Stopover at PEK airport
Leaving PEK airport application:
if you have more than 8 hours layover at PEK airport, you may leave airport for visiting some famous spots in Beijing, such as the MuTianYu great wall , forbidden city, summer palace, temple of heaven, YongHe lama temple, olympic park, etc.
After landing, you should go to the border control area to apply for leaving the airport. Almost all people could apply for the 24 hours transit without visa, people from about 50+ countries could apply for the 144 hours transit without visa, people from some countries can enjoy visa exemption.
What conditions do foreigners need to meet to apply for 72/144 hour visa free transit procedures?
Firstly, citizens of countries (Please refer to the table ↓↓↓ for a detailed list of countries) within the 72/144 hour visa free transit range are required.
Secondly, it is necessary to hold valid international travel documents that can prove one's national identity (with a validity period of no less than 3 months) and meet the entry requirements for going to a third country or region;
Thirdly, based on the duration of the visa free transit application, it is necessary to hold a connecting ticket or relevant proof to a third country or region with a confirmed date and seat within 72/144 hours, fill out a temporary entry card for foreign nationals, and accept inquiries from the entry and exit border inspection authorities.
50+ Countries that comply with the 144 hour visa free transit policy：
- 24 Schengen countries in Europe:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherland, Poland, Portugal, Slovak, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. - 15 other European countries:
Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, The Republic of Belarus - 6 American countries:
The United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile. - 2 Oceanian countries:
Australia and New Zealand. - 6 Asian countries:
Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. - Norway
Trial implementation of unilateral 15 days visa free policies for ordinary passport holders in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, and Singapore
During the period from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024, individuals holding ordinary passports from the aforementioned countries who come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days are eligible for visa free entry.
Kind reminder：
- For individuals who hold passports or other international travel documents with a validity period of less than 3 months, have a visa refusal stamp from the Chinese visa authority, or have a record of illegal entry, exit, residence, or employment within 5 years, the border inspection authority will not issue a temporary entry permit. Therefore, such individuals cannot apply for a 72/144 hour transit visa exemption.
- Do not exceed the scope or time limit of the stay area
The stay period for 72/144 hours of visa free transit foreign nationals is calculated from midnight on the day of entry. Taking 144 hours of visa free transit as an example, passengers entering China on January 1, 2023 will have a stay period starting from midnight on January 2, 2023. They can stay in the visa free area for a maximum of 6 days and leave before 24:00 on January 7.
If it is necessary to stay in the visa free stay area for more than 72/144 hours due to force majeure or other reasons, the corresponding stay permit should be applied for and processed from the entry and exit management department of the public security organ in accordance with regulations. -
To handle accommodation registration in accordance with the law
72/144 hour visa free transit for foreigners staying in hotels, the hotel shall handle their accommodation registration; Those who reside or stay in other accommodations outside of the hotel shall register with the public security police station or foreign service station in their place of residence within 24 hours after check-in by themselves or the host.
Cash Exchange:
Cash still is the most convenient for shortly visiting in layover. You may also download the alipay+ or WeChat, setup the online payment by your bank cards. there is a payment service center in terminal 3, PEK airport, the staff will help you to setup the APP.
Taxi:
For saving time, hiring the car with english driver is safe and high efficiency, suggest to book the chartered taxi in advance, here is the licensed cab booking link: https://3btaxi.com
Train and subway:
if you have rich time and are the budget traveller, you may ride the train and subway to visit the downtown, there are the english sign in the subway, therefore it would be very easy to ride. You may also use the cell phone navigition APP, such as Maps.me, to help you. and in fact, many beijing young people could speak english, you may ask them to help you.
Beijing famous Attractions：
Great Wall of China, MuTianYu section; Forbidden City; Summer Palace; Temple of Heaven; YongHe Lama Temple; Olympic Park, Bird Nest, Water Cube;
Shopping Mall:
Silk Market; HongQiao Market; WangFuJing Shopping Street; QianMen Shopping Street; CBD area, CCTV Tower, China Zun Building, THE PLACE.