Do I need to apply for a visa if I transit through Beijing, Shanghai ,Guangzhou or Chengdu etc.,？ 1. 24-hour visa-free transit Foreign citizens travelling to other country or region through mainland China at open ports by plane, ship or train may stay up to 24 hours in China without a visa. An application for a preliminary entry permit at the Chinese border is required for a visa-free transit. 2. 72-hour visa-free transit2.1 Eligibility of a 72-hour visa-free transit (1)Citizens of the following 53 countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus, USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE and Qatar (2)Citizens of above-mentioned 53 countries bearing an international travel document and a flight ticket with confirmed flight date and seat to other country or region (onward journey within 72 hours) through international airports in the following 6 cities: Guangzhou, Guilin, Chongqing, Xi’an, Ha’erbin and Changsha. 2.2 How do I apply for the 72-hour visa-free transit on site? Travelers should apply for the visa-free transit at Chinese border either themselves or with the support of the responsible airline. An entry permit issued by the border control authorities is required for a visa-free transit. 3. 144-hour visa-free transit (1)Citizens of the above-mentioned 53 countries in 2.1 bearing a valid international travel document and a flight ticket with confirmed flight date and seat to a third country or region (onward journey within 144 hours) may transit through open ports listed: a)Shanghai (Pudong International Airport, Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal), Nanjing (Lukou International Airport), Hangzhou (Xiaoshan International Airport) Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Shanghai City, Jiangsu Province or Zhejiang Province without a visa. b)Beijing (Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing West Railway Station), Tianjin (Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port), Shijiazhuang (Zhengding International Airport), Qinhuangdao Port Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Beijing City, Tianjian City or Hebei Proivnce without a visa. c) Shenyang (Taoxian International Airport) and Dalian (Zhoushuizi International Airport) Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Liaoning Province without a visa. d)Xiamen airports and ports, Qingdao airports and ports, Wuhan airports, Chengdu airports and Kunming airports Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Xiamen City, Shandong Province, Wuhan City, Chengdu City or Kunming City without a visa. (2) Travelers should apply for the visa-free transit at Chinese border either themselves or with the support of the responsible airlines. An entry permit issued by the border control authorities is required for a visa-free transit. (3) 144 hours generally are counted from the time the traveler arrives at Chinese border and gets the entry permit to the time the traveler leaves Chinese border. 4. Tourist visa waiver to Hainan Province Citizens of the following 59 countries with ordinary passports on a tour organized by a travel agency officially registered in Hainan Province may enter Hainan Province at open ports without a visa and stay up to 30 days: Germany, Russia, UK, France, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Monaco, Belarus. https://www.visaforchina.cn/YVR2_EN/generalinformation/faq/266540.shtml
2. 72-hour visa-free transit 2.1 Eligibility of a 72-hour visa-free transit (1)Citizens of the following 53 countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus, USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE and Qatar
(2)Citizens of above-mentioned 53 countries bearing an international travel document and a flight ticket with confirmed flight date and seat to other country or region (onward journey within 72 hours) through international airports in the following 6 cities: Guangzhou, Guilin, Chongqing, Xi’an, Ha’erbin and Changsha.
2.2 How do I apply for the 72-hour visa-free transit on site? Travelers should apply for the visa-free transit at Chinese border either themselves or with the support of the responsible airline. An entry permit issued by the border control authorities is required for a visa-free transit.
3. 144-hour visa-free transit (1)Citizens of the above-mentioned 53 countries in 2.1 bearing a valid international travel document and a flight ticket with confirmed flight date and seat to a third country or region (onward journey within 144 hours) may transit through open ports listed: a)Shanghai (Pudong International Airport, Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal), Nanjing (Lukou International Airport), Hangzhou (Xiaoshan International Airport) Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Shanghai City, Jiangsu Province or Zhejiang Province without a visa. b)Beijing (Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing West Railway Station), Tianjin (Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port), Shijiazhuang (Zhengding International Airport), Qinhuangdao Port Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Beijing City, Tianjian City or Hebei Proivnce without a visa. c) Shenyang (Taoxian International Airport) and Dalian (Zhoushuizi International Airport) Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Liaoning Province without a visa. d)Xiamen airports and ports, Qingdao airports and ports, Wuhan airports, Chengdu airports and Kunming airports Entitled to stay up to 144 hours in the administrative area of Xiamen City, Shandong Province, Wuhan City, Chengdu City or Kunming City without a visa.
(2) Travelers should apply for the visa-free transit at Chinese border either themselves or with the support of the responsible airlines. An entry permit issued by the border control authorities is required for a visa-free transit. (3) 144 hours generally are counted from the time the traveler arrives at Chinese border and gets the entry permit to the time the traveler leaves Chinese border.
4. Tourist visa waiver to Hainan Province Citizens of the following 59 countries with ordinary passports on a tour organized by a travel agency officially registered in Hainan Province may enter Hainan Province at open ports without a visa and stay up to 30 days: Germany, Russia, UK, France, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Monaco, Belarus.
https://www.visaforchina.cn/YVR2_EN/generalinformation/faq/266540.shtml