May 2, 2014, 10:31 pm
Last edit by: moondog
Note: This thread pertains only to entering the People's Republic of China (PRC, mainland China) as a transit passenger. For information on obtaining regular PRC visas in advance of arrival, please see the China Visas Master Thread.
China offers multiple options to facilitate direct transits where you are flying from country A to country B, via China. The type of entry procedure varies depending on the city (or cities) you will transit, and the length of time you will spend in China.
The information in this wiki was last updated in August 2023.
Disclaimers/Warnings
This thread is based on currently available published information, supplemented by the experiences of actual travelers. A number of us are happy to review prospective itineraries, and can often identify red flags that might warrant attention. That having been said, complying with stated policy does not guarantee entry.
Transit Without Visa / Transit Without Visa (entry permit)
If you are visiting a single city in China, you will be offered a 24-hour transit without visa (TWOV). If you are visiting multiple cities within China you may be offered at 24-hour TWOV (entry permit). This latter category replaces the previous 'transit visa on arrival' which was offered briefly in 2018.
While TWOV is pretty much a guarantee, if your transit is less than 12 hours, and you don't need to go landside in order to pull it off (e.g. PEK T3 to T2 requires this), you might not be granted an entry permit, especially in the case of day time connections.
If you hold one of 53 passports, you may be eligible for a longer stay in China, either 72 hours or 144 hours. Admission to China will be an entry permit under the transit without visa program (TWOV).
In all cases, China must be a transit en route to a third country. Your immediate flight out of China cannot be back to the same country you flew into China from.
Restrictions and warnings
There are considerations and potential complexities with each of the entry methods above. These include:
Note: other 'visas on arrival' mentioned in TIMATIC are unlikely to ever be available to most passengers.
The main problem using TWOV is the potential for misunderstanding of the rules by airline check-in staff. Some airline staff believe a visa is mandatory for China, no exceptions. These misunderstandings are generally resolved at the airport, but you should allow plenty of time. In rare cases where passengers missed their flights, the airlines have provided full compensation (that is, they have acknowledged the rules and guidance on which this thread is based are correct and that their staff have erred).
Current known issues
NOTE 1: Effective end August 2017, 24 hour TWOV involving travel through CAN may be subject to restrictions. The situation is changing on a daily basis. Please check the last few posts of this thread for the latest information.
Direct international air-to-air connections are permitted at CAN. Uncertainty remains around whether you are able to leave the airport during longer transits. Passengers with passports only eligible for 24-hour TWOV may be required to remain within the transit area regardless of how long they are in transit. Passenger who would otherwise also be eligible for 72-hour TWOV may be able to leave the airport if their transit exceeds 8 hours (but is less than 24 hours). Passengers with less than 8 hours needing to collect bags in CAN to transfer airlines may not be permitted to enter China for the purpose of collecting bags and re-checking. You may be required to contact the operating airline of your onward flight to collect your bags on your behalf and re-tag them to your final destination.
NOTE 2: Effective February 2018, 24 hour TWOV involving travel through Shanghai may be subject to restriction. The rules are not clear and you should check the last few posts/pages of this thread for the latest information.
TWOV is still operational in Shanghai however new rules are supposedly in operation - at least at PVG - limiting the ability for passengers to enter China and leave the airport. Passengers with: (1) short stays (under four hours), (2) same-day transfers (more than four hours, but with an onward flight on the same day as arriving), (3) a transit within 24 hours but without confirmed hotel accommodation, and/or (4) who do not need to collect bags and recheck for their onward flight may all be affected. Passengers in any one of these categories may be directed to the transfer line with direct air-side transfer (not allowed to enter China/leave the airport).
NOTE 3: 24 hour TWOV is may not available to passengers travelling on the following passports: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. See the 24-hour TWOV section below for more details. The most recent version of TIMATIC appears to have lifted this exemption for all cities except XMN. But there are no recent reports to confirm this.
NOTE 4: passengers seeking TWOV in China who have previously visited Turkey (entry stamps) may be refused entry.
WARNING for passengers flying American Airlines (AA) on itineraries USA-China-USA: in cases where either your outbound or inbound to China has a short transit in a third country (for example LAX-xNRT-PVG-LAX, or LAX-PVG-xHKG-LAX), you may be denied boarding as AA will insist you need a Chinese visa. This is incorrect and AA have admitted liability in cases where boarding has been refused in these circumstances. Despite this there have been several recent reports where AA check-in staff do not interpret TIMATIC correctly and instead apply IATA ticketing rules (that is, that the intermediate transit must instead be a stopover of longer than 24 hours to make it count as a 'third country'). You are advised to arrive at your embarkation point with plenty of time in case this becomes an issue.
Key Points
To avail yourself of transit provisions, you MUST be travelling from country A, via China, to Country B (a 'third country').
-Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are treated as separate countries in this case (special provisions apply to Shenzhen, where travel to the SARs is not permitted for TWOV purposes)
-flights in your itinerary that don't involve China are completely irrelevant (e.g. if you are flying BOS-ORD-PEK-HKG-BOS, focus solely on ORD-PEK-HKG)
-some airline employees misunderstand TWOV procedures, so be prepared to advise them that China is the transit country
*in the event that the airline people at your small airport are clueless, focus on getting to the larger airport, and take matters up there
-print the following
*TIMATIC rules applicable to your situation (e.g. Japan-China-USA) link
*receipt for onward flight (from China)
*your China hotel reservation (this is not an official requirement, and you can stay anywhere you please after the fact, but having a hotel reservation in hand can speed things up)
-on arrival in your China POE, it helps to have your onward ticket and hotel reservations in hand
Overview
China offers four distinct opportunities for transit passengers to enter the PRC without a visa - a 24 hour TWOV (transit without visa, including a separate TWOV with attached entry permit), 72 hour TWOV and 144 hour TWOV
Which one you are eligible for depends on whether you have one or more stops in China, the city or cities you intend to visit, and the passport you travel on.
Note: special conditions apply for Urumqi (URC) – see below.
24-Hour TWOV
NOTE: please see warnings, restrictions, and 'current known issues' sections above for CAN, Shanghai, and passports excluded from using TWOV.
In circumstances where you are eligible for TWOV, the 24-hour period is measured from your first scheduled arrival into China, until your scheduled departure from China.
Note: special provisions apply to Urumqi (URC), where you are permitted to stay in transit for a maximum of 2 hours.
You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.
New rules became effective from September 2018. These rules govern when you can leave the airport, which cities offer TWOV, which routes restrict TWOV, and which nationalities are eligible.
These new rules are:
24-hour TWOV - entry permit (multiple stops allowed)
Passengers with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 24 hours can obtain an entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required for the next destination. When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep).
Excludes holders of BNO, Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) or Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) passports.
Exclusions: does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ). Does not apply to nationals of Syria transiting through Guangzhou (CAN). Does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN).
24-hour TWOV - other
Available to passengers with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.
Exclusions: this TWOV facility does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ) or to nationals of Syria through Guangzhou (CAN).
This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN).
This TWOV facility does not apply to holders of BNO, Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) or Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) passports (see below).
24-hour TWOV Hong Kong/Macao passport holders
Passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macau (SAR China) passport transiting through Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG) or Beijing (PEK) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport.
TWOV Urumqi (URC)
Passengers transiting through Urumqi (URC) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 2 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.
Exclusions: nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and Yemen.
Also excluded are holders of BNO, Republic of China (Chinese Taipei), Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) passports.
Note: eligible passport holders may also be able to obtain a 24-hour TWOV (with entry permit) if they have multiple stops within China in addition to Urumqi.
24 hour TWOV Shenzhen (new, September 2018)
Passengers transiting through Shenzhen (SZX) with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket within 24 hours to a third country can obtain an entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required for the next destination.
When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep)
Exclusions: does not apply when passengers are traveling to Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macao (SAR China).
72-Hour TWOV
72 Hour TWOV: available in selected cities, and only available if you fly non-stop into and out of China (no transits, ‘technical stops’ or connections are allowed inside China).
Passport holders from select countries are eligible for this scheme. Check your eligibility against the TIMATIC excerpt at the end of this wiki.
The number of cities offering 72 hour TWOV continues to expand slowly and the table below will be updated once cities appear in TIMATIC.
The 72 hour period is measured differently depending on which city you transit as outlined in the table below.
Caution: Most airline staff rely on TIMATIC to determine if you can board the aircraft. If the city you wish to fly to does not appear in TIMATIC, you may be refused boarding even if the city states it has officially launched 72-hour TWOV. Cities which fall into this category are listed separately in the table below.
Movements of travelers who qualify for 72-hour TWOV are restricted to the city/region of arrival. This limitation varies from city to city, but generally travelers are required to remain within about 100 miles of the arrival airport.
You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.
144-Hour TWOV
Commencing 30 January 2016 a number of cities, grouped in three areas, are offering 144-hour TWOV.
Passport holders from select countries are eligible for this scheme. Check your eligibility against the TIMATIC excerpt at the end of this wiki.
Similar to 72-hour TWOV, these cities will count the commencement time as 00:01 the day after you arrive.
These cities are:
Movements of travelers who qualify for 144-hour TWOV are more generous than those offered for 72-hour TWOV, allowing travel between the cities (and provinces) within each of the three separate areas participating in the 144-hour program (that is, you can arrive and/or depart from any city or terminal listed within areas 1, 2 or 3 outlined above). However, travel between the three grouped areas is not permitted and requires a regular visa (that is, you can not arrive in one of the areas and depart from any other than the area in which you arrived).
You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.
Other Important Considerations
• The TWOV rules apply primarily to air travel but 144-hour TWOV variants are extended to select rail and cruise ship terminals. See the respective sections of this wiki for full details. .
• Passengers must have confirmed onward tickets to a third country (not the PRC, and not the country from which they arrived).
• Except for 24 hour TWOV (with entry permit), passengers must fly non-stop to/from their destination in China using two different countries. For this context, the SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are considered third countries, as is Chinese Taipei/Taiwan/Republic of China/Taiwan Province.
• Duration of stop in third country is irrelevant (e.g., LAX-PVG-NRT-LAX is compliant, even if NRT stop is for only a few hours).
• Travelers making intermediate stops within China, even on the same flight number, are not eligible for 72/144-hour TWOV (the 24-hour TVOA rule is still valid). All major Chinese airlines have flights of this nature (e.g. CA via DLC/XMN/PVG/CTU, CZ via CAN/XMN, MU via KMG/PVG), so be sure to examine them before booking. Travellers can arrive and depart from different airports in different provinces within the same 144-hour TWOV areas.
• Proof of onward flights is required. Flights must be ticketed — reservations alone, without an actual ticket number, will not be sufficient. You may also be asked for proof of hotel booking(s) by immigration at your point of entry to China.
• Onward flight can be on a separate ticket.
• You do not need to be traveling on Chinese carriers for any part of your itinerary.
• Different airlines for inbound/outbound are permitted, even on separate tickets (example: arrive Cathay Pacific, depart Lufthansa is ok).
• Most TWOV problems will occur with the carrier at the country of departure due to airline employees' misunderstanding of the rules. To avoid issues, it is wise to have a copy of the current TIMATIC version of the rules, along with confirmed onward tickets
TIMATIC
Sometimes members request official PRC documentation of these rules, but documentation from TIMATIC is typically more useful, as it's the most up-to-date source, and the one the airlines actually rely upon. Below the asterisks, you can view a complete version of China visa free transit that was in effect when KVS last updated it in 2019. According to KVS, the full (i.e. for all conceivable combinations of nationality, origin, transit city, and destination) text is no longer provided;. This means, individual prospective travelers should make their own queries as their trips draw near and print out (or save to phone) the applicable text along with proof of accommodation and onward transportation.
Here are just a few sites (there are many others, and we don't know which ones are the closest to real time) that host TIMATIC interfaces:
https://www.united.com/en/us/timatic/
https://skyteam.traveldoc.aero/
https://www.emirates.com/english/pla...n_results.aspx
The TIMATIC text below is provided by KVS Tool and will only be updated when material changes to the TWOV rules are implemented. As such, travelers are advised to obtain a copy of the most recent TIMATIC data immediately before traveling. Besides KVS Tool and ExpertFlyer, some airline and alliance websites provide TIMATIC interfaces. Try this one: https://skyteam.traveldoc.aero/
IMPORTANT: When looking up China TWOV rules in TIMATIC, be sure to input China as the transit country, not the destination (e.g., origin = USA, destination = Hong Kong, transit country = China). If you don't have the patience to read the complete TIMATIC rules, which cover every contingency under the sun, we suggest using the following link:
https://www.emirates.com/english/pla...n_results.aspx
***************Hasn't been updated since 2019********************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** *******************
Source: [KVS Availability Tool 9.1.8/Diamond - TIMATIC: Country Information: Visa] (requires subscription)
China Forum Ambassadors: moondog----------anacapamalibu----------jiejie----------mnredfox
Transit Without Visa (TWOV) and Transit Without Visa (entry permit)
China offers multiple options to facilitate direct transits where you are flying from country A to country B, via China. The type of entry procedure varies depending on the city (or cities) you will transit, and the length of time you will spend in China.
The information in this wiki was last updated in August 2023.
Disclaimers/Warnings
This thread is based on currently available published information, supplemented by the experiences of actual travelers. A number of us are happy to review prospective itineraries, and can often identify red flags that might warrant attention. That having been said, complying with stated policy does not guarantee entry.
Transit Without Visa / Transit Without Visa (entry permit)
If you are visiting a single city in China, you will be offered a 24-hour transit without visa (TWOV). If you are visiting multiple cities within China you may be offered at 24-hour TWOV (entry permit). This latter category replaces the previous 'transit visa on arrival' which was offered briefly in 2018.
While TWOV is pretty much a guarantee, if your transit is less than 12 hours, and you don't need to go landside in order to pull it off (e.g. PEK T3 to T2 requires this), you might not be granted an entry permit, especially in the case of day time connections.
If you hold one of 53 passports, you may be eligible for a longer stay in China, either 72 hours or 144 hours. Admission to China will be an entry permit under the transit without visa program (TWOV).
In all cases, China must be a transit en route to a third country. Your immediate flight out of China cannot be back to the same country you flew into China from.
Restrictions and warnings
There are considerations and potential complexities with each of the entry methods above. These include:
- city specific restrictions, for example TWOV with entry permit may not be offered if you have a short stay in CAN or PVG (under 8 hours), or if you can't provide hotel reservations.
- restrictions based on your passport/nationality
- countries you may have previously visited (for example an entry stamp to Turkey may preclude you being offered TWOV)
- the time from which your stay is measured (either actual arrival time, or 00:01 the day after you arrive)
- the region you will be visiting (some regions are 72 hours, some 144 hours)
Note: other 'visas on arrival' mentioned in TIMATIC are unlikely to ever be available to most passengers.
The main problem using TWOV is the potential for misunderstanding of the rules by airline check-in staff. Some airline staff believe a visa is mandatory for China, no exceptions. These misunderstandings are generally resolved at the airport, but you should allow plenty of time. In rare cases where passengers missed their flights, the airlines have provided full compensation (that is, they have acknowledged the rules and guidance on which this thread is based are correct and that their staff have erred).
Current known issues
NOTE 1: Effective end August 2017, 24 hour TWOV involving travel through CAN may be subject to restrictions. The situation is changing on a daily basis. Please check the last few posts of this thread for the latest information.
Direct international air-to-air connections are permitted at CAN. Uncertainty remains around whether you are able to leave the airport during longer transits. Passengers with passports only eligible for 24-hour TWOV may be required to remain within the transit area regardless of how long they are in transit. Passenger who would otherwise also be eligible for 72-hour TWOV may be able to leave the airport if their transit exceeds 8 hours (but is less than 24 hours). Passengers with less than 8 hours needing to collect bags in CAN to transfer airlines may not be permitted to enter China for the purpose of collecting bags and re-checking. You may be required to contact the operating airline of your onward flight to collect your bags on your behalf and re-tag them to your final destination.
NOTE 2: Effective February 2018, 24 hour TWOV involving travel through Shanghai may be subject to restriction. The rules are not clear and you should check the last few posts/pages of this thread for the latest information.
TWOV is still operational in Shanghai however new rules are supposedly in operation - at least at PVG - limiting the ability for passengers to enter China and leave the airport. Passengers with: (1) short stays (under four hours), (2) same-day transfers (more than four hours, but with an onward flight on the same day as arriving), (3) a transit within 24 hours but without confirmed hotel accommodation, and/or (4) who do not need to collect bags and recheck for their onward flight may all be affected. Passengers in any one of these categories may be directed to the transfer line with direct air-side transfer (not allowed to enter China/leave the airport).
NOTE 3: 24 hour TWOV is may not available to passengers travelling on the following passports: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. See the 24-hour TWOV section below for more details. The most recent version of TIMATIC appears to have lifted this exemption for all cities except XMN. But there are no recent reports to confirm this.
NOTE 4: passengers seeking TWOV in China who have previously visited Turkey (entry stamps) may be refused entry.
WARNING for passengers flying American Airlines (AA) on itineraries USA-China-USA: in cases where either your outbound or inbound to China has a short transit in a third country (for example LAX-xNRT-PVG-LAX, or LAX-PVG-xHKG-LAX), you may be denied boarding as AA will insist you need a Chinese visa. This is incorrect and AA have admitted liability in cases where boarding has been refused in these circumstances. Despite this there have been several recent reports where AA check-in staff do not interpret TIMATIC correctly and instead apply IATA ticketing rules (that is, that the intermediate transit must instead be a stopover of longer than 24 hours to make it count as a 'third country'). You are advised to arrive at your embarkation point with plenty of time in case this becomes an issue.
Key Points
To avail yourself of transit provisions, you MUST be travelling from country A, via China, to Country B (a 'third country').
-Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are treated as separate countries in this case (special provisions apply to Shenzhen, where travel to the SARs is not permitted for TWOV purposes)
-flights in your itinerary that don't involve China are completely irrelevant (e.g. if you are flying BOS-ORD-PEK-HKG-BOS, focus solely on ORD-PEK-HKG)
-some airline employees misunderstand TWOV procedures, so be prepared to advise them that China is the transit country
*in the event that the airline people at your small airport are clueless, focus on getting to the larger airport, and take matters up there
-print the following
*TIMATIC rules applicable to your situation (e.g. Japan-China-USA) link
*receipt for onward flight (from China)
*your China hotel reservation (this is not an official requirement, and you can stay anywhere you please after the fact, but having a hotel reservation in hand can speed things up)
-on arrival in your China POE, it helps to have your onward ticket and hotel reservations in hand
Overview
China offers four distinct opportunities for transit passengers to enter the PRC without a visa - a 24 hour TWOV (transit without visa, including a separate TWOV with attached entry permit), 72 hour TWOV and 144 hour TWOV
Which one you are eligible for depends on whether you have one or more stops in China, the city or cities you intend to visit, and the passport you travel on.
Note: special conditions apply for Urumqi (URC) – see below.
24-Hour TWOV
NOTE: please see warnings, restrictions, and 'current known issues' sections above for CAN, Shanghai, and passports excluded from using TWOV.
In circumstances where you are eligible for TWOV, the 24-hour period is measured from your first scheduled arrival into China, until your scheduled departure from China.
Note: special provisions apply to Urumqi (URC), where you are permitted to stay in transit for a maximum of 2 hours.
You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.
New rules became effective from September 2018. These rules govern when you can leave the airport, which cities offer TWOV, which routes restrict TWOV, and which nationalities are eligible.
These new rules are:
24-hour TWOV - entry permit (multiple stops allowed)
Passengers with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 24 hours can obtain an entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required for the next destination. When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep).
Excludes holders of BNO, Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) or Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) passports.
Exclusions: does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ). Does not apply to nationals of Syria transiting through Guangzhou (CAN). Does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN).
24-hour TWOV - other
Available to passengers with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.
Exclusions: this TWOV facility does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ) or to nationals of Syria through Guangzhou (CAN).
This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN).
This TWOV facility does not apply to holders of BNO, Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) or Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) passports (see below).
24-hour TWOV Hong Kong/Macao passport holders
Passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macau (SAR China) passport transiting through Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG) or Beijing (PEK) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport.
TWOV Urumqi (URC)
Passengers transiting through Urumqi (URC) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 2 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.
Exclusions: nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and Yemen.
Also excluded are holders of BNO, Republic of China (Chinese Taipei), Hong Kong/Macao (SARs-China) passports.
Note: eligible passport holders may also be able to obtain a 24-hour TWOV (with entry permit) if they have multiple stops within China in addition to Urumqi.
24 hour TWOV Shenzhen (new, September 2018)
Passengers transiting through Shenzhen (SZX) with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket within 24 hours to a third country can obtain an entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required for the next destination.
When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep)
Exclusions: does not apply when passengers are traveling to Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macao (SAR China).
72-Hour TWOV
72 Hour TWOV: available in selected cities, and only available if you fly non-stop into and out of China (no transits, ‘technical stops’ or connections are allowed inside China).
Passport holders from select countries are eligible for this scheme. Check your eligibility against the TIMATIC excerpt at the end of this wiki.
The number of cities offering 72 hour TWOV continues to expand slowly and the table below will be updated once cities appear in TIMATIC.
The 72 hour period is measured differently depending on which city you transit as outlined in the table below.
Caution: Most airline staff rely on TIMATIC to determine if you can board the aircraft. If the city you wish to fly to does not appear in TIMATIC, you may be refused boarding even if the city states it has officially launched 72-hour TWOV. Cities which fall into this category are listed separately in the table below.
72-hour TWOV – time measured from 00:01 the day after you arrive
A number of cities count the commencement time for TWOV from 00:01 the day after you arrive.
These cities are: Changsha (CSX), Chengdu (CTU), Chongqing (CKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Qingdao (TAO), Wuhan (WUH), Xi'an (XIY) and Xiamen (XMN)
(note: Hangzhou (HGH), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Tianjin (TSN) (have now been moved to the 144-hour TWOV category)
72-hour TWOV – time based on scheduled arrival time
Other cities are 'up to' 72 hours based on the scheduled arrival time of your inbound flight. You must have a departure time no later than 72 hours from the time you were scheduled to land. (If your flight lands early the time is measured from the time the flight was scheduled to land.)
These cities are: Guilin (KWL), Kunming (KMG), Harbin (HRB)
Prospective cities offering 72-hour TWOV
Some cities may advertise the intended availability of 72-hour TWOV however they may not yet appear in TIMATIC. You may be refused boarding as airline staff will usually rely on TIMATIC in deciding whether you are eligible to fly to – and enter – China. These cities will be moved into the appropriate category above once they are in TIMATIC.
A number of cities count the commencement time for TWOV from 00:01 the day after you arrive.
These cities are: Changsha (CSX), Chengdu (CTU), Chongqing (CKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Qingdao (TAO), Wuhan (WUH), Xi'an (XIY) and Xiamen (XMN)
(note: Hangzhou (HGH), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Tianjin (TSN) (have now been moved to the 144-hour TWOV category)
72-hour TWOV – time based on scheduled arrival time
Other cities are 'up to' 72 hours based on the scheduled arrival time of your inbound flight. You must have a departure time no later than 72 hours from the time you were scheduled to land. (If your flight lands early the time is measured from the time the flight was scheduled to land.)
These cities are: Guilin (KWL), Kunming (KMG), Harbin (HRB)
Prospective cities offering 72-hour TWOV
Some cities may advertise the intended availability of 72-hour TWOV however they may not yet appear in TIMATIC. You may be refused boarding as airline staff will usually rely on TIMATIC in deciding whether you are eligible to fly to – and enter – China. These cities will be moved into the appropriate category above once they are in TIMATIC.
You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.
144-Hour TWOV
Commencing 30 January 2016 a number of cities, grouped in three areas, are offering 144-hour TWOV.
Passport holders from select countries are eligible for this scheme. Check your eligibility against the TIMATIC excerpt at the end of this wiki.
Similar to 72-hour TWOV, these cities will count the commencement time as 00:01 the day after you arrive.
These cities are:
- area 1: Hangzhou (HGH), Nanjing Lukou (NKG), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), Shanghai Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Wusongkou (Baoshan) International Cruise Terminal or Shanghai Railway Station
and
- area 2: Beijing (PEK), Tianjin (TSN), Shijiazhuang (SJW), Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port or Qinhuangdao Sea Port.
- area 3: Dalian (DLC) and Shenyang (SHE)
- area 4: Guangdong Province -- note: we will update this section after we get a chance to review the new sections in TIMATIC, which are a bit confusing, but the gist of it is that you can enter China in Guangdong by air (only CAN, SWA, and SZX), travel throughout the province during the course of 144 hours, and depart from a much longer list of airports and land borders, but you can't depart for HK or Macau if you arrive at SZX.
Movements of travelers who qualify for 144-hour TWOV are more generous than those offered for 72-hour TWOV, allowing travel between the cities (and provinces) within each of the three separate areas participating in the 144-hour program (that is, you can arrive and/or depart from any city or terminal listed within areas 1, 2 or 3 outlined above). However, travel between the three grouped areas is not permitted and requires a regular visa (that is, you can not arrive in one of the areas and depart from any other than the area in which you arrived).
You should also read the section 'other important considerations' below.
Other Important Considerations
• The TWOV rules apply primarily to air travel but 144-hour TWOV variants are extended to select rail and cruise ship terminals. See the respective sections of this wiki for full details. .
• Passengers must have confirmed onward tickets to a third country (not the PRC, and not the country from which they arrived).
• Except for 24 hour TWOV (with entry permit), passengers must fly non-stop to/from their destination in China using two different countries. For this context, the SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are considered third countries, as is Chinese Taipei/Taiwan/Republic of China/Taiwan Province.
• Duration of stop in third country is irrelevant (e.g., LAX-PVG-NRT-LAX is compliant, even if NRT stop is for only a few hours).
• Travelers making intermediate stops within China, even on the same flight number, are not eligible for 72/144-hour TWOV (the 24-hour TVOA rule is still valid). All major Chinese airlines have flights of this nature (e.g. CA via DLC/XMN/PVG/CTU, CZ via CAN/XMN, MU via KMG/PVG), so be sure to examine them before booking. Travellers can arrive and depart from different airports in different provinces within the same 144-hour TWOV areas.
• Proof of onward flights is required. Flights must be ticketed — reservations alone, without an actual ticket number, will not be sufficient. You may also be asked for proof of hotel booking(s) by immigration at your point of entry to China.
• Onward flight can be on a separate ticket.
• You do not need to be traveling on Chinese carriers for any part of your itinerary.
• Different airlines for inbound/outbound are permitted, even on separate tickets (example: arrive Cathay Pacific, depart Lufthansa is ok).
• Most TWOV problems will occur with the carrier at the country of departure due to airline employees' misunderstanding of the rules. To avoid issues, it is wise to have a copy of the current TIMATIC version of the rules, along with confirmed onward tickets
TIMATIC
Sometimes members request official PRC documentation of these rules, but documentation from TIMATIC is typically more useful, as it's the most up-to-date source, and the one the airlines actually rely upon. Below the asterisks, you can view a complete version of China visa free transit that was in effect when KVS last updated it in 2019. According to KVS, the full (i.e. for all conceivable combinations of nationality, origin, transit city, and destination) text is no longer provided;. This means, individual prospective travelers should make their own queries as their trips draw near and print out (or save to phone) the applicable text along with proof of accommodation and onward transportation.
Here are just a few sites (there are many others, and we don't know which ones are the closest to real time) that host TIMATIC interfaces:
https://www.united.com/en/us/timatic/
https://skyteam.traveldoc.aero/
https://www.emirates.com/english/pla...n_results.aspx
February 2016 addition by moondog: There are occasional reports of airline staff at outstations having difficulty with TIMATIC as a credible data source. Beijing bound passengers can contact Beijing Exit/Entry Inspection directly on:
http://www.bjbj.gov.cn/
+86 10 5609 5400
Wechat: bjbianjian
(best to use Chinese whether you call or message them)
http://www.bjbj.gov.cn/
+86 10 5609 5400
Wechat: bjbianjian
(best to use Chinese whether you call or message them)
IMPORTANT: When looking up China TWOV rules in TIMATIC, be sure to input China as the transit country, not the destination (e.g., origin = USA, destination = Hong Kong, transit country = China). If you don't have the patience to read the complete TIMATIC rules, which cover every contingency under the sun, we suggest using the following link:
https://www.emirates.com/english/pla...n_results.aspx
***************Hasn't been updated since 2019********************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** *******************
Source: [KVS Availability Tool 9.1.8/Diamond - TIMATIC: Country Information: Visa] (requires subscription)
Code:
[Visa Information] China (People's Rep.) (CN) [As of 29 Jul 2019] TWOV (Transit Without Visa): - Passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport transiting through Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG) or Beijing (PEK) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport transiting through Guangzhou (CAN), Shanghai (PVG) or Beijing (PEK) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers transiting through Urumqi (URC) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 2 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) - This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and Yemen. - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a British passport with nationality British National (Overseas)". - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) - This TWOV facility does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Shenzhen (SZX), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ). - This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Syria transiting through Guangzhou (CAN). - This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN). - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a British passport with nationality British National (Overseas)". - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 24 hours can obtain an entry permit on arrival. They must have documents required for the next destination. When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep.).(SEE NOTE 88975) - This TWOV facility does not apply at Shenzhen (SZX) when passengers are traveling to Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macao (SAR China). - This TWOV facility does not apply at Fuzhou (FOC), Huangshan (TXN), Mudanjiang (MDG), Urumqi (URC) and Yanji (YNJ). - This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Syria transiting through Guangzhou (CAN). - This TWOV facility does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Yemen transiting through Xiamen (XMN). - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a British passport with nationality British National (Overseas)". - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. - This TWOV facility does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates transiting through Changsha (CSX), Chongqing (CKG) or Xi'an (XIY) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 72 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen transiting through Changsha (CSX), Chongqing (CKG) or Xi'an (XIY) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 72 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates transiting through Guilin (KWL) or Harbin (HRB) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 72 hours. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen transiting through Guilin (KWL) or Harbin (HRB) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 72 hours. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Hangzhou (HGH), Nanjing (NKG), Shanghai: Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Wusongkou (Baoshan) International Cruise Terminal or Shanghai Railway Station; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Hangzhou (HGH), Nanjing (NKG), Shanghai: Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Wusongkou (Baoshan) International Cruise Terminal or Shanghai Railway Station; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Beijing (PEK), Tianjin (TSN), Shijiazhuang (SJW), Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port or Qinhuangdao Sea Port; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Beijing (PEK), Tianjin (TSN), Shijiazhuang (SJW), Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port or Qinhuangdao Sea Port; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following two airports: Dalian (DLC) or Shenyang (SHE); and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following two airports: Dalian (DLC) or Shenyang (SHE); and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates transiting through Chengdu (CTU) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination; and - stay in the administrative area of Chengdu Municipality. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen transiting through Chengdu (CTU) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination; and - stay in the administrative area of Chengdu Municipality. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates transiting through Kunming (KMG) or Wuhan (WUH) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen transiting through Kunming (KMG) or Wuhan (WUH) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from the same airport; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a confirmed onward air or cruise ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Qingdao (TAO) or Qingdao Port; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen with a confirmed onward air or cruise ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Qingdao (TAO) or Qingdao Port; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates transiting through Xiamen (XMN) with a confirmed onward air or cruise ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Xiamen (XMN), Xiamen International Cruise Center or Wutong Passenger Wharf; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen transiting through Xiamen (XMN) with a confirmed onward air or cruise ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at and depart from one of the following locations: Xiamen (XMN), Xiamen International Cruise Center or Wutong Passenger Wharf; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at one of the following airports: Guangzhou (CAN), Shantou (SWA) or Shenzhen (SZX); and - depart from one of the following locations: Guangzhou (CAN), Meixian (MXZ), Shantou (SWA), Shenzhen (SZX), Zhanjiang (ZHA), Dongguan Humen Sea Port, Dongguan Railway Port, Doumen Sea Port, Foshan Gaoming Sea Port, Foshan Railway Port, Guangzhou Sea Port, Guangzhou Tianhe Railway Port, Heshan Sea Port, Jiuzhou Sea Port, Jiangmen Sea Port, Lianhuashan Sea Port, Nansha Sea Port, Rongqi Sea Port, Shekou Sea Port, Shenzhen Airport Support Sea Port, Shenzhen Bay Port, Shenzhen Futian Port, Shenzhen Huanggang Port, Shenzhen Luohu Port, Shenzhen Shatoujiao Port, Shenzhen Wenjindu Port, Wanchai Sea Port, Wanshan Sea Port, Zhaoqing Railway Port, Zhongshan Sea Port, Zhuhai Gongbei Port or Zhuhai Hengqin Port; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen with a confirmed onward air, cruise or train ticket to a third country within 144 hours, starting from 00:01 on the day following the day of entry. They must: - arrive at one of the following airports: Guangzhou (CAN), Shantou (SWA) or Shenzhen (SZX); and - depart from one of the following locations: Guangzhou (CAN), Meixian (MXZ), Shantou (SWA), Shenzhen (SZX), Zhanjiang (ZHA), Dongguan Humen Sea Port, Dongguan Railway Port, Doumen Sea Port, Foshan Gaoming Sea Port, Foshan Railway Port, Guangzhou Sea Port, Guangzhou Tianhe Railway Port, Heshan Sea Port, Jiuzhou Sea Port, Jiangmen Sea Port, Lianhuashan Sea Port, Nansha Sea Port, Rongqi Sea Port, Shekou Sea Port, Shenzhen Airport Support Sea Port, Shenzhen Bay Port, Shenzhen Futian Port, Shenzhen Huanggang Port, Shenzhen Luohu Port, Shenzhen Shatoujiao Port, Shenzhen Wenjindu Port, Wanchai Sea Port, Wanshan Sea Port, Zhaoqing Railway Port, Zhongshan Sea Port, Zhuhai Gongbei Port or Zhuhai Hengqin Port; and - have documents required for the next destination. (SEE NOTE 88975) NOTE 88975: This TWOV facility does not apply when passengers arrive on a direct flight from USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. AND depart on a direct flight to USA, Guam or Northern Mariana Isl. (e.g. JFK - PVG - GUM). - Warning: All transiting passengers are subject to a check by immigration. Passengers in transit must hold passports or other documents accepted to enter China (People's Rep.). - Warning: For TWOV through Chengdu (CTU): before departure, a notification must be sent by the carrier to immigration at [email protected] . - Warning: For TWOV through Xiamen (XMN) for a maximum stay of 144 hours: before departure, a notification must be sent by the carrier to immigration. - Warning: For TWOV through Changsha (CSX) or Guilin (KWL) for a maximum stay of 72 hours: before departure, a notification must be sent by the carrier to immigration. - Warning: For TWOV through Dalian (DLC) or Shenzhen (SZX): before departure, a notification must be sent by the carrier to immigration. - Warning: When passengers have obtained an entry permit, they can have multiple transit stops within China (People's Rep.). Visa required. Visa Exemptions: - Nationals of China (People's Rep.). - Passengers with a China (People's Rep.) Travel Document (Lu Xing Zheng). - Passengers with a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (Hui Xiang Zheng, credit-card format) . - Nationals of China (People's Rep.) with a Travel Permit to and from Hong Kong and Macao when arriving from Hong Kong or Macao (SAR China). - Nationals of China (People's Rep.) with a Public Affairs Hong Kong and Macao Travel Permit when arriving from Hong Kong or Macao (SAR China). - Nationals of China (People's Rep.) with a China (People's Rep.) Travel Permit to and from Taiwan (Lu Bao Zheng). - Passengers with a China (People's Rep.) Exit and Entry Permit, with an endorsement to travel to China (People's Rep.). - Nationals of Mauritius for a maximum stay of 60 days. - Nationals of Bahamas, Barbados, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar and Tonga for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina and San Marino with a normal passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. - Nationals of Belarus, Serbia, Seychelles and United Arab Emirates with a normal passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Mongolia with a normal series E passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Japan and Singapore with a normal passport for a maximum stay of 15 days. - Nationals of Korea (Dem. People's Rep.) with a Passport For Official Trip". - Passengers with a British diplomatic passport. - Passengers with a British official passport containing a "Visa Exempted" label issued by China (People's Rep.). - Nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam , Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Guyana, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland (Rep.), Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Dem. Rep., Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Moldova (Rep.), Montenegro, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russian Fed., Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela and Viet Nam with a diplomatic passport. - Nationals of Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, North Macedonia (Rep.), Rwanda, San Marino, Switzerland and Uruguay with a diplomatic passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. - Nationals of Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden with a diplomatic passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE 70951) NOTE 70951: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days. - Nationals of Eritrea and Morocco with a diplomatic passport for a maximum stay of 60 days. - Nationals of Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Korea (Dem. People's Rep.), Korea (Rep.), Kuwait, Lesotho, Liberia, Mauritania, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe with a diplomatic passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Panama with a consular passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Ireland (Rep.) with an official passport if accompanying a Minister of the Irish government on an official visit. - Nationals of Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Jamaica, Lao People's Dem. Rep., Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Samoa, Serbia, Slovenia, Sudan, Thailand and Viet Nam with an official passport. - Nationals of North Macedonia (Rep.) and Uruguay with an official passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. - Nationals of Botswana, Cambodia, Dominica, Korea (Dem. People's Rep.), Korea (Rep.), Lesotho, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Zimbabwe with an official passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Guyana, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova (Rep.), Montenegro, Myanmar, Oman, Poland, Romania, Samoa, Slovakia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Venezuela with a service passport. - Nationals of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda and San Marino with a service passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. - Nationals of Algeria with a service passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE 70951) NOTE 70951: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days. - Nationals of Eritrea and Morocco with a service passport for a maximum stay of 60 days. - Nationals of Angola, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Israel, Kenya, Korea (Dem. People's Rep.), Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Philippines, Russian Fed., Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe with a service passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Jordan, Oman, Peru, Sudan and Turkey with a special passport. - Nationals of Bahrain with a special passport for a maximum stay of 90 days. - Nationals of Egypt, Kuwait, South Sudan and United Arab Emirates with a special passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Passengers with a residence permit issued by China (People's Rep.). - Chinese Taipei passengers with a multiple-entry Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng). [[TIRULES/R210]] - Chinese Taipei passengers with a single-entry Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) for a maximum stay of 3 months. [[TIRULES/R210]] - Passengers with an APEC Business Travel Card [[TIRULES/R35]] valid for travel to "CHN" for a maximum stay of 60 days. (SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206) The card is valid for the countries listed on the back of the card. NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. - Passengers with a Laissez-Passer issued by the European Union [[TIRGL/EEU]] for a maximum stay of 90 days. (SEE NOTE 70951) NOTE 70951: The maximum stay is granted within 180 days. - Passengers with a China (People's Rep.) Alien Permanent Identity Card. - Nationals of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova (Rep.), Russian Fed. and Turkmenistan traveling as a tourist as part of a tour group accompanied by a representative of a tour operator accredited in both China (People's Rep.) and Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova (Rep.), Russian Fed. or Turkmenistan for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Ukraine with a normal passport arriving at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 30 days. They must have: - a stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the National Tourism Administration of China; or - a confirmed hotel reservation and a return/onward ticket and present them at the travel agent counter in the arrival hall prior to immigration. - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen arriving at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 30 days. They must have: - a stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the National Tourism Administration of China; or - a confirmed hotel reservation and a return/onward ticket and present them at the travel agent counter in the arrival hall prior to immigration. - Nationals of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand with a normal passport arriving at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 30 days. They must have a stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the National Tourism Administration of China. The list or the letter must have been applied 24 hours prior to arrival. - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, USA and Ukraine with a normal passport arriving at Haikou (HAK) for a maximum stay of 30 days. They must have a stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the National Tourism Administration of China. - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen arriving at Haikou (HAK) for a maximum stay of 30 days. They must have a stamped name list or an invitation letter from a tourist agent registered in Hainan province and approved by the National Tourism Administration of China. - Nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Dem. Rep., Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam arriving at Guilin (KWL) and traveling as part of a tourist group (2 or more people) to Guilin for a maximum stay of 6 days. Tours must be organized by a travel agent registered in China (People's Rep.). - Tourists traveling in a group organized by a Chinese international tour operator or registered travel agency for a maximum stay of 6 days if: - arriving from Hong Kong or Macao to take a trip to the Zhujiang Delta in Guangdong province; and - arriving at/departing from Dongguan (DGM), Guangzhou (CAN), Huizhou (HUZ), Shantou (SWA), Shenzhen (SZX) or Zhuhai (ZUH); and - being a national of a country having diplomatic relations with China (People's Rep.). Merchant Seamen: - Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals of China (People's Rep.). - Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals of Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Japan, Mauritius, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Tonga and United Arab Emirates. - Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals of Poland with a seaman book issued by Poland. - Visa required, except for Merchant Seamen who are nationals of Ukraine with a seaman book issued by Ukraine. Crew Members: - Visa not required for nationals of: - United Arab Emirates when traveling on Emirates Airlines. - Luxembourg. - Visa is not required for crew members of airlines that have an agreement with the government of China (People's Rep.) exempting crew members. - Crew Members holding a C visa must travel on duty. Deadheading crew are allowed to enter China (People's Rep.) to operate commercial/cargo flights out of China (People's Rep.), if holding: - a passport, and - China "C" visa, and - a company ID, and - proof of the purpose of travel and trip itinerary, such as a general declaration (GENDEC) or company letter which has been submitted to China Inspection and Quarantine. Military: - Same regulations as for passengers apply. Visa Issuance: - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Beijing (PEK), Chengdu (CTU), Fuzhou (FOC), Guilin (KWL), Haikou (HAK), Jinan (TNA), Ningbo (NGB), Qingdao (TAO), Sanya (SYX), Shenyang (SHE), Shenzhen (SZX), Wuhan (WUH), Wuxi (WUX), Xi An (XIY) and Xiamen (XMN) for a maximum stay of 3 months. They must have 2 passport photos. - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Changchun (CGQ), Changzhou (CZX), Chongqing (CKG), Dalian (DLC), Guiyang (KWE), Hailar (HLD), Harbin (HRB), Hefei (HFE), Huangshan (TXN), Kunming (KMG), Nanchang (KHN), Nanning (NNG), Quanzhou (JJN), Taiyuan (TYN), Tianjin (TSN) , Urumqi (URC), Weihai (WEH), Xining (XNN), Xuzhou (XUZ), Yancheng (YNZ), Yanji (YNJ), Yantai (YNT), Yinchuan (INC) and Zhangjiajie (DYG) for a maximum stay of 3 months. They must have 2 passport photos. - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Shanghai: Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG) for a maximum stay of 3 months. The passenger must have never applied for a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) or the passenger must have an expired Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng). They must have 2 passport photos. - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Hangzhou (HGH) and Nanjing (NKG) for a maximum stay of 3 months. They must have 2 passport photos. - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Guangzhou (CAN) for a maximum stay of 3 months. The passenger must - have never applied for a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) and have 2 passport photos; or - have an expired Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (Tai Bao Zheng) and have 2 passport photos. The visa on arrival facility is available from 09:00 until 22:30 and the carrier must obtain a pre-clearance after informing immigration authorities. - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Zhengzhou (CGO) for a maximum stay of 3 months. They must have 2 passport photos. The passenger must not arrive on a direct flight from Chinese Taipei. Before departure, notification must be sent by the carrier to CGO immigration. - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Wenzhou (WNZ) for a maximum stay of 3 months. They must have 2 photos and carriers must notify the WNZ immigration office before departure. - Passengers with a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) and a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Changsha (CSX) for a maximum stay of 3 months. They must have 2 photos and carriers must send a telex notification and a filled application form to the CSX immigration office before departure. - Passengers with a Port Visa Notification can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days. - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Ukraine with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Haikou (HAK) for a maximum stay of 15 days. They must have a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival and 2 passport photos. Payable in cash and local currency only. - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen can obtain a visa on arrival at Haikou (HAK) for a maximum stay of 15 days. They must have a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival and 2 passport photos. Payable in cash and local currency only. - Nationals of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Rep.), Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Fed., Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Ukraine with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 15 days. They must have: - a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival; and - 2 passport photos; and - a hotel reservation; and - an invitation letter from Tourist Agency or other corporations/organizers/sponsors; and - contact information from a local person; and - documents that prove the purpose of visit. Payable in cash only. Local currency or US Dollars are accepted. Carriers must notify the SYX immigration office before departure. - Nationals of Korea (Rep.) with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 15 days. Their personal number on the bio-date page does not start with 125 or 225. They must have: - a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival; and - 2 passport photos; and - a hotel reservation; and - an invitation letter from Tourist Agency or other corporations/organizers/sponsors; and - contact information from a local person; and - documents that prove the purpose of visit. Payable in cash only. Local currency or U.S dollar are accepted. Carriers must notify the SYX immigration office before departure. - Passengers with a British passport with nationality British Citizen can obtain a visa on arrival at Sanya (SYX) for a maximum stay of 15 days. They must have: - a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival; and - 2 passport photos; and - a hotel reservation; and - an invitation letter from Tourist Agency or other corporations/organizers/sponsors; and - contact information from a local person; and - documents that prove the purpose of visit. Payable in cash only. Local currency or US dollar are accepted. Carriers must notify the SYX immigration office before departure. - Passengers with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Beijing (PEK) for a maximum stay of 3 months if they have confirmation that a visa has been approved before departure. The airline must fax all documents to the station manager prior to arrival and the passenger must - have a confirmation from the Immigration authorities that the visa will be issued on arrival; and - passport contains at least 1 blank visa page for the sticker-type visa; and - have 2 passport photos and a letter of invitation issued by the Chinese authorities or by a sponsor (approved by Chinese authorities), who must meet passenger on arrival. They can apply to extend their stay up to 6 months with an Immigration judge (if coming on business purposes) (SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206) NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. - Passengers with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Chengdu (CTU), Shanghai (Hongqiao (SHA) or Pudong (PVG) for a maximum stay of 1 month if they have confirmation that a visa has been approved before departure. The passenger must: - have a letter of invitation issued by the Chinese authorities, confirmation from the Immigration authorities that the visa will be issued on arrival, 2 passport photos and a confirmed return/onward ticket; and - passport contains at least one blank visa page; and - a sponsor (approved by Chinese authorities) meets passenger on arrival. (SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206) NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. - Passengers with a normal passport can obtain a visa on arrival at Fuzhou (FOC) or Xiamen (XMN) for a maximum stay of 1 month if they have confirmation that a visa has been approved before departure. The passenger must - have a letter of invitation issued by the Chinese authorities, confirmation from the Immigration authorities that the visa will be issued on arrival, 2 passport photos and a confirmed return/onward ticket; and - passport contains at least 1 blank visa page; and - a sponsor (approved by Chinese authorities) meets passenger on arrival. (SEE NOTE 2558) (SEE NOTE 2565) (SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206) NOTE 2558: Facility not applicable to: - nationals of Afghanistan, France, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and USA; - stateless persons and refugees. NOTE 2565: Facility not applicable to: - nationals of Canada, Israel, Korea (Rep.), South Africa and Vatican City (Holy See); - holders of British passports. NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. - Passengers who are part of tourist groups of travel agencies belonging to the Zhejiang Province can obtain a visa on arrival at Hangzhou (HGH) for a maximum stay of 1 month. (SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206) NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. - Passengers with a normal passport arriving at Chongqing (CKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Guilin (KWL), Haikou (HAK), Kunming (KMG), Qingdao (TAO), Sanya (SYX), Shenzhen (SZX), Weihai (WEH), Xi An (XIY) and Yantai (YNT) can obtain a visa on arrival if they have confirmation that a visa has been approved before departure and: - that a visa will be issued on arrival; and - passport contains at least 1 blank visa page for the sticker-type visa; and - a sponsor (approved by Chinese authorities) meets passenger on arrival. They can apply to extend their stay. (SEE NOTE 2558) (SEE NOTE 2568) (SEE NOTE 46798) (SEE NOTE 74203) (SEE NOTE 74206) NOTE 2558: Facility not applicable to: - nationals of Afghanistan, France, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and USA; - stateless persons and refugees. NOTE 2568: Passengers with a British passport are required to hold a letter of invitation by the Chinese authorities and 1 passport photo. NOTE 46798: This does not apply to passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport. NOTE 74203: This does not apply to passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) passport. NOTE 74206: This does not apply to passengers with a Macao (SAR China) passport. - Passengers with a Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China Taiwan) passport and a national ID card issued by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan Identity Card) can obtain a transit visa at Beijing (PEK), Changchun (CGQ), Changsha (CSX), Changzhou (CZX), Chengdu (CTU), Chongqing (CKG), Dalian (DLC), Fuzhou (FOC), Guangzhou (CAN), Guilin (KWL), Guiyang (KWE), Haikou (HAK), Hailar (HLD), Hangzhou (HGH), Harbin (HRB), Hefei (HFE), Huangshan (TXN), Jinan (TNA), Kunming (KMG), Nanchang (KHN), Nanjing (NKG), Nanning (NNG), Ningbo (NGB), Qingdao (TAO), Quanzhou (JJN), Sanya (SYX), Shanghai: Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG), Shenyang (SHE), Shenzhen (SZX), Taiyuan (TYN), Tianjin (TSN) , Urumqi (URC), Weihai (WEH), Wenzhou (WNZ), Wuhan (WUH), Wuxi (WUX), Xiamen (XMN) Xi An (XIY), Xining (XNN), Xuzhou (XUZ), Yancheng (YNZ), Yanji (YNJ), Yantai (YNT), Yinchuan (INC), Zhangjiajie (DYG) and Zhengzhou (CGO) for a maximum of 3 months. They must have 2 passport photos. Additional Information: - Extension of stay possible for holders of normal passports issued to nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Japan and Singapore by applying for a visa at an Exit & Entry Administration Ministry of Public Security Office. - Valid visas or resident permits in expired passports are accepted if holding a new valid passport of the same nationality. The personal information on both passports must be the same. - When a visa is used, a round entry stamp is placed in the passport (i.e. a used single entry visa contains one round entry stamp, a used double entry visa contains two round entry stamps). - Passengers traveling to Tibet must hold a special Tibet Entry Permit. Minors: - An individual visa is not required for children traveling on the passport of a parent or guardian, if their name is endorsed in the visa of the passport holder. Warning: - Nationals of Afghanistan and Iraq with a service passport must hold a visa issued in their home country. If visa is issued in a third country, a residence permit or working permit is also required. - Nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey with a normal passport must hold a visa issued in their home country. If visa is issued in a third country, a residence permit or working permit is also required. - Holders of normal passports issued to nationals of Sri Lanka must hold a visa issued in their home country. If visa is issued in a third country, a residence permit or working permit is also required. - Stamped residence permits are not valid for entry. - Visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused entry.
China Forum Ambassadors: moondog----------anacapamalibu----------jiejie----------mnredfox
China 24, 72, and 144 hour Transit Without Visa ("TWOV") rules master thread
Aug 28, 2016, 10:58 pm
#2326
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
Duplicate
Aug 29, 2016, 10:40 am
#2327
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 353
The chinese airlines mention this on their websites when you wanna book a flight (but just in german).
Aug 30, 2016, 5:51 am
#2328
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: FlyingBlue (Platinum); AA (Executive Plat); BAEC (Silver), SPG (Platinum); Hilton (Diamond)
Posts: 698
Advice Appreciated
All,
Would appreciate your thoughts/solutions on the following. I'm having issues getting a Chinese visa issued in the Netherlands (US expat living here) due to what I'm being told are temporary restrictions in place due to the G20 summit (they've refused to accept my passport because it was issued after 1 January 2014 and I don't have my old passport with me). While I am hopeful I can reapply next week once the G20 is over, they weren't able to produce any written policy so I could confirm how long this would last...they literally told me the only way one would know about this was to visit the visa center and to be told and then told me I should "try to come back after 8 September".
Anyhow, as a back-up plan (given I've got non-refundable tickets booked now) I was hoping to apply for the 144 hour TWOV visa. My current Itinerary is booked on Cathay AMS-HKG-PVG (7 day stay) PVG-HKG-AMS which obviously doesn't qualify for the TWOV. I'm wondering if I can book myself a short overnight to Macau (or another destination if there are suggestions) just before I take my return flight home. Would this work? Itinerary would look something like the following:
AMS-HKG-PVG (6 day stay in Shangahai)
PVG-MFM (1 night stay in Macau)
MFM-PVG-HKG-AMS (return home with approx 4 hour layover in PVG)
PVG-MFM-PVG would be on a separate carrier.
My main questions:
1) Is this technically within the TWOV rules?
2) Even if it is technically within the rules, how likely am I to encounter issues boarding with Cathay? Amsterdam is a major international airport and I would imagine Cathay would have agents as experience as possible in this sort of thing, but unsure what others think. Anything I should have other than the TIMATIC and confirmed ticket to Macau?
4) How likely am I to encounter issues on arrival in Shanghai? Anything I should be sure to have other than my confirmed ticket and hotel reservation for Macau?
3) Any suggestions on locations I might overnight other than Macau (looks like I can get a roundtrip for about $200 USD).
4) Anyone have any experience pleading with Cathay for some flexibility due to visa issues? I would love to not return back to PVG from Macau and just hop over to HKG and catch my direct flight home...but as you know this technically would be a change in ticket (which isn't allowed for my ticket type).
Many thanks for any thoughts.
Would appreciate your thoughts/solutions on the following. I'm having issues getting a Chinese visa issued in the Netherlands (US expat living here) due to what I'm being told are temporary restrictions in place due to the G20 summit (they've refused to accept my passport because it was issued after 1 January 2014 and I don't have my old passport with me). While I am hopeful I can reapply next week once the G20 is over, they weren't able to produce any written policy so I could confirm how long this would last...they literally told me the only way one would know about this was to visit the visa center and to be told and then told me I should "try to come back after 8 September".
Anyhow, as a back-up plan (given I've got non-refundable tickets booked now) I was hoping to apply for the 144 hour TWOV visa. My current Itinerary is booked on Cathay AMS-HKG-PVG (7 day stay) PVG-HKG-AMS which obviously doesn't qualify for the TWOV. I'm wondering if I can book myself a short overnight to Macau (or another destination if there are suggestions) just before I take my return flight home. Would this work? Itinerary would look something like the following:
AMS-HKG-PVG (6 day stay in Shangahai)
PVG-MFM (1 night stay in Macau)
MFM-PVG-HKG-AMS (return home with approx 4 hour layover in PVG)
PVG-MFM-PVG would be on a separate carrier.
My main questions:
1) Is this technically within the TWOV rules?
2) Even if it is technically within the rules, how likely am I to encounter issues boarding with Cathay? Amsterdam is a major international airport and I would imagine Cathay would have agents as experience as possible in this sort of thing, but unsure what others think. Anything I should have other than the TIMATIC and confirmed ticket to Macau?
4) How likely am I to encounter issues on arrival in Shanghai? Anything I should be sure to have other than my confirmed ticket and hotel reservation for Macau?
3) Any suggestions on locations I might overnight other than Macau (looks like I can get a roundtrip for about $200 USD).
4) Anyone have any experience pleading with Cathay for some flexibility due to visa issues? I would love to not return back to PVG from Macau and just hop over to HKG and catch my direct flight home...but as you know this technically would be a change in ticket (which isn't allowed for my ticket type).
Many thanks for any thoughts.
Aug 30, 2016, 6:47 am
#2329
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
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Anyhow, as a back-up plan (given I've got non-refundable tickets booked now) I was hoping to apply for the 144 hour TWOV visa. My current Itinerary is booked on Cathay AMS-HKG-PVG (7 day stay) PVG-HKG-AMS which obviously doesn't qualify for the TWOV. I'm wondering if I can book myself a short overnight to Macau (or another destination if there are suggestions) just before I take my return flight home. Would this work? Itinerary would look something like the following:
AMS-HKG-PVG (6 day stay in Shangahai)
PVG-MFM (1 night stay in Macau)
MFM-PVG-HKG-AMS (return home with approx 4 hour layover in PVG)
PVG-MFM-PVG would be on a separate carrier.
My main questions:
1) Is this technically within the TWOV rules?
2) Even if it is technically within the rules, how likely am I to encounter issues boarding with Cathay? Amsterdam is a major international airport and I would imagine Cathay would have agents as experience as possible in this sort of thing, but unsure what others think. Anything I should have other than the TIMATIC and confirmed ticket to Macau?
4) How likely am I to encounter issues on arrival in Shanghai? Anything I should be sure to have other than my confirmed ticket and hotel reservation for Macau?
AMS-HKG-PVG (6 day stay in Shangahai)
PVG-MFM (1 night stay in Macau)
MFM-PVG-HKG-AMS (return home with approx 4 hour layover in PVG)
PVG-MFM-PVG would be on a separate carrier.
My main questions:
1) Is this technically within the TWOV rules?
2) Even if it is technically within the rules, how likely am I to encounter issues boarding with Cathay? Amsterdam is a major international airport and I would imagine Cathay would have agents as experience as possible in this sort of thing, but unsure what others think. Anything I should have other than the TIMATIC and confirmed ticket to Macau?
4) How likely am I to encounter issues on arrival in Shanghai? Anything I should be sure to have other than my confirmed ticket and hotel reservation for Macau?
HKG-PVG-MFM and then MFM-PVG-HKG. In both cases China is the transit point and therefore eligible.
Chinese authorities will give you no problem. On landing at PVG you will show them your onward ticket to MFM, and in reverse, your onward ticket to HKG. No need to show accommodation in Macau. Back-to-back TWOV is allowed and won't even raise an eyebrow.
You must however take the side trip to MFM (or another country).
You shouldn't have any problems boarding with CX in Amsterdam. Arrive a little early just in case. They can always call their counterparts in HKG if they need to.
Pleading your case to change the ticket is something you'll need to ask with CX. Can't hurt. But if they say 'no' there might not be a lot you can do.
Aug 30, 2016, 6:48 am
#2330
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1) Not even just technically, it's totally within the rules. China see HKG-PVG-MFM for 144 hours transit and MFM-PVG-HKG for 24 hours transit.
2) I'm sure once you explained the nested trip, Cathay would be fine. It could take some time for them to understand, so be at checkin early.
3) Korea (especially Jeju), Japan, Taiwan might also work with a similar flight time. $200 isn't a bad price though.
4) Ultimately the only way you'll figure out Cathay's response is to ask.
2) I'm sure once you explained the nested trip, Cathay would be fine. It could take some time for them to understand, so be at checkin early.
3) Korea (especially Jeju), Japan, Taiwan might also work with a similar flight time. $200 isn't a bad price though.
4) Ultimately the only way you'll figure out Cathay's response is to ask.
Aug 30, 2016, 7:12 am
#2331
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
All,
Would appreciate your thoughts/solutions on the following. I'm having issues getting a Chinese visa issued in the Netherlands (US expat living here) due to what I'm being told are temporary restrictions in place due to the G20 summit (they've refused to accept my passport because it was issued after 1 January 2014 and I don't have my old passport with me). While I am hopeful I can reapply next week once the G20 is over, they weren't able to produce any written policy so I could confirm how long this would last...they literally told me the only way one would know about this was to visit the visa center and to be told and then told me I should "try to come back after 8 September".
<snip>
Would appreciate your thoughts/solutions on the following. I'm having issues getting a Chinese visa issued in the Netherlands (US expat living here) due to what I'm being told are temporary restrictions in place due to the G20 summit (they've refused to accept my passport because it was issued after 1 January 2014 and I don't have my old passport with me). While I am hopeful I can reapply next week once the G20 is over, they weren't able to produce any written policy so I could confirm how long this would last...they literally told me the only way one would know about this was to visit the visa center and to be told and then told me I should "try to come back after 8 September".
<snip>
I agree with the others that your current plan is solid, however, I'm not sure Macau would be first choice, partly because of distance and partly because hotels in Macau are expensive and should be figured into the cost of the jaunt. I was also going to suggest Taipei (maybe Jeju) since they are closer and you could turnaround faster--technically you don't even need to stay overnight in the other location though the lowest cost fares' timing may dictate an overnight rather than a same-day turn. I know you can get PVG-TPE-PVG tickets for about USD 200 all-in on Spring Airlines, if they have seats for your dates. Shanghai Airlines might have a decent deal also.
Aug 30, 2016, 10:37 am
#2332
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Posts: 698
Thanks everyone for the quick responses. At least I have some comfort in knowing I have an option if I can't sort out a visa in time for my trip on the 16th.
One further question - given it appears a nested trip to Taipei, Jeju or Macau is a fully legitimate option, would it be safe to do a same-day return? That's the implication from your responses (no need to stay overnight and back-to-back TWOV is allowed and won't raise an eyebrow) but just wanted to triple check.
One further question - given it appears a nested trip to Taipei, Jeju or Macau is a fully legitimate option, would it be safe to do a same-day return? That's the implication from your responses (no need to stay overnight and back-to-back TWOV is allowed and won't raise an eyebrow) but just wanted to triple check.
Aug 30, 2016, 11:44 am
#2333
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA EXP 6MM, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 265
Yes, additional application hassles are in effect worldwide because of the upcoming G20, including wanting to see the previous passport if yours was issued after January 1, 2014. However, I have heard from multiple places that September 15 may be when things go back to normal. There is no written policy nor will there be on lifting of restrictions. If your travels are in September and you cannot wait out for a more favorable visa application period, then I think you are wise to craft a Plan B that revolves around a valid TWOV itinerary.
Aug 30, 2016, 1:42 pm
#2334
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 244
It does only show once you selected the flights in the booking flow that "this itinerary does not qualify for 72 hours transit visa exemption", which is obvious since you transit through 2 different airports, but it doesn't tell you that it does not qualify for the 24 hours. If you know where I can find this info, feel free to share the link. The website does not give any transfer information at all for Changsha or Shenzhen, only for a couple of other airports, so I think it's quite unusual to transit there.
I will see what the visa application center says and also consult the airline and if all goes wrong ask them if they can reroute my via Changsha and CAN to SYD instead of via Changsha and Shenzhen, I have no high hopes, but better give it a try before getting a visa anyway...
This Shenzhen exception is really strange, especially that now also Air China is serving Shenzhen directly from FRA, and I can imagine that is the reason. Maybe the want to avoid that people then leave the country to HK by travelling to Shenzhen without visa or so...
Aug 30, 2016, 2:21 pm
#2335
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
Jiejie's hypothesis makes more sense to me.
Aug 30, 2016, 7:31 pm
#2336
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
Thanks everyone for the quick responses. At least I have some comfort in knowing I have an option if I can't sort out a visa in time for my trip on the 16th.
One further question - given it appears a nested trip to Taipei, Jeju or Macau is a fully legitimate option, would it be safe to do a same-day return? That's the implication from your responses (no need to stay overnight and back-to-back TWOV is allowed and won't raise an eyebrow) but just wanted to triple check.
One further question - given it appears a nested trip to Taipei, Jeju or Macau is a fully legitimate option, would it be safe to do a same-day return? That's the implication from your responses (no need to stay overnight and back-to-back TWOV is allowed and won't raise an eyebrow) but just wanted to triple check.
Aug 30, 2016, 7:39 pm
#2337
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Yes, you can do a same-day return. It might raise eyebrows but it is not against the rules. Understand that for the nested, you aren't going to stay airside for a transfer at the nested destination--you need to go completely through Entry Immigration and Customs upon arrival then Exit Immigration when you leave.
Aug 31, 2016, 1:04 am
#2338
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,454
I had a problem with nested tickets at ICN, customs couldn't understand I needed to enter, check-in, and then depart again a couple hours later. Four officers came to question me and search my bags. Took about 30 minutes. Just a 'heads-up' that an immediate turn (in Korea) might be tight on timing if they decide they don't like your travel plans for whatever reason.
That said, you probably could travel light on this flights anyway, leaving your bags in China in safety (either in the hotel, or at the airport left luggage counter etc.) so no need to get to a checkin counter after having done online-checkin already, and having a bit more time to spare.
Aug 31, 2016, 7:40 am
#2339
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
Whether you do a same-day turn or just an overnight, definitely leave all your luggage in Shanghai (at your hotel or at Left Luggage at the airport) and take just a minimum as a carryon--briefcase or daypack. If anybody at the destination airport gets confused and asks, the truth (that this is needed to fit China's TWOV requirements) isn't a bad option. Or if the turnaround is several hours, the excuse of "a friend wanted me to pick up some genuine kimchi" (or whatever the appropriate cultural souvenir item may be for that location) is usable.
Aug 31, 2016, 8:21 am
#2340
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,622
I just arrived in Xi'an. My itinerary is BKK-XIY-ICN-FUK.
Here was my experience.
On checking in with Shenzhen Airlines in Bangkok, the check in lady of course asked if I had a visa for China. I told her I would transit in Xi'an for under 72 hours. She went to talk to her supervisor. After 5-10 minutes of them talking and looking at the computer, the supervisor came over to me and told me that transit without visa was not allowed in some cities but not Xi'an. I told her that it was. She checked again and agreed.
I found that to be really odd because Shenzhen is a Chinese airline and they fly daily flights to Xi'an from Bangkok.
Anyway, I arrive in Xi'an. Hand over my paperwork, tell them I want to transit without visa. I am directed to stand off to the side while 5-10 people look a my paperwork, which consisted of boarding pass, landing card, one page Korean airlines printout of flight to Seoul, and passport.
I ended up standing there for about an hour. Two other tourists were also standing off to the side for about the same length of time. Multiple people kept looking at my Korean Airlines flight confirmation like it was printed in hieroglyphics. I believe they called Korean Air to confirm that I'm really booked on the flight.
They asked for a printout of my hotel confirmation at Hilton Xi'an, I didn't have that but showed them confirmation on my phone. They asked for the Hilton Xi'an phone number, a contact person there, and my USA phone number which they said they needed so they could call me in three days presumably if I didn't leave.
Eventually we were allowed to sit down as the checking and staring at documents and looking at computers continued. It was pretty bizarre, the process took over an hour, with multiple officers working on it who didn't appear to be working on anything else. Then finally they stamped me in and let me go.
Anyway, if you are doing TWOV in Xi'an, leave yourself some extra time, it's a very slow process, at least it was today.
Here was my experience.
On checking in with Shenzhen Airlines in Bangkok, the check in lady of course asked if I had a visa for China. I told her I would transit in Xi'an for under 72 hours. She went to talk to her supervisor. After 5-10 minutes of them talking and looking at the computer, the supervisor came over to me and told me that transit without visa was not allowed in some cities but not Xi'an. I told her that it was. She checked again and agreed.
I found that to be really odd because Shenzhen is a Chinese airline and they fly daily flights to Xi'an from Bangkok.
Anyway, I arrive in Xi'an. Hand over my paperwork, tell them I want to transit without visa. I am directed to stand off to the side while 5-10 people look a my paperwork, which consisted of boarding pass, landing card, one page Korean airlines printout of flight to Seoul, and passport.
I ended up standing there for about an hour. Two other tourists were also standing off to the side for about the same length of time. Multiple people kept looking at my Korean Airlines flight confirmation like it was printed in hieroglyphics. I believe they called Korean Air to confirm that I'm really booked on the flight.
They asked for a printout of my hotel confirmation at Hilton Xi'an, I didn't have that but showed them confirmation on my phone. They asked for the Hilton Xi'an phone number, a contact person there, and my USA phone number which they said they needed so they could call me in three days presumably if I didn't leave.
Eventually we were allowed to sit down as the checking and staring at documents and looking at computers continued. It was pretty bizarre, the process took over an hour, with multiple officers working on it who didn't appear to be working on anything else. Then finally they stamped me in and let me go.
Anyway, if you are doing TWOV in Xi'an, leave yourself some extra time, it's a very slow process, at least it was today.