Can I leave Beijing Capital International Airport on my layover?

Who can leave PEK without a visa?

Every foreign national may transit airside visa-free for up to 24 hours with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, staying in the port's restricted area (24-hour direct transit). Leaving the airport needs either the 30-day unilateral/mutual visa exemption (50 countries as of 2026-02-17, most until 2026-12-31), the 240-hour visa-free transit (57 countries as of 2026-08-20, onward ticket to a THIRD country or region, Beijing Capital/Daxing and Shanghai Pudong/Hongqiao are eligible ports), or a temporary entry permit from border inspection. Transferring between Hongqiao and Pudong counts as leaving the transit area and needs a temporary entry permit.

10 of the 14 passports we cover can leave the airport without applying for a visa first (some need an online authorisation). Other passports: check the official sources linked in the planner.

Transit rules in mainland China

240-hour visa-free transit

Who: Ordinary-passport citizens of 57 countries (as of 2026-08-20): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.

• Passport valid at least 3 months
• Confirmed onward ticket (date and seat) to a third country or region departing within 240 hours
• Origin and destination must differ (official example: Sydney-Shanghai-Melbourne is advised to route via a third country); Hong Kong counts as a separate region (London-Shanghai-Hong Kong qualifies)
• Enter through one of 65 designated ports, including Beijing Capital (PEK), Beijing Daxing (PKX), Shanghai Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA)
• Stay only within the permitted areas (Beijing entry: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei); 24 provinces in total, cross-province travel allowed inside them
• Clock runs from 00:00 of the day after arrival
• No work, study or journalism

Source: National Immigration Administration of China, National Immigration Administration of China, Shenzhen Municipal Port Office (citing NIA), Beijing Municipal People's Government, Shanghai Municipal People's Government (Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai PSB), Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Shanghai Exit-Entry Border Inspection General Station, Shanghai Municipal People's Government

24-hour direct transit

Who: All foreign nationals

• Valid travel document and confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region
• Stay in China no longer than 24 hours
• Stay in the port restricted area; leaving it (city visit or Hongqiao-Pudong transfer) requires a temporary entry permit from border inspection

Source: National Immigration Administration of China, National Immigration Administration of China, Shanghai Municipal People's Government (Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai PSB)

30-day unilateral visa exemption

Who: Ordinary passports of 50 countries (as of 2026-02-17): Brunei (no end date), Russia (until 2027-12-31), and 48 others until 2026-12-31: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sweden, Canada, United Kingdom.

• Purposes: business, tourism, family/friends visits, exchange, transit
• Up to 30 days, counted from the day after entry
• Can depart for China from any country; no onward-ticket requirement stated
• Valid until 24:00 Beijing time on 2026-12-31 for the 48 countries (no extension announced as of the check date)

Source: Embassy of the PRC in the UK, Embassy of the PRC in Sweden, Embassy of the PRC in Saudi Arabia

Getting from PEK into Beijing

We measure to Tiananmen Square. Times are the operators' own figures; ≈ marks a timetable-based estimate where no official door-to-door time is published.

Good to know: Leaving the airport requires Chinese immigration: 24-hour visa-free transit for all nationalities, 240-hour visa-free transit for eligible nationalities onward to a third country. Airport Express is a separate fare (not part of normal metro distance pricing); stations Beixinqiao, Dongzhimen, Sanyuanqiao, T3, T2. Air China offers free transit hotel nights to eligible connecting passengers (Air China transit counter facing Exit B, T3 2F). Do not confuse with Beijing Daxing (PKX), a separate airport far to the south.

If you stay in the airport

Transit hotel

No airside hotel listed.

Left luggage

Free left-luggage (one bag) for 240-hour visa-free transit passengers: T3 Arrival Hall 2F public area (west side) and T2 2F beside Gate 10; no general left-luggage service confirmed for other passengers source

Free layover tour

'Beijing Express' free layover tours (run by Trip.com/Ctrip with the city): Badaling Great Wall tour or half-day city tour (Central Axis, Temple of Heaven, Qianmen, Tiananmen); for international transit passengers; meeting point Ctrip counter in T3. Officially announced to run 2024-12-27 to 2025-06-26; current status not confirmed source

Questions

Do I need a visa for a layover in Beijing?

If you stay airside, it depends on your passport: Every foreign national may transit airside visa-free for up to 24 hours with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, staying in the port's restricted area (24-hour direct transit). Leaving the airport needs either the 30-day unilateral/mutual visa exemption (50 countries as of 2026-02-17, most until 2026-12-31), the 240-hour visa-free transit (57 countries as of 2026-08-20, onward ticket to a THIRD country or region, Beijing Capital/Daxing and Shanghai Pudong/Hongqiao are eligible ports), or a temporary entry permit from border inspection. Transferring between Hongqiao and Pudong counts as leaving the transit area and needs a temporary entry permit. Choose your passport above for the exact rule and its official source.

How long does it take to get from PEK to Beijing?

The fastest public option, Capital Airport Express to Dongzhimen (about 20 min), then subway to Qianmen and a short walk to Tiananmen, takes about 50 minutes to Tiananmen Square (timetable-based estimate). The planner adds 20% for waiting and delays.

How long a layover do I need to leave Beijing Capital International Airport?

With our cautious defaults (45 minutes to get out, 120 minutes back before departure, the transfer both ways plus 20%), you need about 7 hours for 90 minutes in the city. Below that, stay in the airport.

Is there a free layover tour at PEK?

'Beijing Express' free layover tours (run by Trip.com/Ctrip with the city): Badaling Great Wall tour or half-day city tour (Central Axis, Temple of Heaven, Qianmen, Tiananmen); for international transit passengers; meeting point Ctrip counter in T3. Officially announced to run 2024-12-27 to 2025-06-26; current status not confirmed

Rules checked against official sources on 2026-11-01; airport facts from Beijing Capital International Airport. Found something out of date? Tell us.