Apr 7, 2013, 10:50 am
Last edit by: JDiver
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TWOV (Transit Without Visa) - UNDER 24 HOURS: Visa required, except for Holders of confirmed onward tickets for a max. transit [[TIRULES/R32]] time of 24 hours. Transit incl. two stops, with a total transit time of 24 hours, within China (People's Rep.) is permitted.
For other China visa information: China Visa / Visas Master Thread (all you need to know)
From IATA / TIMATIC: "CHINA (PEOPLE'S REP.): (under) 72-HOUR VISA-FREE TRANSIT AT BEIJING, SHANGHAI, GUANGZHOU, AND CHENGDU (ONLY)
In order to avail of 72 hour TWOV, persons must remain in one of these 4 regions, and arrive/depart via air. In other words, flying into Beijing and out of Shanghai is fine for <24 hour transits, but is prohibited for 24-72 hour transits. (moondog, 9/10/2013)
CA175/6 (PEK<->PVG<->SYD), CA177/8 (PEK<->PVG<->MEL), CA155/6 (PEK<->PVG<->SDJ), CA153/4 (PEK<->DLC<->HIJ), CA951/2 (PEK<->DLC<->NRT), CA953/4 (PEK<->DLC<->FUK), CA977/8 (PEK<->XMN<->CGK), CA945/6 (PEK<->CTU<->KHI) and CA905/6 (PEK<->KMG<->RGN) are not non-stop international flights from Beijing; therefore passengers taking these flights do not qualify for the 72-hour visa-free policy in Beijing because the point of entry/exit into China is the intermediate stop, not PEK. Transiting China with these flights is OK without a visa as long as you enter and exit China - intermediate stops included - within 24 hours. If your time in China is over 24 hours, a visa is necessary. (kaimanawa, Jan 2014)
Effective from 1 January 2013, nationals of 45 countries transiting through Beijing (PEK) and Shanghai (PVG and SHA) to a third country (includes Hong Kong or Macau SARs) and holding confirmed onward tickets are permitted to enter China (People's Rep.) without a visa, for max. 72 hours. Passengers must arrive in and depart from the same city. This facility is available for nationals of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and holders of British Citizen passports.+ - 28 Jan 2013, c/o drewguy
"Nationals of USA holding confirmed onward tickets for a max. transit time of 72 hours at Beijing (PEK), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) or Shanghai Pudong (PVG), provided arriving in and departing from the same city. " (c/o Akiestar)
China Embassy website: "3. Visitors are not allowed to leave Beijing or Shanghai to other cities during the 72-hour visa-free period. They can only depart Beijing from Capital International Airport (PEK) or Pudong International Airport (PVG) as well as Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)." (c/o anacapamalibu) (You are expected to remain generally within the Port of Entry municipality and to depart from the same POE within 72 hours.)
These are merely advisory summaries and not meant to be comprehensive; please read the thread, with TIMATIC: <star alliance link>; skyteam link> (easier to read), etc.
See China visa FAQ post here
and be aware: China visa requirements and procedures are due to change 1 July 2013.
Note that there's a separate and much shorter thread here in the China forum devoted to TWOV at PVG/Shanghai. It has some details of the airport setup for TWOV at PVG, especially the new 72 hour rule.
Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are considered 3rd countries for the purpose of TWOV.
This is what constitutes "transit" in the eyes of Chinese officials:
1) You must FLY in from one country and out to a different country NONSTOP
*Cruise ship passengers are reportedly going to get TWOV privileges soon
2) The Chinese only care about the segments that touch PRC soil
-this means that it's totally fine to go to China from the US and back as long as you connect in a third country in one direction
3) For 72 hour TWOV you must arrive and depart from the same Chinese city
4) For 24 hour TWOV, you can arrive and depart from anywhere by plane (e.g. into Guangzhou and out from Wulumuqi is fine)
moondog, 2/2/2014
TWOV (Transit Without Visa) - UNDER 24 HOURS: Visa required, except for Holders of confirmed onward tickets for a max. transit [[TIRULES/R32]] time of 24 hours. Transit incl. two stops, with a total transit time of 24 hours, within China (People's Rep.) is permitted.
For other China visa information: China Visa / Visas Master Thread (all you need to know)
From IATA / TIMATIC: "CHINA (PEOPLE'S REP.): (under) 72-HOUR VISA-FREE TRANSIT AT BEIJING, SHANGHAI, GUANGZHOU, AND CHENGDU (ONLY)
In order to avail of 72 hour TWOV, persons must remain in one of these 4 regions, and arrive/depart via air. In other words, flying into Beijing and out of Shanghai is fine for <24 hour transits, but is prohibited for 24-72 hour transits. (moondog, 9/10/2013)
CA175/6 (PEK<->PVG<->SYD), CA177/8 (PEK<->PVG<->MEL), CA155/6 (PEK<->PVG<->SDJ), CA153/4 (PEK<->DLC<->HIJ), CA951/2 (PEK<->DLC<->NRT), CA953/4 (PEK<->DLC<->FUK), CA977/8 (PEK<->XMN<->CGK), CA945/6 (PEK<->CTU<->KHI) and CA905/6 (PEK<->KMG<->RGN) are not non-stop international flights from Beijing; therefore passengers taking these flights do not qualify for the 72-hour visa-free policy in Beijing because the point of entry/exit into China is the intermediate stop, not PEK. Transiting China with these flights is OK without a visa as long as you enter and exit China - intermediate stops included - within 24 hours. If your time in China is over 24 hours, a visa is necessary. (kaimanawa, Jan 2014)
Effective from 1 January 2013, nationals of 45 countries transiting through Beijing (PEK) and Shanghai (PVG and SHA) to a third country (includes Hong Kong or Macau SARs) and holding confirmed onward tickets are permitted to enter China (People's Rep.) without a visa, for max. 72 hours. Passengers must arrive in and depart from the same city. This facility is available for nationals of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and holders of British Citizen passports.+ - 28 Jan 2013, c/o drewguy
"Nationals of USA holding confirmed onward tickets for a max. transit time of 72 hours at Beijing (PEK), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) or Shanghai Pudong (PVG), provided arriving in and departing from the same city. " (c/o Akiestar)
China Embassy website: "3. Visitors are not allowed to leave Beijing or Shanghai to other cities during the 72-hour visa-free period. They can only depart Beijing from Capital International Airport (PEK) or Pudong International Airport (PVG) as well as Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)." (c/o anacapamalibu) (You are expected to remain generally within the Port of Entry municipality and to depart from the same POE within 72 hours.)
These are merely advisory summaries and not meant to be comprehensive; please read the thread, with TIMATIC: <star alliance link>; skyteam link> (easier to read), etc.
See China visa FAQ post here
and be aware: China visa requirements and procedures are due to change 1 July 2013.
Note that there's a separate and much shorter thread here in the China forum devoted to TWOV at PVG/Shanghai. It has some details of the airport setup for TWOV at PVG, especially the new 72 hour rule.
Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are considered 3rd countries for the purpose of TWOV.
This is what constitutes "transit" in the eyes of Chinese officials:
1) You must FLY in from one country and out to a different country NONSTOP
*Cruise ship passengers are reportedly going to get TWOV privileges soon
2) The Chinese only care about the segments that touch PRC soil
-this means that it's totally fine to go to China from the US and back as long as you connect in a third country in one direction
3) For 72 hour TWOV you must arrive and depart from the same Chinese city
4) For 24 hour TWOV, you can arrive and depart from anywhere by plane (e.g. into Guangzhou and out from Wulumuqi is fine)
moondog, 2/2/2014
FAQ: PRC Visa-Free Transit (AKA Transit Without Visa or "TWOV")
Dec 22, 2012, 1:30 pm
#586
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
Dec 22, 2012, 1:41 pm
#587
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Yeah, that's it!
I am sure EY agents are very familiar with Timatic.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has brought home top honours at the World Travel Awards, taking the World’s Leading Airline title for the fourth year in a row
I am sure EY agents are very familiar with Timatic.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has brought home top honours at the World Travel Awards, taking the World’s Leading Airline title for the fourth year in a row
Dec 23, 2012, 9:11 pm
#588
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3
Hi,
the more I read the less confident I get about my plan, as people's statements keeps contradicting themselves or don't exactly reflect my itinerary. So maybe someone can advice me on whether this is going to work:
I have a flight booked from Shanghai PVG to Germany (of which I'm a citizen), and I need to get there from Rangoon, Myanmar. However, I do not have a visa entry left to enter China again. So I want to take a flight from Rangoon to Shanghai Hongqiao with a transfer in Guangzhou. The scheduled time between arriving in Guangzhou and leaving from PVG is less than 24 hours. However, I definitely need to leave the airport in Shanghai (to get from Hongqiao to PVG and also to pick up my luggage which I will have left behind in Shanghai). Will this be possible without a visa?
And if not, is a transfer visa something I can get in Shanghai beforehand? I'm there before my journey to Myanmar, but guess I can't get a regular tourist visa (at least not without paying way too much money) and I don't want to wait a couple of days in Rangoon to get it there.
Thanks!
the more I read the less confident I get about my plan, as people's statements keeps contradicting themselves or don't exactly reflect my itinerary. So maybe someone can advice me on whether this is going to work:
I have a flight booked from Shanghai PVG to Germany (of which I'm a citizen), and I need to get there from Rangoon, Myanmar. However, I do not have a visa entry left to enter China again. So I want to take a flight from Rangoon to Shanghai Hongqiao with a transfer in Guangzhou. The scheduled time between arriving in Guangzhou and leaving from PVG is less than 24 hours. However, I definitely need to leave the airport in Shanghai (to get from Hongqiao to PVG and also to pick up my luggage which I will have left behind in Shanghai). Will this be possible without a visa?
And if not, is a transfer visa something I can get in Shanghai beforehand? I'm there before my journey to Myanmar, but guess I can't get a regular tourist visa (at least not without paying way too much money) and I don't want to wait a couple of days in Rangoon to get it there.
Thanks!
Dec 23, 2012, 9:51 pm
#589
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
Programs: UA AA CO
Posts: 4,836
German passport holders are eligible under China's TWOV rules.
SHA-PVG are considered same city. A double stop is OK as
long as you exit the country < 24 hours after scheduled arrival in PRC.
so: 1st country-CAN-SHA-PVG-third country
should work.
SHA-PVG are considered same city. A double stop is OK as
long as you exit the country < 24 hours after scheduled arrival in PRC.
so: 1st country-CAN-SHA-PVG-third country
should work.
Dec 23, 2012, 9:56 pm
#590
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3
Thank you!! And you can confirm that all those translations stating that you cannot leave the airports on a 24 hours transit are wrong / outdated, right? Do you happen to have any link to a Chinese website that states the current regulation (in Chinese)?
Dec 23, 2012, 10:35 pm
#591
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
You can leave the airport.
Dec 23, 2012, 11:35 pm
#592
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Posts: 4,836
Multiple reports have indicated CAN you can't exit the airport.
PEK SHA PVG you formally enter China...you are not
supposed to leave the city or municipality.
Link to Chinese documentation for this...no luck.
PEK SHA PVG you formally enter China...you are not
supposed to leave the city or municipality.
Link to Chinese documentation for this...no luck.
Dec 23, 2012, 11:38 pm
#593
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3
Okay, in CAN I don't need to get out, just in Shanghai. And I can be sure the people at the CAN airport as well as the statt from China Southern in Myanmar will know about this...?
Dec 24, 2012, 12:11 am
#594
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
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They should.
Get to departure airport early as referenced in previous posts
its not always a slam dunk and may require a supervisor if
you encounter a clueless agent.
Get to departure airport early as referenced in previous posts
its not always a slam dunk and may require a supervisor if
you encounter a clueless agent.
Dec 24, 2012, 6:56 am
#595
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Join Date: Dec 2000
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Dec 27, 2012, 11:54 am
#596
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: sometimes SIN, sometimes JFK/LGA
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Following up on the post I wrote upstream on the upcoming 72 hour TWOV at PEK:
In the two Xinhua English news articles, they both say "visitors have to register at a police station with their visas within 24 hours of their arrival". (I assume police station means 'gongan', or Public Security Bureau.)
For the experts - do we have to register in person, or, can I count on a hotel that I am staying at to fulfill this requirement for me considering hotels are supposed to forward the necessary info to PSB anyway?
In the two Xinhua English news articles, they both say "visitors have to register at a police station with their visas within 24 hours of their arrival". (I assume police station means 'gongan', or Public Security Bureau.)
For the experts - do we have to register in person, or, can I count on a hotel that I am staying at to fulfill this requirement for me considering hotels are supposed to forward the necessary info to PSB anyway?
Dec 27, 2012, 12:42 pm
#597
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
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Following up on the post I wrote upstream on the upcoming 72 hour TWOV at PEK:
In the two Xinhua English news articles, they both say "visitors have to register at a police station with their visas within 24 hours of their arrival". (I assume police station means 'gongan', or Public Security Bureau.)
For the experts - do we have to register in person, or, can I count on a hotel that I am staying at to fulfill this requirement for me considering hotels are supposed to forward the necessary info to PSB anyway?
In the two Xinhua English news articles, they both say "visitors have to register at a police station with their visas within 24 hours of their arrival". (I assume police station means 'gongan', or Public Security Bureau.)
For the experts - do we have to register in person, or, can I count on a hotel that I am staying at to fulfill this requirement for me considering hotels are supposed to forward the necessary info to PSB anyway?
or electronically transmit the info to PSB.
Registration with police is if you are staying in PRC > 24 hours at a private
residence.
Dec 28, 2012, 9:50 am
#598
Join Date: Mar 2009
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I'm aware of this. I just wanted to see if there is a sense that things might have changed as a result of this new policy, ie do we need to actually present ourselves in person to PSB or if the hotel doing it for us will suffice.
Dec 28, 2012, 10:06 am
#599
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Premier Silver
Posts: 68
As of Jan 1, 2013, tourists from 45 countries get a 72-hour visa-free stay in Shanghai with "all-round customized traveler services," according to a China Daily article posted today. You apply for a transit without a visa application in Shanghai.
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/...t_16065076.htm
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/...t_16065076.htm
Dec 28, 2012, 12:14 pm
#600
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