- Chinese Visa
To visit China, you need to be in possession of a valid passport and visa. You will not be allowed to enter the country without them, you could be fined, and you will be returned to your home country at your own expense.
In fact, without the relevant documents, your airline is unlikely to allow you to board.
You should also note that obtaining a visa outside your country of residence can be much more difficult.
Chinese Embassies and Consulates have different application rules for respective nationalities, so you need to check the processes and procedures where you live.
Most offices processing visas require applicants to appear in person or to have their application submitted through a registered agency.
The application process can take from a few days to several weeks, so you should get the process started as soon as possible, to ensure that you don’t experience any delays to your travel plans.
Here are some recommendations:
- The best time to apply for your Chinese visa is 1-2 months before you travel date
- Make contact with the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your country to enquire about the application process
- Check which visa best suits your purposes, as there are different ones available for travel, business, study, work and so on
- Keep in mind that if you leave mainland China and go to Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, you will need to have a multiple-entry or new visa to re-enter the mainland
Chinese Visa Application Service Center: https://www.visaforchina.org/
2. 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Kunming
Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province, has implemented the 144-hour visa-free transit program. Passport holders of the 53 qualifying countries can be granted a visa-free stay of up to 144 hours if they transfer via Kunming Changshui Airport on the way to a third country. During the stay, they can leave the airport, making it possible to conduct a layover tour.
Who qualifies for the 144-hour visa-free transit?
- List of 53 Countries
American Countries: US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
Oceania Countries: Australia, New Zealand
Schengen Agreement Countries: Austria, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Other European Countries: UK, Ireland, Russia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Monaco
Asian Countries: South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar
Areas Allowed to Stay
Currently, passengers transiting in Kunming are only allowed to move around in this city if they wish to enjoy the 144-hour visa-free transit. It means those who want to take a tour to Lijiang, Dali, Xishuangbanna, or other cities need to get a normal visa.
What Is an Eligible Route?
Departure Country A: → Kunming → The Third Country C
It indicates that:
1) Passengers can only stop in one mainland Chinese city, namely Kunming. Multiple domestic stops are not allowed;
2) Passengers need to enter Kunming from Country A and then leave for Country C. A and C should be different countries, which means they cannot return to the departure Country A immediately after the layover in Kunming.
Note that Country A and C can be foreign countries, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
What Are the Required Documents?
1. Your passport, valid for not less than three months at the time of entry
2. A flight ticket to a third country with confirmed date and seat (standby flight ticket doesn’t work)
3. A visa to the third country if required
4. The Arrival / Departure Card
How to Apply for a 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in 6 Steps
1. Inform the airline when boarding
2. Fill out an Arrival/Departure Card
3. Apply for the 144-hour visa-free stay permit upon arrival
4. Claim your luggage
5. Go through the customs
6. Leave the airport
What Are the Eligible Transit Ports?
In Kunming, the 144-hour visa-free transit is only available at Changshui International Airport. It means you have to fly in and fly out. Land ports in Yunnan do not issue a 144-hour visa-free stay permit.
Information number of Changshui Airport: 0086-871-96566
3.Customs
Kunming Customs, formerly known as Mengzi Customs, opened in August 1889. In 1942, Mengzi Customs and Tengyue Customs merged to form Kunming Customs. In 1980, after the institutional reform, Kunming Customs was renamed Kunming Customs, and it was one of the first nine bureau-level customs to be upgraded. At present, Kunming Customs has 21 internal agencies (including the anti-smuggling bureau), 31 subordinate customs units (including risk prevention and control sub-bureaus), 15 discipline inspection teams, 19 public institutions and 9 anti-smuggling sub-bureaus. There are a total of 25 ports in the jurisdiction, 2 special customs supervision areas, and 15 bonded supervision sites (2 bonded logistics park center type B, 3 export supervision warehouses, and 10 bonded warehouses).
4.Consulates
In case of emergency, or if you have lost your passport, please get in touch with one of these consulates.
Currently there are 7 consulates located in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province.
Consulate General of Lao People’s Democratic Republic in Kunming
Address: 6800 North Caiyun Road
Telephone: (86) 871-67334522
Consulate General of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Kunming
Address: 99 Yingbin Road
Telephone: (86) 871-68162818
Royal Thai Consulate General in Kunming
Address: 18th Floor, East Tower of Shuncheng, 11 West Dongfeng Road
Telephone: (86) 871-63168916
Royal Consulate General of Cambodia in Kunming
Address: 14th Floor, Guanfang Plaza, 258 Baiyun Road
Telephone: (86) 871-63317320
Consulate General of Malaysia in Kunming
Address: Room 1503, Building B, Nanya Town, Dianchi Road
Telephone: (86) 871-63165088
Consulate General of Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Kunming
Address: Room 507, Hongta Building, 155 Beijing Road
Telephone: (86) 871-63522669
Consulate General of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Address: 3rd Floor, Main Building, 1399 Dianchi Road
Telephone: (86) 871-64329670