Apply for a transit visa (G visa) to China

Are you planning to cross the territory of China to travel to a neighboring country? A transit visa (G visa) allows you to stay in China for up to 5 days and is available for entry by air, water, or land. You have the opportunity to take short city tours and explore parts of the country during your transit. The G visa allows you to enter the country once or twice if you choose China as a transit point on your way to Russia, India, Nepal, Mongolia, or another country.

To obtain permission for transit, you need a ticket for a train, ship, or plane with a confirmed date and place, with which you prove your further travel to a third country. Another visa is usually required for your final destination, for example, for tourist or business purposes. In China, as a transit passenger, like holders of other types of visas, you are also required to comply with the 24-hour registration rule.

If you are a transit passenger with a valid onward ticket only at the airport, you do not need a visa to China for a period of up to 24 hours. However, you are not allowed to leave the airport premises.

Chinese border authorities have made an exception for citizens of 54 countries, including Germany. Starting from December 2024, at certain airports in China, such as Shanghai Hongqiao, Beijing, Chengdu, Xianyang, and Dalian ZhouShuiZi, visa-free entry for 240 hours is allowed into approved Chinese cities or provinces.

Conditions for visa-free transit for 240 hours:

• Passengers must arrive from a country covered by the 240-hour rule.
• Entry into the country is only possible through one of the specified airports.
• Visitors must have valid international passports (valid for more than three months from the date of entry) and provide evidence of valid tickets for the next flight to a third country. The departure and arrival locations must not be the same.

Please note: Visa-free transit stops also require registration with the local security authorities. In addition, short-term visitors cannot leave the cities or regions they arrived in. Additional information on visa-free transit can be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. For those who are not allowed visa-free entry into the country during transit through China, the Transit Visa provides you with much more flexibility in planning your trip.