Kunming 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy
Travelers from 54 countries transiting through Yunnan during their trip 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 240 hours within the designated areas of nine cities (or prefectures) in Yunnan, including Kunming, Lijiang, Yuxi, Pu'er, Chuxiong, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Honghe, and Wenshan. If time allows, they can travel from Yunnan to other permitted regions of China before leaving China. 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.
Other Kunming Visa-free Policies
30 Days Visa Free - 25 Countries Mutual Exemption of Visa with China
Citizens of below countries holding a valid ordinary passport are exempt from visa requirements for entry, exit, or transit in the territory of the other contracting party, with a single stay not exceeding 30 days and a cumulative stay not exceeding 90 days within 180 days.
Eligible countries include Asian countries: Thailand, Singapore, Maldives, Kazakhstan, the UAE, Qatar, Armenia, Georgia; European countries: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, San Marino; African countries: Mauritius, Seychelles; Oceania countries: Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands; North American countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Ecuador, Grenada, Bahamas; South American country: Suriname.
30 Days Visa Free - 38 Eligible Countries
China has launched a 30 Days Visa-free Policy for 38 eligible countries, including several European nations — Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. In Oceania, Australia and New Zealand are listed, while in Asia, Malaysia, South Korea, Brunei, and Japan are included.
Ordinary passport holders of the above-mentioned countries can enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 30 days until December 31, 2025. Read more »
Are you planning a transit 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.
According to official laws and regulations, applicants going to use the 240-Hour Visa-free Transit must meet all requirements as requested.
Requirements includes:
⒈ From appointed 54 foreign countries included in the 240-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 or train, cruise ticket with confirmed seat and departure date (leaving China) to a third country or region within 240 hours. Usually, you can prepare your e-ticket.
Required Documents for Kunming 240-Hour TWOV
The total number of countries applicable to China’s 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy includes U.S.A, UK, Australian, New Zealand, Singapore, Ireland, and else nations in 4 continents worldwide.
| Continent | Transit Visa Free Countries |
|---|---|
| Europe |
Countries under Schengen Visa Agreement: 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: Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco and Belarus. |
| America | United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, the Republic of Chile. |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand. |
| Asia | South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar. |
Attention: The above mentioned nationality is just one of the preconditions to apply the 240-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 --> other permitted regions in China --> country (region) B
Valid Routes Examples:
Sydney --> Kunming --> Kathmandu
Bangkok --> Kunming --> Chengdu --> Singapore
Malaysia --> Kunming --> Shanghai --> Hong Kong or Macau
2. About Stay Area
With the new policy, you are allowed to travel not only in Guilin, but also across provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities within the permitted stay areass. For example, you could fly into Beijing and then visit cities like Xi’an, Shanghai, or Chengdu, as long as your total stay does not exceed the 240-hour limit.
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 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy in Kunming. You can also use other eligible ports as your entry and exit. There are now 60 open ports of entry for the 240-hour visa-free policy across 24 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, including major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xi’an. You can enter China via any of these ports without a visa, as long as you meet the requirements.
4. About Visa-Free Period The visa-free 240 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 240 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.
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 240 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 240-Hour Visa-free Transit more times as long as your travel routes and situation qualified to all the requirements.
First Tourist Applying Kunming 240-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 240-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 240-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. It 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 create a tour for you. 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.
Customize a Trip
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.
Your itinerary Phuket to Kunming to Bangkok in not qualified for 144 hour visa free transit in Kunming. You need to fly to another country or region, for examples, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. Currently, China is 30 days visa free for Belgium passport.
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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