On Nov. 24, 2023, China decided to offer visa-free entry to travelers holding ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia from December 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025. Citizens from those countries are able to enter China without a visa and stay for no more than 15 days for business, tourism, family visits and transit purposes.
Updates: In order to further promote personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries, China has decided to expand the scope of visa-free countries and implement a pilot visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from six countries: Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. From March 14 to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from the above countries can enter China without a visa if they come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days.
Latest updates: To further promote cross-border travel, China decided to include more countries in its visa waiver program and extend the visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from New Zealand, Australia and Poland on a trial basis. From July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from these three countries can be exempted from visa to enter China and stay for no more than 15 days for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes.
So if your nationality is one of those countries, you do not need to apply for the 24/144 transit visa, just please go to immigration directly.
1. Countries qualified for the 24/144-hour free Transit Visa in Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport now (Nov. 17, 2023) adopts 144-hour free Transit visa to the holders of passports issued by the following 54 countries: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Macedonia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Republic of Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.
According to our experience, some of the countries do not belong to the 144-hours visa free countries, but if you layover within 24 hours in Beijing, you still can obtain the visa free for 24 hours. Such as: India, Philippines, Vietnam, Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, Dominican Republic, etc.
2. Restrictions of the 24/144-hour free Transit Visa
It only applies to passengers who transit through Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. The destination and place of departure cannot be the same.(e.g Auckland – Beijing – Auckland).
3. About how to get free Transit Visa at Beijing airport
Please see details at: https://www.beijinglayovertour.com/beijing-layover-tour-tips/.
Even if you fit all the policies above, the immigration officers still have the right to object to you for some reasons (sometimes they will tell you the reason, sometimes they don’t).
If you want to be 100% sure, please apply for the visa in advance at the Chinese Embassy.
We found some reasons that cause you can not obtain the free Transit Visa.
1. The validity of your passport is less than 3 months.
2. Worked or been to Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan.
There must be more reasons but we just don’t know yet. (The latest updated on Nov. 17, 2023)
As a tour company, if we agree to arrange a tour for you that means your flight information, layover time and your nationality fit the visa free policy requirements.
But there are still some other issues that might happen that might cause you can not obtain the visa-free or can not get out of the airport.
We don’t take any responsibility if it happens. And according to our private tour refund policy, we will deduct our tour guide and driver airport transfer costs accordingly and refund the rest of the tour fee to you. (Most companies are non-refundable)
Hope for your understanding!
Now we have the best solution for all these concerns. Our company became an official partner of Beijing Capital airport. We are the one and only qualified tour company that operates tours at Beijing Capital airport. Only we can sell tours at the airport. Please see the tour options at: https://www.beijinglayovertour.com/book-a-tour-upon-your-arrival-beijing-airport/
Hello,
Our flight to Japan goes via Beijing. We land in Beijing at 1:15pm on 5th April and the next flight leaves from Beijing at 8:40am on the 6th April. What tours would we be able to do during this stopover?
Our return flight from Japan also goes via Beijing. We land in Beijing at 4:40pm 19th April and the next flight leaves Beijing at 4:15pm 20th April. What tours would we be able to do during this stopover?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Ashleigh,
Thank you for contacting us!
According to your layover times, we recommend you visit the Great Wall on Apr. 5, 2025, and visit the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven on Apr. 20, 2025. We will send you an email about the tour details, please check.
Looking for around a 96 hour layover from the UK and onward to Japan. Can you do a package for this time. We are 74 and 77 so not really fit
Hi Mary,
Thank you for contacting us!
We just sent you an email, please check.
good morning we are Italian and we have an 11 hour layover and it is possible to visit Beijing we would like to take a tour of the hutongs and visit Tiennamen Square and center
my flight arrive 14.30 pm from seoul
depart beijing 1.45 a.m for milan
Hi Cristina,
If your arrival date before Dec. 31, 2025, you do not need to apply for the transit visas, please go to the immigration directly. You will have plenty of time to do a tour. We just sent you an email about the tour details, please check.