Transfer at Beijing Capital Airport
Beijing Capital Airport has two terminals, with the buildings designated as Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
The original Terminal 1 has been incorporated into Terminal 2 after renovation.
Terminals 2 and 3 are completely separated from each other and the distance between them is approximately 3.5 km.
- Terminal 2 - the original Beijing Airport terminal, a compact and relatively small building with distances within a 10-minute walk.
- Terminal 3 - the new terminal, opened in 2008, is one of the largest in the world. It contains two satellite buildings, which can be reached from the main terminal by a free underground automatic train (running 24/7 at intervals of 3-5 minutes).
Which terminal?
Both terminals handle domestic flights within China and international flights abroad.
The terminals are divided by airline.
- Air Algerie - T2
- Air Astana - T2
- Air China - T3
- Air France - T2
- Air Koryo - T2
- Air Macau - T3
- All Nippon Airways - T3
- Asiana Airlines - T3
- Azerbaijan Airlines - T2
- Cathay Pacific - T3
- China Airlines - T3
- China Eastern Airlines - T2
- Delta - T2
- Egyptair - T3
- Emirates - T3
- Ethiopian Airlines - T3
- EVA Air - T3
- Grand China Air - T2
- Hainan Airlines - T2
- Hong Kong Airlines - T2
- Japan Airlines - T3
- Jeju Air - T2
- KLM - T2
- Korean Air - T2
- Kunming Airlines - T3
- Loong Air - T3
- LOT - T3
- Lucky Air - T2
- Lufthansa - T3
- Mahan Air - T2
- MIAT Mongolian - T3
- Pakistan International Airlines - T2
- Philippine Airlines -T3
- Shandong Airlines - T3
- Shenzhen Airlines - T3
- Sichuan Airlines - T2
- Singapore Airlines - T3
- SriLankan Airlines - T2
- Thai Airways - T3
- Tibet Airlines - T3
- Turkish Airlines - T3
- Turkmenistan Airlines - T2
- United - T3
- Uzbekistan Airways - T2
- Vietnam Airlines - T2
Transportation between terminals
Currently you can only move between terminals via the public section.
An airport shuttle bus connects the two buildings.
- Frequency - 10 minutes during the day, 15 minutes at night
- Travel time - 20 minutes
- Price - free
- Operating hours - 24/7
- Stop at Terminal 2 - at Gate 7
- Stop at Terminal 3 - at exit 5
Transfer between flights
Transferring at Beijing Airport is clear and easy if you don't need to change terminals.
The vast majority of guaranteed transfers (i.e. both flights are on the same booking) take place within the same terminal.
What checks do I go through when I change planes?
What are the exact procedures for each type of transfer?
- International -> International: security check
- International -> domestic: immigration and security check
- Domestic -> International: immigration and security check
- National -> national: no check
Do I have to leave the transit zone?
If you have luggage all the way to your destination or are travelling with hand luggage only, you do not need to leave the transit area.
Do I have to pick up my luggage?
If both flights are booked on the same reservation and you have less than 24 hours to transfer, you do not need to collect your baggage.
Do I need a visa for China?
You do not need to arrange a visa for China for an international transfer.
Visa-free entry for transfers up to 240 hours
Many airlines also offer long layovers of several days.
Beijing-Capital Airport is included in the visa-free entry program for up to a maximum of 240 hours.
Upon arrival, before passing through immigration, look for the special counter where these visa-free entries are processed.
Please note that if you transfer within 24 hours, the officer may refuse to issue a visa-free entry permit and you will therefore have to spend time in the transit zone.
For transfers over 24 hours, visa-free entry permits are always issued without any problems. However, you need to present your flight ticket from China and your accommodation reservation.
Free tour of Beijing
Trip.com travel agency organizes free tours of Beijing or the Great Wall for all international travelers.
Two tours are scheduled daily as part of the Beijing Express:
- 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tour of the Great Wall.
- 13:30-21:00 Tour of downtown Beijing
Conditions:
- Length of transfer - over 8 hours
- Tour length - 5.5 or 7.5 hours
- Tours start - 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- More information and online tour booking at trip.com/beijingexpress-halfdaylayovertour
The tour does not need to be booked in advance and the meeting point is in the International Arrivals Hall of Terminal 3 of Beijing-Capital PEK Airport near the "Manner Coffee" cafe.
Any questions left?
If you have any questions or comments about the article...
10 comments
Hello,
I found good tickets from Prague to Seoul with a change in Beijing. Arrival would be on T2 and departure from T3 with another airline. The transfer time is 5h 40min. We would buy the tickets separately with the respective companies. I suppose we would have to pick up the checked baggage and check it in again, so would the transfer time be sufficient? And if we don't end up with checked baggage, would it be possible to move to another terminal without having to leave the transit area?
Thank you
Hello,
I will have a stopover in Beijing on my way from Paris to Bangkok. The stopover will last 1h35. The airline for the whole flight is Air China. Is this enough?
Thank you for your feedback
Hello, any time within one booking is sufficient as long as the airline sells it that way.
You can make the connection in 95 minutes, the biggest queue is at security, but even there I've never waited more than 30 minutes.
Hey. Hey,
I just found out that on our way back from Bangkok, when we were supposed to fly via Beijing Beijing Capital Arpt, they cancelled our connecting flight and suggested we fly out in two days, so a 48 hour stopover in Beijing Capital. When I read the free Beijing tour, that would only be valid for us if we stayed at that airport the whole time, right? I don't know quite what to do, we would love the tour of course, but 2 days is plenty then. thanks
Hello everyone, I'm arriving from Munich to Beijing, capital T3, and I have a 1 hour 40 minute stopover to catch a domestic flight at the same terminal with the same airline. Isn't that too little time?
Hi, if you have both flights purchased as one booking, then that's enough time. Plus you are guaranteed that even if you miss the domestic flight, the airline will arrange the next flight free of charge.
what happens if i miss a connecting flight in peking . do i get a connecting flight for later?
This is not an airport issue, it's an airline issue. The airline has to take care of the passenger. Some airlines will put a passenger on a partner airline's flight, but Air China will only put a passenger on its own flights.
Thank you for the answer
Hello, we are travelling from Spain to Baiyun with a stopover in Beijing, the stopover is 2 hours, we arrive at T3 and leave through T3, is it necessary to take the suitcases? or do they travel directly to the destination? And when we arrive at Beijing airport, do we have to go through customs and immigration? is there enough time? can you tell us what is the exact process in the stopover? as we are going with an elderly person and we have little time in the stopover. Thank you
Everything is written at the top of the guide.
I had just changed from an international flight to a domestic flight on T2 with Hainan Airlines in Beijing and had to pick up and re-check my baggage.
A couple of flights back with Air China on T3 international to international, the luggage was automatically switched to the next flight.
Hello, I am transiting through Beijing from Taipei to Istanbul. While my flight from Taipei lands in T3, my departure flight departs from T2. I understand there is a shuttle service between these two terminals, but could you kindly advise if I need to apply for the Free Visa since I will be exiting the terminal or there is another simplified process in place?
We are flying to Beijing and then connecting to a flight to Tokyo. Do we need visas, considering that we may need to change terminals in Beijing?
No, you won't need a visa.
Does it depend on the passport they have!?!? https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/
Hello,
We will be stopping at T2 and we are interested in the Great Cinska with Trip.com...do we have to arrange a visum to T2 first and then move to T3 where is the meeting point?
Thanks for the info.
Honza.
Yes, you must first process your Visa Waiver, go through immigration and move to Terminal 3 on your own.
Thanks for the info 👌
Yes time enough just the terminals are chaotic and no one really tells you where to go. So, firstly, go to the exit and 24h free visa entry and then pick up your bags and take the free shuttle to the other terminal and check in again :)