Can I transit through Guangzhou into Beijing from Melbourne to Almaty and still get visa-free transit?
My current plan is to go from Melbourne, Australia to Almaty, Kazakhstan. I am an Australian citizen. The flight itinerary is shown below, but it transits through Guangzhou and I noted that Wikipedia (not the best source) says that:
both flights must have no stopovers of any kind within Mainland China prior to arrival or after departure at the port of entry, and the outbound flight's first stop or destination must be in a different country than the inbound flight's
However, I am assuming that since I don't officially pass Chinese Immigration until Beijing, this doesn't count. But can someone confirm this?
Also do the times match up for the 144-hour visa?
In Kazakhstan I can get a visa on arrival.
Best Answer
You're not eligible for the 144-hour visa exemption, as you would need:
- to be entering China in GZ; You're not.
- and leaving China from somewhere in Guangdong. You're not.
In Beijing you are probably not eligible for the 72-hour visa exemption, as you're arriving from a Chinese city.
However, since you arrive in CAN at 15:20 and leave PEK at 05:55 (+1), you are eligible for 24-hour transit without a visa.
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Can you transit through China without a visa?
Under the 24-hour visa-free transit rule, no visa is required for international flight, ship, or train passengers who transit directly through mainland China and will stay for less than 24 hours. Passengers should hold tickets to a third country or region and have a confirmed seat.Can I transit through Guangzhou?
Passengers transiting in Guangzhou may go through the check-in procedures at the counters of China Southern Airlines at Gate 50 on Level 1, Terminal 2 of Baiyun International Airport.Can I transit through Beijing?
Citizens of 51 countries with valid international travel documents and air tickets for a connecting flight with confirmed date of flight and seat for a third country or region can apply for a 72/144-hour transit visa exemption at ports of entry in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.Do you need visa for a connecting flight?
Re: Do I Need A Visa For A Connecting Flight Through The US? Yes. There is no transit at US airports and you will need to clear both Immigration and Customs at your first point of entry into the US regardless. You will need either an ESTA or a Visa.What to do in your 72 Hour Visa-free Entry to Guangzhou
More answers regarding can I transit through Guangzhou into Beijing from Melbourne to Almaty and still get visa-free transit?
Answer 2
You will need a Chinese transit (type G) visa
However, I am assuming that since I don't officially pass Chinese Immigration until Beijing...
That's wrong: you'll clear immigration in Guangzhou, then catch the Beijing flight from the domestic sector. And if flying domestically in transit, you can remain in China no longer than 24 hours, whereas you're staying for 6 days.
So again, you need at least a transit visa. It can be issued as a single or double-entry visa for a stay of max 10 days per entry.
Answer 3
tl;dr: you need a visa for the proposed itinerary.
We have a general thread for visa-free transit in China: What are the rules for China's visa-free transit programs?
Your itinerary does not work out for a number of reasons:
- you are passing immigration in China, wherever your first stop is, i.e. in your case CAN. That is also what counts for the visa-free transit rules.
- For 72h/144h visa-free transit, you need to transit from a direct flight from abroad (country A) to another direct flight to abroad (country B) while staying in the same city/region, i.e. no domestic connecting flights.
- you could qualify for 24h visa-free transit (where the regional restrictions are lifted, though see the added restrictions for Guangzhou in the linked post), but for this your planned stay of about six days is too long.
Therefore you require a visa, or you would need to enter Beijing on a direct flight from abroad.
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