How Do US Citizens Visit China without Visa?

Do I need a visa to travel to China? Normally you’ll get a certain answer, you need to apply for China tourist visa before travelling to China. Some of you may get stressful with the complicated process of applying visas. For US citizens, you are really in luck because you can visit China without a visa. How to visit China without a visa? We guess this China visa guide will be really helpful for you.

Elephant Trunk Hill in Guilin

 

How to visit China without a visa?

For those US citizens who are planning to cross China off your bucket list without worrying about the visa, a visa-free tour is really your best choice. How do US citizens visit China without visa? Here are all the requirements you have to know:
 

• Valid passport holders with a valid visa to the third country.
   
• Connecting flight tickets to the third country, with confirmed seat number and date.
   
• Have completed entry/exit application card.
   
• Go through immigration with all those required documents.
   
• Arrive and depart from the same airport that you enter China.

Which cities have visa-free transit policy?

Along with the rapid development of tourism, China has put more cities on the transit visa program, and it’s turned out to be a wise decision. Which cities have visa-free transit policy? According to the China Visa-free Transit Policy, you’re allowed to visit the following cities and provinces, for either 72 hours (3 days) or 144 hours (6 days).

24-hour visa-free transit

For US citizens with confirmed tickets to the third regions or countries, you may stay up to 24 hours in the entry cities without a visa. But remember to ask for a temporary stay permit when you are at the immigration counter.

72-hour visa-free transit

• Changsha
   
• Guilin
   
• Chongqing
   
• Xi’an
   
• Harbin

Continue reading for more information: China 72 Hour Visa Free Policy

 

144-hour visa-free transit

• Beijing
   
• Chengdu
   
• Kunming
   
• Shanghai
   
• Tianjin
   
• Wuhan
   
• Xiamen
   
• Guangdong Province (Guangzhou; Shenzhen)
   
• Hebei Province (Shijiazhuang; Qinhuangdao)
   
• Jiangsu Province (Nanjing)
   
• Liaoning Province (Dalian; Shenyang)
   
• Shandong Province (Qingdao)
   
• Zhejiang Province (Hangzhou)
  
   

Follow the sign to the transit area
 

Continue reading for more information: China’s 144-hour Visa-free Transit

 

Tips for China Visa-free Transit

Compared to the procedure of applying for a visa, it seems much easier to have a visa-free transit. But have you heard about some rules or restrictions for this policy? Honestly, knowing some tips may help you a lot if you’re considering a visa-free tour in China.
 

For Entry

1. Make sure your passport has at least 3 months validity.
    
2. You have to fly out of the same airport that you arrived in China.
    
3. Round trip is not available for this policy. Typical route: US-Beijing-Japan
    
4. If the third country you’re travelling to requires a visa, you must have it.
    
5. Your tickets to the third country must within the transit hours, and let your carrier know so that they can convey your request to the immigration office.
    
6. Apply for a full visa in the nearest Public Security Bureau Entry-Exit Administration Office if you’re unable to leave China within the allowed time.
    
7. Layover time is usually longer than the transit hours. For example, if you arrive at 8 am on June 6, the exact timing starts from 00:00 of June 7, and you must departure before 23:59 of June 12.
   
    

For Regions of Movement

You have to travel within the restricted moving regions. For example, if you enter China from Beijing, you can’t go to Shanghai, or any other cities out of this region. For some transit cities, you may travel in the entire province or other nearby provinces, the most important thing is that you must depart from the same airport you arrive.
 

• For Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province. No matter which port you enter among these 3 regions, you may travel freely within.
   
• For Shanghai, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province. You are allowed to travel among all the places in these areas. For example, if you arrive at Shanghai, you can also visit Suzhou and Hangzhou.
   
• For Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Guilin, Xi’an, Xiamen, Wuhan, Harbin. Only in the administrative districts of the city you arrive.
   
• For Guangzhou, Changsha, Qingdao, Dalian. You may move in the related province to your entry city. For example, if Guangzhou is your entry city, you may travel in the entire Guangdong Province.

How to spend a layover trip in China?

It depends on lengths of your transit time, 24 hours, 72 hours or 144 hours, and also your arrival city. If you plan to spend a longer layover trip, it’s worthwhile to choose either Beijing or Shanghai as your entry city, because you can travel among the related regions. Since there are plenty of airlines to different cities in China from the US, it’s better to plan carefully before travelling.
 

The Great Wall in Beijing
 

If you only plan a layover trip in no more than 24 hours, you should check all the information ahead of time in order to save your time and money, such as places you want to visit, transportation to the attractions, exact travel routes and schedules. You can read our article for layover trip in Beijing to have some inspirations: How to Spend a 12 Hour Layover in Beijing

 

Enjoy a Visa-free Tour with Top China Travel

Are you excited about a visa-free trip to China from the US? Don’t hesitate for another minute then. See tours for Beijing and Shanghai below to get some good ideas.
 

Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai

 

• 5 Days Beijing Budget Tour: Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Mutianyu Great Wall, Changling Tomb, Summer Palace, Beijing Hutong, Yonghe Palace, Panda House
  
   
• 5 Days Shanghai and Hangzhou Tour: Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Nanjing Road, West Lake, Linyin Temple, Six Harmonious Pagoda, Qinghefang Street, Meijiawu Tea Village

For more suitable and flexible schedules, please feel free to let us know places you want to visit and all your requirements. You will easily get the best China tour plan by joining Top China Travel.