NOT stop on the way, such as: “Exit & Entry Certificate Service Office” and “Transit for international Flights within 24 hours”. You might never be allowed to come out.
Step 2: Please waiting for the line at the “Temporary Entry Permit Application Counter” you can get the “24/240 Hours Visa-free Permit ” (Temporary Entry Permit) there. You need to fill a form “Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners” (Blue one) while you are waiting. (You can get the form at the desk nearby)
Step 3: After you get the Visa-free, please walk to the left and pass through the “China Immigration Inspection”, waiting for the line for “Foreigners” to pass through the immigration. (Please see the picture II)
Step 4: After you pass through the immigration, there is an escalator. Please follow the escalator downstairs. Then you will see a little train station.
Step 5: Please get on the train, and get off the train at the terminal station (T3 C).
Step 6: After you get off the train at “T3 C”, follow the sign “Exit” you will see Exit “B“. Pass through the Exit “B”, you can see our booking counter on your right side.
* Please follow below instructions if your flight landing at Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 2.
Step 1: When you get off the airplane take a escalator up please follow the sign “Exit, Baggage Claim“. Please keep walking until you see “China Immigration Inspection“.
Please DO NOT stop on the way, such as: “Transit for international Flights within 24 hours”; “Entry Visa”; “Visa Application”. You might never be allowed to come out.
Step 2: Please walk through the “China Immigration Inspection” follow the yellow arrow on the ground “24/240 Hours Visa-free Transit“. At the “CHINA IMMIGRATION INSPECTION” there are several access for “Foreigners“, please go through those access. And then you can get the “24/240 Hours Visa free (Temporary Entry Permit)”.
You need to fill a form “Arrival Card for Temporary Entry Foreigners” (Blue one) while you are waiting. (You can get the form at the desk nearby)
Step 3: Continue follow the sign “Exit, Baggage Claim“ take an elevator down you will see “CUSTOMS“, through the “CUSTOMS”, please go to “Gate 5 or 7” to take the 24 hours free shuttle bus to terminal 3, our booking counter is on the second floor arrival hall.
* Please follow below instructions if your flight landing at Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 1.
Terminal 1 is a domestic terminal, there is no “Immigration” or “Customs”, after your arrival, please go to “Gate 5” to take the 24 hours free shuttle bus to terminal 3, our booking counter is on the second floor arrival hall.
Notice: Our booking counter working time is 6am-2pm every day. Please book the tour with our travel advisor during this time frame. The visa free line is very long in winter, so please go to apply it as soon as you landing. Thank you!
2. Flight delay/cancel & Refund? (Apply to private tours only)
If your flight delays and without your notice, our guide and driver will wait you till you arrives and finish the tour if possible. If there is not time to finish the tour, we will refund you the deposit after deducting the fee for the tour guide and driver.
In case that your flight cancels or delays, please let us know at least 4 hours in advance. This way, we can refund you the deposit in full.
3. How to book a layover tour?
Tell us the itinerary in the website you are interested in and also your modification ideas regarding to the itinerary, by filling an online inquiry form, by email, by phone or by fax. We are available 24 hours every day.
4. How to pay? (Apply to private tours only)
To book a layover tour, please pay 50% of tour fee as deposit in advance. We use PayPal online payment, which is more safe and convenient. Our travel advisor will give further details about it. The balance half could be paid upon arrival directly to the tour guide in cash, either USD or RMB. If you want to pay the rest of tour fee by credit card via PayPal as well, please pay before you landing Beijing.
5. Are these your best tour prices?
Yes, all of our tour prices are our best prices we can do. But if you can get more people join your tour, the tour price will be cheaper. You can see our Best Price Guarantee Policy at: https://www.beijinglayovertour.com/why-choose-us/.
6. How to assure a layover booking?
We will send you a Tour Confirmation via email (usually within 6 hours) after the receipt of your deposit, passport info and flight info. In this way, your booking is finally confirmed.
7. Luggage storage for the layover/Where to leave your luggage for the layover?
Leave your luggage with your airline. Passengers on layover tours arriving and departing from Beijing Capital airport will normally have their luggage sent to their final destination from their airport of origin.
Leave your luggage with us, load on our vehicle, our driver will watch for you while the tour.
If you’re looking to ditch your bags while you explore Beijing, the airport offers left Luggage counters at all the three terminals. You can leave your luggage for few hours to few days.
For example: A layover in Beijing in between flights from Amsterdam, the Netherlands to Manila, the Philippines. Luggage will be sent directly from Amsterdam to Manila. The information is only a guideline and it’s always recommend to check precise details with your airline.
8. Money exchange?
It’s advisable to exchange some money at the airport counters or ATM as you need to purchase meals or other personal expenses. Its handy to have some RMB when you arrive. There are 24 hour currency exchange counters at Beijing airport in all terminals as well as ATMs.
9. Visa-free Policy?
Please see details at: https://www.beijinglayovertour.com/visa-free-policy/.
10. What are the differences with other tour companies? What are the advantages do you have?
Please see this page about the differences between our company with others. https://www.beijinglayovertour.com/why-choose-us/.
Hi, I found your content on transit VISA ON ARRIVAL misleading, would you please double-check?
On March 9th 2025, I arrived in Beijing Capital T3 at 19:00, but as an Indonesian, I was not able to apply for the transit Visa. Temporary Entry Permit (Picture I) was EMPTY as depicted, I rang a bell and two officers came in, only to explain to me that I cannot enter China for a layover trip EXCEPT if I were a Governmental official or I had a very urgent family matters in China (like my relatives’ death or so on).
After almost 6 hours of going back and forth to the office at picture no. I and II, due to my nationality which is NOT from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Slovenia, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia or Japan, THEY DENIED me from entering the country… I ended up spending the rest 22hr50 minutes of my layover INSIDE the airport.
I rent a hotel in the Airport that costs me USD 250 only for that! I could not get into my already-booked hotel in Beijing City, and my friend whose nationality allows visa-free was waiting outside and did a trip by himself without me.. That was the worst trip I have ever had!
Can you please kindly confirm your article information above whether the Visa Application on Arrival is still valid?
The immigration staff told me that only those with visa-free nationalities can get into the country during a layover. Please kindly confirm and update your information on this page so that there would not be any OTHER victim. Thank you in advance.
Hi Tari,
Thanks for your message!
We’re very sorry for your loss. We understand you kindly mean to alert us to prevent further passenger losses.
But please check this link: https://www.beijinglayovertour.com/visa-free-policy/. We already listed the situation on our website: “Even if you fit all the policies above, the immigration officers still have the right to object to you for some reasons “. So that is means even the policy said: All the countries citizens can obtain the visa free for 24 hours but the immigration still has the right to let passengers in or out of the country. This is an act of government we can not control.
To avoid loss you’d better contact us before you arrive, so we can give you suggestions.
That is why we have a counter at the airport because we knew the uncertain situation. So passengers can book tours after they obtain their visas. So to avoid any loss.
Hello, I’m from Indonesia (2 people) will be arriving in Bejing (PEK) Terminal 3 at 10.00 on 24 Feb 2025. We’ll continue flight to Osaka on 25 Feb 2025 at 09.50. We would like to take the Great Wall and Forbidden City tour. But we don’t have China tourist visa, is it possible for us to claim transit visa on arrival? Please send me email for response. Thank You!
Hi Eddie,
Thank you for contacting us!
According to your nationality, you will need to apply for the transit visa first when you arrive, and then go to the immigration. We have a booking counter in the arrival hall. Our counter opening time is 6am-2pm. You can go there to book and pay for a Great Wall tour. Our staff will give you an option.
Hi! I’ll be landing in Beijing on Saturday 18/1 at 5.30 in the morning and I’m wondering if it would be possible for me to participate in the group tour to the Great Wall ? My flight leaves at 14.15. Thank you!
Hi Sofia,
Thank you for contacting us!
Please just go to our counter to book and pay for a tour. Our staff will give you a tour option.
Hey, we arrived in Peking at 6 am tomorrow and stay there for 8 hours. Can we book a tour at the airport tomorrow or should we book a tour online?
Hi Amanita,
Yes, you can book and pay for a tour at our counter in the airport arrival hall tomorrow.
Thank you!