FAQs About Transiting Through Beijing

[Photo via VCG]

Planning a short stay in Beijing? Squeezing in a tour layover, rushing to a business meeting, or just passing through, this guide is here to save the day! We've gathered the most common questions raised over Beijing's 12345 hotline and provided the most useful guides. Dive in a seamless transit experience in Beijing! 

Q1  What are the application requirements for 240-hour visa-free transit? What documents do I need to prepare?

An applicant applying for the 240-hour visa-free transit must:

1. Be a citizen of a country eligible for the visa-free transit policy;

2. Hold a valid international travel document with a validity period of at least three months, and meet the entry requirements of the third country/region in question;

3. Hold an onward ticket or proof of onward trip to a third country/region within 240 hours (with a confirmed date and seat), complete an arrival card for temporary entry, and undergo inspection by the immigration inspection authority at the port of entry.

Foreigners meeting these conditions can apply for temporary entry permitsat any of the 60 ports(including those in Beijing) in China implementing this policy. Upon approval, immigration inspection authorities will issue them the temporary entry permits. For travelers covered by the visa exemption agreements or unilateral visa-free policies of China, the relevant provisions can prevail.

After being approved to enter China under the visa-free transit policy, you can travel within the designated areas across 24 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities for a maximum of 240 hours, and may depart from any of the applicable ports under this policy. The visa-free stay period is counted from 00:00 the day following the day of your entry. During your stay period, you may engage in activities such as tourism, business, visits, or family reunions. However, for work, study, news interviews or other activities that require prior approval, you may still need to obtain a visa in advance.

Your application will be finally decided through an on-site review.

Scan the QR code to check more about the 240-hour visa-free transit

Q2  Where can I apply for the "Free Layover Tour Service"? What are the routes?

The "Free Layover Tour Service" is Beijing's first free travel experience program for international passengers transiting through Beijing, offering a one-stop Beijing tour experience. It includes free transportation, multilingual guides, tickets to tourist attractions, and free Internet access to ensure that inbound tourists can experience the charm of Beijing. The service is now available at the Terminal T3 assembly hall of the Beijing Capital International Airport.
Foreign travelers who have successfully registered can leave Beijing Capital International Airport to visit the Great Wall and Beijing Central Axis, two of the city's most visited tourist attractions. While those who take the "Beijing Great Wall Half-Day Tour" route can marvel at the wonders of Chinese architecture and the breathtaking scenery of the Badaling Great Wall, which dates back 2,000 years, those who opt for the "Beijing Highlights Half-Day Tour" can experience the intangible cultural heritage of Beijing Central Axis, visit the Temple of Heaven, Qianmen Street, and Tian'anmen Square, and feel the historical legacy and traditional culture of Beijing.
Q3  Can you tell me the opening hours of the stores at Beijing's airports so that I can buy a SIM card? 
The China Mobile service hall in the T2 terminal of the Capital Airport is open from 9:00 to 18:00; the China Mobile service hall in the T3 terminal of the Capital Airport is open from 9:00 to 20:00, and the China Unicom service hallin the T3 terminal of the Capital Airport is open from 7:00 to 21:00.
Daxing Airport China Mobile service hall is located in the domestic departure hall on the third floor, business hours: 9:00-19:00; Daxing Airport China Unicom service outlet is located on the ground floor, east side of the tourism information office. This outlet can only handle the purchase of telephone cards, business hours: 7:00-19:00.
Q4  Can I buy BEIJING PASS with cash? Can I top up with cash if I don't have a Visa or MasterCard?
Currently, the card can be topped up with cash (CNY) at the designated manual service counters and self-service terminals at the stations of Beijing's rail transit network, service centers of Beijing Municipal Administration and Communication Card Co., Ltd., and the airports, etc.
Please note that only CNY-50 and CNY-100 banknotes are accepted at self-service terminals. When topping up for the first time, an additional CNY 20 will be charged for purchasing the card itself. No change will be provided for topping up.
If you choose to purchase and top up your card at a manual service counter, you may also need to pay CNY 20 for the card itself. Also, the top-up amount must be a multiple of 10 (i.e. 10, 20, 30...), and CNY 10 shall be the minimum acceptable amount. The maximum allowable balance on each card is CNY 1,000.Please refer to the real-time notice at the on-site service counter when you purchase and top up a card.

Scan the QR code to check more about BEIJING PASS

Q5  I would like to know the opening hours of the tax refund office at Beijing Capital Airport T3 as my flight is at 2 am.
The departure tax refund points at Beijing Capital Airport handle departure tax refund business for overseas travellers on a 24-hour basis. When overseas travellers leave China at the departure port, they should declare to the Customs and accept the supervision by the Customs for their tax refundable items, the application form for overseas travellers' tax refund for purchases and the sales invoice of the tax refundable items. After the Customs checks and confirms that there is no error, the tax refund will be handled by the tax refund agency with the application form for tax refund for overseas travellers' purchases and the sales invoice of the tax refundable items.

For any additional questions, please visit the Web Portal of Beijing International and leave us a message, we will respond to you as soon as possible!
Source: BeijingService