China is located in East Asia and is the second-largest country in the world in terms of land area. For this reason, it has the longest borderline among all countries in the world. In fact, China has a borderline with 14 different countries. That is why many tourists travel to China by land. In addition to its size, China is also one of the top economies.
The Chinese government has issued a number of visas for those who want to have a visit or stay in China for either a long or a short time. In this article, we are going to talk about the China transit visa, which is categorized as a G visa.
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China is located in the eastern part of Asia. The capital is Beijing, and Shanghai and Shenzhen are among the most important cities in the country. The country has many tourist attractions and is in a very favorable economic position. In addition, there are many universities in China, and many people apply to enter these universities every year. You need a visa to travel to China for a variety of reasons, including travel and leisure, transit, education, employment, and more.

China transit visa is issued to people who will stay in China for a short period of time for their next destination and must leave China within the specified period. The applicants must provide their next travel ticket and passport to the relevant officials in order to obtain a China transit visa.
A China transit visa is not a long-term residence visa; rather, it is a license to cross China and go to the main destination. In fact, people who have to pass through this vast country to reach their final destination must obtain a transit visa.
China Transit Visa Requirements
In order to obtain a China transit visa, you have to provide the requirements mentioned below:
- You need to provide your passport, which must be valid for at least another 6 months, along with a blank page.
- You must carefully complete and sign the Visa Application Form of the People’s Republic of China. Also, if you are a citizen of a third country, completing and signing the Supplementary Visa Application is mandatory.
- You must attach your photo to the visa application form. Keep in mind that the photo must be in color and recently taken. The size of the photo should be 2 by 2 inches without a head covering.
- You need to provide a copy of your final destination visa
- You need to provide your valid ticket that is issued for your final destination.
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The application process
The documents mentioned in the previous section must be submitted to the Visa Office of the Consulate General. You must provide your documents in person. Otherwise, the travel/visa agent or person you trust must do so on your behalf. It should be noted that mailed applications are rejected.
China transit visa price
China visa price depends on whether you are in a hurry or not or you want to apply for a single visa or a double. Here is the China transit visa price list:
- If you want your visa for single entry and non-urgent: $100
- If you want your visa for double entry and non-urgent: $150
- If you want your visa for single entry and urgent: $130
- If you want your visa for double entry and urgent: $180
Therefore, the cost of the visa depends on various factors, and if you are not in a hurry, you can travel with a cheap visa. Cheap Chinese visas can be a golden opportunity to travel to this ancient yet modern land.
Processing time
Bear in mind that obtaining a normal China transit visa takes one working day, and obtaining an urgent China transit visa takes three working days.
Transit visa exemptions
There are three types of exemptions for those who want to stay or just cross the mainland of China, as will mention below:
Under 24-hour stay
There is a favorable rule in issuing visas in China that is “under the 24-hour visa-free transit”. When you are on a trip by an international flight, ship, or train which transits you directly through the mainland of China and you will stay in China for less than 24 hours, you just need your tickets to a 3rd country and have a confirmed seat on each transportation.
If you enter more than one city in China within 24 hours, you can also enjoy this policy as well. For example, if your plan is from Berlin – Lanzhou – Guangzhou – Bangkok and the total time is less than 24 hours, you may still enjoy 24-hour direct transit. But it is better you apply for the temporary entry permit upon your arrival.
Within 72-hour stay
If you are a resident (Or a passport holder) of the following countries, you can be granted a visa-free stay up to 72 hours while transiting with Dalian, airports of Guangzhou, Shanghai Pudong Airport, Shenyang, Shanghai, Hongqiao Airport, Chengdu, Chongqing, Qingdao, Beijing Capital Airport, Changsha, Harbin, Xian, Guilin, Kunming, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin, Nanjing, and Xiamen.
Austria | Denmark | Belgium | Czech Republic | Hungary | Estonia | Finland |
France | Germany | Greece | Netherlands | Italy | Latvia | Lithuania |
Luxembourg | Malta | Poland | Iceland | Portugal | Slovakia | Sweden |
Spain | Switzerland | Slovenia | Ireland | Russia | UK | Romania |
Bulgaria | Bosnia-Herzegovina | Ukraine | Serbia | Croatia | Albania | Montenegro |
Macedonia | Cyprus | USA | Brunei | Brazil | Mexico | Argentina |
Chile | Australia | New Zealand | South Korea | Japan | Singapore | Canada |
Qatar | United Arab Emirates |
144-hour stay
If you are a resident of the above countries and transiting in Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport of Zhejiang or Nanjing Lukou Airport of Jiangsu, and all air, sea, and railway ports of Shanghai, including Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Pudong Airport, Hongqiao Airport, Wusong Passenger Transport Center and all railway stations in Shanghai, you may enjoy a visa-free stay up to 144 hours in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang. Passengers can enter and leave from any of the above ports.
In these cases, you – as a temporary passenger – do not need to apply for a China transit visa or any other kind of visa.
Last word
This article gives an overview of everything you need to know about a China transit visa. Obtaining this transit visa is not a difficult task if you carefully prepare all the necessary documents and fill out the visa application forms honestly and accurately. On the Visa Library website, you can learn about other US visas (like tourist visas, F visas, Private visit visas, and group visas) as well as ways to immigrate to other countries.
If you have experience obtaining a China transit visa, you can share it with our readers and us. Your experience can be a valuable aid to those who intend to get this visa.
In the Visa Library, you will have access to up-to-date information on visas from different countries of the world. If you have any questions about your visa, you can ask it in the comments section so that our experienced experts can review and answer them as soon as possible.
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