It was super easy to get the 144-Hour Transit Visa in China for my family of four. In this post, I’ll highlight some need-to-know FAQs so that you can also obtain your 144-Hour Transit Visa for your trip to China.
Disclaimer: Visa applicability and restrictions are subject to change. We are Americans, and the United States is one of the applicable countries allowed to obtain a transit visa in China. This was written in April 2024, and we arrived and departed out of Beijing Capital Airport (PEK). Transit visa applicability may vary based on your specific citizenship, your date of departure, and your arrival airport. I would encourage you to research and find out the latest guidelines about how to get a Transit Visa in China.
What do I need to get the 144-hour transit visa in China?
You just need your (valid) passport and a print out of your onward ticket out of China that departs 144 hours from the time you arrive. I have researched whether the Chinese authorities literally count 144 hours or whether you could depart 6 days from when you arrive, but I didn’t want to risk it so I booked our onward tickets five days from arrival (staying in China only four nights).
Yes, you do need to complete an arrival card (and departure card) when you land, but you can do this at one of the many tables they have for you before going through immigration.
Does the transit visa cost anything?
No. We obtained the visa for free. Immigration did not charge us anything for the visa.
Where do I obtain the 144-hour transit visa?
Upon arrival. Specifically, there is a dedicated desk located before you enter Immigration, next to tables for you to complete your Arrival card. The desk has “144-Hour Visa Free Transit” signs written all over it. It’s difficult to miss.
What was the experience like going through immigration?
Our experience was quick, easy and positive. There were clearly marked signs showing where to walk to Immigration / Arrivals, and the signs for the 144 Hour Transit Visa were also very visible. The official helping us at the Transit Visa desk did not speak much English but enough to get us processed, asking each of us for a copy of our onward ticket.
There was a separate self-service desk where we scanned our passports, took a photo of ourselves, and made fingerprints. But we had to do this again when we got through the queue to Immigration. But there weren’t any issues going through immigration once we had the 144-Hour Visa stamp on our passport.
What do I show the airline (departing to China) when I check in for my flight?
We departed Bangkok on Thai Airways arriving into Beijing. The check in counter asked us if we had a visa, and we said we would obtain a 144-hour transit visa upon arrival. The agent asked us for our onward ticket, and we were prepared and gave her a print out of our tickets (from another airline, Asiana, departing Beijing to Seoul five days later). The agent accepted the ticket, confirmed with her manager, and then was able to check us in and print our tickets to Beijing.
Does the onward ticket need to be from the same airline (arriving into China)?
No. We flew Thai Airways into Beijing, and then flew Asiana from Beijing to Seoul. Just make sure you show your first airline the print out copy of your onward ticket.
Any issues with Immigration when you departed Beijing?
No issues. Immigration did not ask us any questions. The officials stamped our passport and allowed us to proceed to the terminal to board our onward flight.
Summary
If you, like our family, are planning a trip to explore China in less than 6 days, then I would highly recommend the 144-hour transit visa. It was easy to obtain, costs us nothing, and gave us more than enough time to enjoy the Great Wall of China, Universal Studios Beijing, the Summer Palace, and the other attractions Beijing has to offer.
~Lester T