Kunming 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy
Travelers from 54 countries transiting through Yunnan to a third country (or region) can enjoy visa-free entry and exit via any of the following ports: Kunming Changshui International Airport, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, or Mohan Railway Port. They are permitted to stay for up to 144 hours within the designated areas of nine cities (or prefectures) in Yunnan, including Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu'er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, and Wenshan. During the stay, visitors are allowed to engage in short-term activities such as tourism, business, visits, and family reunions. However, for activities such as employment, studies, or news reporting, prior approval and a visa are required for entry.
Are you planning a layover tour in Kunming? Check the following details to figure out if you are lucky to get transit visa exempted at the airport and get chance to have a visa-free stopover tour in Kunming.
Table of Page Contents
According to official laws and regulations, applicants going to use the 144-Hour Visa-free Transit must meet all requirements as requested.
Requirements includes:
⒈ From appointed 54 foreign countries included in the 144-hour Visa-free Transit Program;
⒉ Hold a valid passport or international travel document with a validity of minimum 3 months;
⒊ Hold a departing flight ticket with confirmed seat and departure date (leaving Kunming) to a third country or region within 144 hours. Usually, you can prepare your e-ticket.
Before arrival, you must make sure you have booked flight ticket leaving Kunming no later than 144 hours. The next destination should be different from your last departure to Kunming.
⒋ Transit in, enter and exit Kunming via Kunming Changshui International Airport.
Required Documents for Kunming 144-Hour TWOV
The total number of countries applicable to China’s 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy remains the same 54 as the 72-Hour TWOV Program. The list includes U.S.A, UK, Australian, New Zealand, Singapore, Ireland, and else territories in 4 continents worldwide.
| Continent | Number | Transit Visa Free Countries |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 39 |
Countries under Schengen Visa Agreement (25): Austria, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. Other Countries (15): Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco and Belarus. |
| America | 6 | United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, the Republic of Chile. |
| Oceania | 2 | Australia, New Zealand. |
| Asia | 6 | South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar. |
Attention: The above mentioned nationality is just one of the preconditions to apply the 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Kunming. If your country is included, it does not mean you will be approved entry without visa successfully. Others excluded the list shall get a pre-arrival China Visa from overseas Chinese Embassy or Consulate in advance.
Useful Links:
- Download the full visa free countries list in jpg format
- How to Get a Visa for China: Requirements, Application Process, Fees and Tips
1. About Travel Route
Your flight route should be: country (region) A --> Kunming --> country (region) B
Valid Routes Examples:
Sydney --> Kunming --> Kathmandu
Bangkok --> Kunming --> Phuket
Malaysia --> Kunming --> Hong Kong or Macau
2. About Stay Area
Under the policy of current 144-Hour Visa-Free transit policy, travelers are not only allowed to stay in the administrative region of Kunming, including 7 municipal districts, 1 county-level city, 3 countries and 3 autonomous counties, but als can travel from Kunming to other 3 prefectures of Yunnan Province, they are Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu'er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, and Wenshan.
3. About Port of Entry and Exit
The Kunming Changshui International Airport (昆明长水国际机场, IATA:KMG) is the only port of entry and exit for 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy in Kunming. You can also use Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, or Mohan Railway Port as your entry and exit.
4. About Visa-Free Period The visa-free 144 hours count from the 00:00am the next day upon arrival, not from the date you land at the airport. Frankly speaking, you will normally get more than 144 hours to stay if approved.
Tips: 1.) Visitors must make accommodation registration within 24 hours after entry. If stay in hotel, the hotel staff will register for you, if not, you or your host have to do the registration to the local Public Security Bureau. 2.) Please go to the local Exit&Entry; Administration of Kunming Public Security Bureau for further help, if you will overstay for irresistible causes. 24-hour service line: 13888556307.
5. About Ticket Booking
To make full use of the visa-free layover to tour Kunming City, we suggest you book refundable tickets in two different sections with a longer stopover time. Customs officer may consider your connection time to decide whether give you 144 hours free visa. The flight ticket will be checked when apply for Temporary Entry Permit at the airport.
6. About Number of Application
It’s fine to apply for the 144-Hour Visa-free Transit more times as long as your travel routes and situation qualified to all the requirements.
First Tourist Applying Kunming 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit
Kunming Yunnan Map (click to enlarge)
Kunming Changshui International Airport
Foreigners Enjoy Trip to Stone Forest
Step 1 - When boarding, inform the air company staff that you will apply 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Kunming. They will transfer your request to the Immigration Authority at Kunming Airport in advance.
Step 2 - After landing at Kunming Changshui Airport, fill in the Arrival Card (blue version) at specialized desk, and then follow guide to 144-Hour Transit Visa Exemption counter. There you shall wait and submit application with passport, connecting flight ticket to onward destination, and related travel itinerary.
Step 3 - The Exit and Entry Immigration officer will seal a Temporary Entry Permit on your passport to grant your short-term entry to Kunming after verification.
Step 4 - Go through customs and immigration formalities, and you can leave Kunming Airport, enter and stay in administrative region of Kunming without visa for a 6-day stopover tour.
Sample of Temporary Entry Permit
(click to enlarge)
Kunming Changshui International Airport (昆明长水国际机场, IATA: KMG, ICAO: ZPPP) is a major airport serving tourism in Kunming and Yunnan Province, as well as an crucial hub to South and Southeast Asia. Here is its location, transportation instruction for your Kunming tour.
>> Where is Kunming Airport?
Address: Changshui Viallge, Guandu District, Kunming, Yunnan 云南省昆明市官渡区长水村
The airport is located about 24.5km northeast of downtown area, and is connected by highway, metro line (Kunming Metro Line 6) and airport shuttle buses.
>> Kunming Airport Transportation
● Kunming Airport to City Center: it takes about 1 hour by taxi
● Kunming Airport to Major Attractions:
To Stone Forest: about 1h 20 mins (85km) by drive
To Western Hill: around 1 hour (50km) by drive
To Green Lake: about 40~50 mins (27km) by drive
To Flowers & Birds Market: about 50 mins (27km) by drive
To Dongchuan Red Land: about 3 hrs (170km) by drive
● Airport Shuttle Express:
There are also frequent airport shuttle expresses running from/to Kunming Airport every day. There has total 6 routes lines, and Route No.6 can take you traverse from Kunming Airport to Kunming Railway Station.
It’s highly suggested to travel with China Discovery, because we will offer worry-free pick-up service from Kunming Airport and convenient transfer bettwen attrastions and your hotel. It’s quite confusing to travel around by checking local transportation by yourself.
Kunming Airport Transportation Map
(click to enlarge)
Kunming Airport Shuttle Express
>> Flights to/off Kunming
Kunming Changshui International Airport, together with Urumqi Diwopu International Airport are two main gateway hub airports in China. Until end of 2018, Kunming Airport has opened more than 300 flights, including around 270 domestic airlines and about 80 international/regional routes. The airport has more than 300 weekly flights to 36 cities in South Asia and Southeast Asia, which is the top airport with the most lines to South & Southeast Asia areas.
* Non-Stop International (Regional) Air Routes: Kunming <-->Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Singapore, Calcutta (India), Phuket, Bangkok, Chiengmai, (Thailand), Mandalay, Rangoon (Myanmar), Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi (Malaysia), Seoul (South Korea), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), etc.
* Domestic Air Routes: Kunming <-->Lijiang, Dali, Shangri-La, Shanghai, Chongqing, Haikou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Xining, Xishuangbanna, Qingdao, Xiamen, Lanzhou, and so on.
Kunming, situated in northeast of Yunnan Province, is a very famous national historic and cultural cities in Southwest China. The mild and pleasant weather earns Kunming a good reputation of “Spring City”. Gorgeous natural scenery and distinctive ethnic culture (nearly 30 minority groups) are the two best highlights you can’t miss.
Kunming Stone Forest
Dongchuan Red Land
Kunming Day Trips
For 1-day tour in Kunming, our advice is to visit scenic spots (Yuantong Temple, Green Lake, Flowers & Birds Market) in downtown area, or mainly spend half a day on Stone Forest, a World Natural Heritage showing exotic Karst landscape (a little bit far away from city center) and visit the nearby Nuohei Viallge - a Yi Minority village with 600 years’ history.
You can also contact us to get more travel ideas and highlights in Kunming.
Kunming Tours within 3 Days
With more time, you can have a Kunming tour at a slower pace, see more attractions, experience more local life and customs apart from those mentioned sites. Jiuxiang Scenic Area - a large Karst cave, Western Hill and Dragon Gate, Yunnan Nationalities Museum are good places to catch a glimpse of plateau view and ethnic group culture.
Most Recommended Kunming Tours:
Kunming 4~ 6-Day Trips
If time permitted, take an in-depth Kunming tour to fully feel the “Spring City”. Drive 3 hours from Kunming downtown to view the beautiful and amazing Dongchuan Red Land, and then have a trip to Shuipingzi and Luoxiagou Valley, enjoy the pretty sunset. Like some unique experience? Go outdoor and take a relaxing golf tour in the green land. Surely, we will guide you to more attractions during this journey.
Most Recommended Kunming Tours:
China Discovery is a professional and experienced travel companion who offers high-value and worry-free tours for you. We not only design ideal itinerary covering sightseeing, dining, transfer and hotel, but also can provide any support & help you need to travel to China. No matter you are interested in China Visa-Free Tour or plan to travel to Lijiang, Shangri-La, Dali from Kunming, we could offer any visa-related assistance to fulfill your dream tour in China. To explore different kinds of landscape, culture and history of China, we suggest you apply for a full Chinese Visa in advance to visit Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Chengdu and more magnificent destinations.
Please feel free to contact us to join in our top popular Kunming tours, or let us customize a once-in-a-lifetime trip for you.
Recommended Tours
Top 3 tours chosen by most customers to explore in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.
6 Days Best of Yunnan Tour (Lijiang, Shangri-La, Kunming)
Lijiang / Shangri-La / Kunming
5 Days Kunming, Jianshui & Yuanyang Rice Terraces Tour
Kunming / Stone Forest / Yuanyang / Jianshui / Kunming
Kunming / Dali / Lijiang / Shangri-La
Start planning your tailor-made holiday to China by contacting one of our specialists. Once inquired, you’ll get a response within 0.5~23.5 hours.
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Questions & Discussions
Following are latest questions and answers from our webusers and customers. You can learn many useful information from the discussion and cases. You can also join in the discussions or ask your own question. Our experts will help you ASAP.
Sorry, your plan is not eligible for Kunming (Yunnan Province)'s 144 Hour Visa Free Transit. You must come from a third country or region to Kunming Changshui International Airport, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport or Mohan Railway Port. Actually the visa -free transit usually limits regions, for example, you cannot fly from Shanghai to Kunming to use the visa free transit.
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