240 hours Visa-Free Transit in Chengdu
Good news for your friends and loved ones, paying a visit to Chengdu again became a lot easier. With the new 10-day, visa-free transit permit, people can spend more than a week in our beautiful city and dip their toes into a little Sichuan food and culture.
Visa Applicable to 54 Nations (updated July 2024)
List of countries for which the 240-hour visa-free transit policy is applicable
240小时过境免签政策涵盖国家
Europe (40): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus and Norway.
America (6): United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand.
Asia (6): South Korea (ROK), Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE (United Arab Emirates), and Qatar.
Where can you go?
Foreigners who have obtained a 240-hour transit visa-free permit in Chengdu are allowed to travel to the permitted areas of 11 cities in Sichuan province, or to travel to cities of the other 23 provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities) where the policy applies. The stay duration starts from 00:00 on the day following the date of entry, which allows the travelers to stay for 240 hours.
What documents do you need?
There are four different documents required when applying for the 240-days visa-free transit to Chengdu. Make sure you have them all when arriving in Chengdu, or you may not be allowed to enter.
1) Your passport, valid for at least 3 months at the time of application
2) A confirmed air ticket to a third country or region within 240 hours or relevant proof.
To be able to apply for the visa-free transit you have to book an eligible flight from departure country A to Chengdu to third country C.
You must take an international flight to and from Chengdu, flights within Mainland China are not allowed.
3) A visa to the third country is required
4) An arrival/ departure card
How to apply for the visa-free transit?
To apply for the 240-hour visa, you have to check in as usual onto your flight, but have the aforementioned documents to hand.
1. Inform flight attendant when boarding you want the 240 hour visa.
2. Fill in an arrival/ departure card. You can ask a flight attendant for one, the airport arrival hall also has them.
3. Apply for the 240 hours visa-free transit upon arrival
4. Claim luggage, go through the custom and leave the airport.
What are the regulations regarding accommodation registration for foreign travelers entering with a 240-hour transit visa-free permit?
Foreigners with a 240-hour transit visa-free permit must register their accommodation according to Chinese laws and regulations. For those staying in hotels in China, the hotels must register in accordance with the relevant public security regulations applicable to the hotel management. Foreigners who have accommodation in other places other than hotels must register with local public security administrations within 24 hours after check-in, either personally or with the help of their hosts.
What should foreign travelers do if they need to stay in China beyond the prescribed time limit or outside the permitted area due to urgent and reasonable causes or force majeure?
They must provide relevant documents and apply in advance for a stay permit from the local exit and entry department of the public security administration at or above the municipal level.
What should foreign travelers do if they have any inquiries about the 240-hour transit visa-free policy?
They can dial the 24-hour service hotline of the 12367 platform or consult the 12367 Online Service on the official website, both of which will offer timely replies and solutions.
Chengdu in 240 hours
Although you can’t leave Chengdu, (although there’s nothing to stop you from hiring a driver to visit Mount Emei or the Leshan Giant Buddha), 6 days is perfect to get a taste of city life, aside from just pandas:
Visit some of Chengdu’s markets
Must-See Tourist Attractions in Chengdu
Go on a photography tour of real Chengdu
How to find what you’re looking for in Chengdu
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