All flights to China require a free PCR test at the airport 5-8 hours before departure. At the time of the PCR test they will check the colour of your QR code. So as long as you have a blue QR code at the time of your mandatory China PCR test, you're good to go. Nobody checks it after this.

Does this mean you need to go to the airport 5-8 hours early, or are tests from other places also okay?

Thank you, but when I arrive in HK and go landside won't my QR code be amber for three days?

Yes

Here is my story on how I did my transit at HKG airport, hopefully this will help others here with a similar itinerary.

I booked the following flights on separated PNR's:

CX270 AMS - HKG departure on November 11 at 12:30, arrival on Nov 12 at 07:20
HX775 HKG - BKK departure on November 12 at 12:10, arrival on November 12 at 14:10.
Layover time: 4 hours and 50 minutes.

I checked in online for my Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong and was able to do so without any issues. 20 hours before my flight I filled in the health declaration form for arrival in Hong Kong, I received a green QR code. On the form you have to state that you did a Rapid test (RAT test) and the result was negative. They didn't ask for proof anywhere, not in Hong Kong and neither in Amsterdam. Although I checked in online and received a virtual boarding pass, I still went to the check-in desk (which I advice since everyone with a mobile boardingpass was stopped at the gate and the documents check was performed there). At the check-in desk I was asked for my green QR code and my final destination was marked as Hong Kong and not Bangkok since I was unable to provide a boardingpass for my onward flight therefore I need to meet visa regulations for Hong Kong (which fortunately wasn't an issue with my Dutch passport).

Hong Kong airlines did not provide a boardingpass since online check-in was unavailable. This seems to be the case with most flights, therefore don't expect to get a boardingpass for your onward flight.

Upon boarding I was all clear and no further checks were performed at the gate. (Marechaussee had sniffing dogs smell on everyone entering the plane, so don't go crazy in Amsterdam the night before;))

As a side note; the flight itself was a huge disappointment. Service in J was next to non-existent, no refills, no checkups, no smile, no nothing, purser was a dragon who before boarding checked masks and told everyone in a yelling voice DON'T ENTER THE PLANE, MASKS FIRST AND IN HONG KONG YOU ALL NEED A MASK. Goshh easy woman.... As an emerald I'll avoid CX altogether in the future, it was one of my favourite airlines, but not anymore. Might have been one of the worst long-haul flights in a long time and I have a lot of experience in J with many airlines. So the whole point of flying through Hong Kong was gone, rather would have flown pretty much any other airline.

But all that aside! Arrival in Hong Kong was a mess, I hoped I would be able to get a boarding pass at the Hong Kong airlines transfer desks, but there were none. Only desks that were open was the Cathay Pacific desk and an Air Canada/Air New Zealand desk so don't expect to get a boarding pass unless you are flying CX. I asked the CX staff if there was a possibility to check-in for my flight with Hong Kong Airlines without entering the country, but they told me no.

So I had to enter Hong Kong. PCR swab test was taken before immigration, very easy how that all went and just like that I entered Hong Kong. Went immediately to the Hong Kong airlines check-in desk and got my new boardingpass. They didn't ask for a QR code or anything (meanwhile I checked my health QR code online and saw that I got an AMBER (Orange QR code). Went through security without any issues. I went to the new Chase Sapphire Lounge and they asked if I had the LeaveHomeSafe app, I said I was a transit passenger and they let me in after I signed a paper.

In the lounge I received my PCR results via E-mail (Around 2.5 hours later after I took the test). Boarded my flight to Bangkok without any issues.

Next day I received an SMS that I have to upload my covid test. Got a bit scared, but after logging in again to the health website I checked the box that I left Hong Kong and I haven't received any further SMS or Email.

Had a wonderful trip to Asia in the end :tu:

Under the wording and definition, you were NOT a transit passenger by your act of entering HK and exiting.

It was my intention to transit, but was unable to do so. As a warning for others, you won’t be able to transit on separate PNR’s and different airlines.

The rules for AAA HKG BBB transit have been posted by many here and on other HK travel-related sites.

You must do it at the airport.

So from this I gather that it is possible to check in and enter airside with an Amber code? I have a 12 hour layover so thinking of getting a room at a nearby hotel.

TMK, you don't need to show LHS in order to check in...just to enter certain restaurants/lounges or get a PCR test to fly north.

Is there anywhere good for sleeping in the airport at the moment? Would be flying CX early January with a ~12 hour transit (9pm-9am), am a OWE. Previously I wouldn't have thought twice about getting an airport hotel landside but...

Thanks for this useful info. While I managed to transit on 2 separate tickets on the way out I won't be able to on the way home so will need to enter HK, collect bags and drop off with BA. Good to know it worked well for you.
How long did the process take until you were airside again?

I'd be interested to know this, too. Have an 18-hour transit in early January on CX. Think the only option might be the relaxation area in the CX lounge?

I recently transited HKG on 2 separate PNRs and was an overnighter. I stayed in The Pier Lounge (As far as I knew then, the only lounge that I qualified access as OWE). If I recalled correctly, unofficially they allowed me to stay till 2:30am although the official closing was earlier (brain fog ... can't recall exact time maybe 1:30am). Any way CX's last flight was to FJK at 03:something (??). All f&B services shut down at midnight. The lounge reopens in the morning at 05:30 (again recalling).

Food and drinks were OK. You can find places to stretch. A "sleeping" area can be found in the back of the lounge (way back).. Shower is available.

The airside was totally deserted as 90+% of shops were NOT open. I found maybe 1 restaurant was open.