China 24, 72, and 144 hour Transit Without Visa ("TWOV") rules master thread
 

This post (previously a placeholder) is now a quick summary of the wikipost, which has grown somewhat lengthy over the past decade since we started the thread.

1. China allows nearly all people with internationally recognized passports to transit visa free for 24 hours and passport holders from the most common countries to transit for up to 144 hours (as long as they remain within certain zones)
2. In order to satisfy their definition of "transit", you need to arrive (on a plane, boat, train*, or bus*) directly from one country and depart directly to another. This means SFO-NRT-PVG-HKG-SFO is okay (NRT-PVG-HKG is all they look at), whereas SFO-NRT-PVG-NRT-YVR is not (they see this as Japan-China-Japan, so not a transit)
3. Use a TIMATIC web interface to determine the specific rules that apply to your case (e.g. if you input CAN as your entry point, you will learn where you can go during your visit and what departure points are permissible)
4. Upon arrival, be prepared to show the border control people proof of onward travel (e.g. nonstop flight to any country other than the country you came from; HK, Macau, and Taiwan are all different for this purpose) and proof of accommodation (a simple hotel reservation should suffice)
5. You might also want to save proof of #3 for airline check-in and/or border control, even though they presumably know the rules themselves

China Visa Free Transit / Transit Without Visa / TWOV Program Master Thread
 

I have a question about the technicality of "3rd country"... if I were to book DTW-NRT-PVG-DTW... could I say that I am coming from Japan to China en route to America? Technically that is the case.

Or will they say I am an American national, and regardless of which flight I took in to PVG, I can't use America as my 3rd country....

If this is the case, and that routing is not possible... can someone confirm that DTW-PVG-NRT-DTW is acceptable, as I will show proof that I am transiting to Tokyo within 72 hours and all should be cool, right?

The ONLY thing that matters is that you arrive nonstop from one country and depart nonstop to a third. Connections that take place outside of China are completely irrelevant insofar as TWOV is concerned.

So you're saying, as an American passport holder, DTW>NRT>PVG>DTW will be ok, as they only see it as NRT>PVG>DTW ?

Thanks for the quick response, you rock.

It's well within the rules and fine with the Chinese officials, but you might have trouble with DL letting you board, as I did with this routing, even after a several day stopover in Tokyo.

Be sure to bring TIMATIC printouts with you and allow lots of extra time for arguments.

Thanks! We ended up routing DTW>PVG>NRT>DTW... I think this will make it easier to convince Delta that PVG is a "transit" en route to Japan, even though it's 2 days in Shanghai and 1 day in Tokyo.

As advised, I printed out the TIMATIC screen showing the TWOV details, I contacted the China consulate in Chicago but they only will let you leave a voice mail and - shockingly - the mailbox is full.

I'm also hoping, perhaps naievely, that since DTW is their Asian hub and my home departure airport, they'll be a little more experienced with this.

I'll also be arriving PVG and departing SHA, but everything I read said that's ok. Someone shout if it's not :)

DL has mostly/entirely their own employees at DTW, which is sadly no longer the case in NRT post-merger. Thus I agree with your assessment that stopping at NRT on the return is likely to result in fewer problems. However, you play the price in the schedule: IMO it's much more pleasant to depart Shanghai late in the afternoon rather than in the morning so that passengers on the flight can catch the DL TPAC connections at NRT. Moreover, doing USA-PVG-NRT-USA allows you close to 72 hours in Shanghai, versus USA-PVG-NRT-USA, where you lose close to a day doing TWOV.

Hi everyone.. planning a trip LHR -> HKG -> PVG -> LHR. I don't have time to get a visa, to planning TWOV. Is my itinerary valid? I'll be stopping in HK for the day (arrive AM, leave PM) but will likely be on the same booking.

Thanks in advance!


Tom

I think it is valid the way you have it although if you can wait for others to chime in it is probably better for safety.
If you can switch it to LHR>PVG>HKG>LHR I would feel better about it although I may be wrong so wait for the experts before changing things?

Would you feel more comfortable if the HKG -> PVG flight was on a separate booking? I.e. I booked 3 separate tickets..?

I don't think you need to do that.

What I would be concerned with is that they don't let you board in LHR saying you don't have the proper visa.

HK is fine. It is considered a different country. You plan is ok.

Thanks JPDM and TRAVELSIG!

Hi guys,

I have the following ITIN: SFO-LAX-ORD-NRT (AA) NRT-PVG (JL on separate ticket) PVG-LAX-SFO (AA)

I hold a US passport. Does anyone know whether this a valid itinerary for TWOV in SHA? I'd like to spend a couple of days there on the way home. I'm pretty nervous about the NRT-PVG leg whether JL will let me board.

You're good to go.