The Smartest Way to Use China’s 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit (How I Did It)

#144hourtransitvisafreeguide One of the smartest ways to take advantage of China’s 144-hour visa-free transit is to combine your trip with nearby destinations before re-entering China. That’s exactly what I did with my Argentine passport, which is one of the nationalities eligible for this policy. The 144-hour (and in some regions now 240-hour) visa-free transit applies to travellers from more than 50 countries, including Argentina, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the UAE, Qatar, Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries such as Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. The key rule is simple: you must arrive in China from one country and then leave to a different third country or region. If your itinerary respects that structure, immigration grants you a short stay in China without needing a visa. In my case, I combined it with Hong Kong and Macao — which count as separate regions — allowing me to re-enter China under the visa-free transit multiple times. It turned out to be the perfect strategy to explore cities like Wenzhou, Zhengzhou, Wulin, and more. By planning your route strategically, this policy becomes a very convenient way to visit China without applying for a traditional visa, while also discovering nearby destinations along the way. If you follow this structure — Country A → China (144h) → Country B — you can maximize the visa-free system and enjoy a smooth, flexible travel experience.