Take Advantage of Transit Visa-Free International Traffic ①: How to Make the Most of 144 Hours in Henan

Since the beginning of this year, the "China Travel" trend on overseas social platforms, driven by the 144-hour visa-free transit policies, has gained significant popularity. Henan province in central China has also received this policy—starting from July 15, 2024, Zhengzhou Aviation Port began implementing the 144-hour visa-free transit policies for 54 countries, making Henan the only province in central China where this policy applies throughout the entire region.

今年以来，由144小时过境免签政策带起的“China Travel”（中国游）持续火热出圈。而河南也拿到了这一中国新的“顶级名片”——自7月15日起，郑州航空口岸对54个国家实施144小时过境免签政策，河南成为中部地区唯一获批省内全域适用该政策的省份。

Joining the 144-hour visa-free transit policies "circle", how can Henan effectively utilize these 144 hours to attract international friends? Recently, the Provincial Government Office issued the "Henan Province Implementation Plan for the 144-hour visa-free transit policies" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). It outlines 15 measures across four major tasks to enhance the 144-hour visa-free transit policies, making it easier for international friends to visit Henan for business or tourism.

加入过境免签“朋友圈”，河南怎样用好这144小时、接住这波国际流量？近日，省政府办公厅印发《河南省实施外国人144小时过境免签政策工作方案》（以下简称《方案》），围绕4大任务提出15项举措，加码144小时过境免签政策，让外国人来豫商务考察、观光旅游更加便利。

Arriving | Full-chain Service, Smoother Customs Clearance

来 | 全链条服务通关更顺畅

记者：王斌 李筱晗 通讯员：袁野  

Repoters: Wang Bin and Li Xiaohan  Correspondent: Yuan Ye

Work Plan Abstract: Include the content and relevant requirements of the visa-free transit policies into the answering category of the 12367 immigration service hotline. Accelerate the construction of "non-inductive customs clearance", and improve the customs clearance efficiency and the speed of luggage inspection and release of transit foreigners. Promote the construction of immigration and exit-entry affairs service centers, and create a one-stop service platform.

《方案》摘要：将过境免签政策内容和相关要求纳入12367移民事务服务咨询电话业务解答范畴；加快推进“无感通关”建设，提高过境外籍人员通关效率和行李验放速度；推动移民和出入境事务服务中心建设，打造一站式服务平台。

Mr. Che, a Korean tourist, praised the efficient customs clearance experience at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport's Terminal T2, saying, "Zhengzhou is a beautiful modern city. After learning about the visa-free transit policies, we came specifically for a visit. The entry approval was surprisingly quick, and the staff were very enthusiastic and professional."

郑州是个很漂亮的现代化城市，了解到过境免签政策后，我们专程来玩，没想到入境审批这么快，工作人员很热情、也很专业。”近日，在郑州新郑国际机场T2航站楼国际入境大厅，申请144小时过境免签政策获批后，韩国游客车先生为高效便捷的通关体验点赞。

Since the Implementation Plan of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, Henan has seen increasing numbers of foreign tourists choosing it as a destination for leisure and business. Departments like Public Security, Immigration Inspection, and Customs in Henan have optimized the work processes and made all-out preparations.

144小时过境免签政策实施后，越来越多的外籍旅客将河南作为旅游、商务活动的目的地，我省公安、边检、海关等部门优化工作流程、全力做好各项准备。

The Zhengzhou Exit-Entry Immigration Inspection Station continues to improve the 144-hour entry permit issuance and the construction of special review sites, specially set up a temporary entry permit approval post, and install passenger clearance guidance signs. Additionally, they are enhancing policy interpretation and carrying out policy publicity to 12 airlines stationed at Zhengzhou Aviation Port and 5 international travel agencies in Henan.

郑州出入境边防检查站持续完善144小时入境许可签发、审核专用场地建设，专门设置临时入境许可审批岗位，并设置旅客通关指引标志。同时，加大政策解读，对郑州航空口岸12家驻场航空公司、省内5家国际旅行社等机构进行政策宣讲。

Zhengzhou Customs has established a volunteer team composed of foreign language professionals and set up "customs clearance guides" to provide consulting services for foreign passengers. Meanwhile, it has added inspection channels during peak hours to improve the speed of customs clearance. Moreover, it will comprehensively take advantage of convenient supervision measures such as "preliminary machine inspection, remote inspection, and intelligent image review" to improve the efficiency of luggage inspection and release of inbound passengers, shorten the customs clearance time of a single passenger in the health quarantine link to less than 5 seconds, and guide airlines to do a good job of "publicity during flight", aiming to familiarize passengers with policy requirements in advance and continuously improve customs clearance efficiency and service level.

郑州海关则通过建立由外语专业人员组成的志愿者队伍，设立“通关引导员”，为外籍旅客提供咨询服务。同时增设高峰时段查验通道，提升通关速度；综合运用“先期机检、远程查验、智能审图”等便利监管举措，提升入境旅客行李物品验放效率，将卫生检疫环节单个旅客通关时间压缩至5秒以内，并指导航司做好“飞行途中宣传”，让旅客提前熟悉政策要求，不断提高通关效能和服务水平。

The Provincial Public Security Bureau's Exit-Entry Administration Department utilizes the existing 12367 immigration affairs service consultation hotline as a unified line to address inquiries and provide clarification for entry-exit travelers. The Administration Department has also conducted 36 special training sessions, with more than 5,900 participants. The training covered police officers from various levels of entry-exit management departments, grassroots foreign-related police, and 12367 hotline operators across the province, ensuring that staff are well-versed in policy details and can effectively apply them in their services.

省公安厅出入境管理部门依托现有的12367移民事务服务咨询电话为统一热线，为出入境旅客答疑解惑。全省出入境管理部门已开展专题培训36场次，参训人员5900余人次，人员覆盖全省各级出入境管理部门民警、基层涉外民警和12367话务接线员，确保工作人员熟练掌握政策内容并转化为实际服务能力。

The Exit-entry Administration Service Centers and Immigration Service Centers of the Public Security Bureaus of all provincial cities and Jiyuan Demonstration Zone have set up visa-free transit "green window" with uniform signage such as the Chinese immigration administration badge and Chinese and English translations. If any visa-free entry foreigner loses their documents or have other legitimate and reasonable reasons, and apply for continued stay or out-of-range activities, they can handle the corresponding stay documents at the "visa-free transit" green window with relevant supporting materials, in accordance with laws and regulations.

各省辖市、济源示范区公安局出入境接待大厅和移民事务服务中心均已设立涵盖中国移民管理徽章、中英文对照等统一标识的“过境免签”绿色窗口。免签入境外国人如有证件丢失或其他正当合理事由，申请继续停留或超范围活动，可凭相关证明材料依法依规到“过境免签”绿色窗口办理相应的停留证件。

Purchasing | Multi-scenario Payment, More Convenient Consumption

买 | 多场景支付 消费更便利

记者：李鹏

Repoters: Li Peng

Work Plan Abstract: Focusing on the key scenarios such as "food, accommodation, transportation, travel, shopping, entertainment, and medical care", the payment service system of "large-amount card swiping, small-amount code scanning, and cash guarantee" is improved to facilitate foreign nationals entering Henan for consumption. Give full play to the role of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport Foreign Guest Payment Service Center and Payment Service Demonstration Zone, and improve such services as withdrawing RMB cash from ATMs, assisting in downloading and opening mobile payment, guiding currency exchange, and accepting payment consultation, etc.

《方案》摘要：围绕“食、住、行、游、购、娱、医”等重点场景，持续完善“大额刷卡、小额扫码、现金兜底”的支付服务体系，方便入境外籍人员在豫消费。发挥郑州新郑国际机场境外来宾支付服务中心暨支付服务示范区作用，完善自动取款机支取人民币现金、协助下载和开通移动支付、引导货币兑换、受理支付咨询等服务。

Recently, when checking in at Mercure Hotel of Anyang World Trade Center, Lukas from the Republic of Lithuania quickly exchanged US dollar cash for RMB cash at the hotel's foreign currency exchange point. He praised, "It's so convenient to exchange RMB in the hotel!"

近日，立陶宛籍友人Lukas在安阳市世贸中心美居酒店办理入住时，用美元现钞在酒店外币代兑点快速兑换到了人民币现金，他连连称赞：“在酒店能兑到人民币，真方便！”

Payment service is one of the most basic financial services. and payment convenience is a key aspect of enhancing services for incoming foreign nationals. Such a scene is a microcosm of our province's financial system to better support the implementation of the 144-hour visa-free transit policies and facilitate foreigners' consumption in Henan.

支付服务是最基础的金融服务之一，支付便利是提升入境外籍人员服务的关键环节，这样的场景是我省金融系统更好支持144小时过境免签政策落实、便利外籍人员在豫消费的缩影。

According to the People's Bank of China Henan Branch, Henan province has adopted the overall approach of "large-amount card swiping, small-amount code scanning, and cash as a backup", our province focuses on key scenes such as "food, accommodation, transportation, travel, shopping, entertainment, and medical care", and takes the construction of key areas and major scenes as a breakthrough to comprehensively improve payment convenience. In the course of this work, further emphasis has been placed on "three key areas and one demonstration", namely, key cities, such as Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Anyang, etc., key areas, mainly for relevant convenient scenes such as catering, accommodation, scenic spots, shopping malls, etc., and key merchants, mainly for sorting out a list of merchants in 7 key areas across the province, identifying more than 10,000 key merchants, and covering 203 scenic spots of 4A-level and above, and 999 hotels, etc. At the same time, the construction of payment service demonstration areas is steadily progressing. This April, the Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport Foreign Guest Payment Service Center and Payment Service Demonstration Area was put into use, marking the official landing of the first batch of payment service demonstration areas in our province. The seven payment service demonstration areas, including Millenium City Park, Longmen Grottoes, Yinxu Ruins, Yuntaishan Global Geopark, etc., will lead and promote Henan province to optimize payment services with high quality and efficiency.

记者从中国人民银行河南省分行了解到，我省按照“大额刷卡、小额扫码、现金兜底”的总体思路，聚焦“食、住、行、游、购、娱、医”等重点场景，以重点地区、重点场景建设为突破，全面提升支付便利性。在工作开展中，进一步聚焦“三个重点、一个示范”，即聚焦重点城市，如郑州、开封、洛阳、安阳等；聚焦重点领域，关注餐饮、住宿、景区、商场等相关便民场景；聚焦重点商户，全省梳理出7个重点领域商户清单，确定超1万户重点商户，覆盖203家4A级及以上景区、999家酒店等。同时，支付服务示范区建设稳步开展，今年4月，郑州新郑国际机场境外来宾支付服务中心暨支付服务示范区启用，标志我省首批支付服务示范区正式落地。清明上河园、龙门石窟、殷墟、云台山等7个支付服务示范区，引领并带动全省优化支付服务高质高效推进。

In terms of foreign currency exchange, our province utilizes various channels such as bank branches and foreign currency exchange facilities to provide cash exchange services. At present, there are 2,566 bank outlets and 143 foreign currency exchange institutions in our province.

在外币兑换方面，我省综合运用银行网点、外币兑换设施等渠道提供现钞兑换服务，目前全省外币兑换服务银行网点达2566家，外币兑换机构达143家。

The head of the relevant department of the Henan Branch of the People's Bank of China said that they will further strengthen departmental coordination, consolidate work performance, effectively intensify policy support, accelerate the innovation pace of exchange institutions in business models and service methods, continuously improve payment convenience, and better serve the implementation of the 144-hour visa-free transit policies in our province. (Source/Henan Daily Translators/Hong Jianyuan and Tong Lin Proofreader/Wen Xiaomei)

中国人民银行河南省分行相关部门负责人表示，将进一步强化部门协同，夯实工作成效，有效强化政策支持，加快兑换机构在业务模式、服务方式等方面的创新步伐，持续提升支付便利性，更好服务144小时过境免签政策在我省落地实施。（中文来源/河南日报 编译/洪建园 童林 英文审校/温晓梅）