Does a Nepali need a transit visa for a technical stop in Hong Kong?
I have a Nepali passport and am traveling SFO-SIN (from San Francisco to Singapore). I see on the ticket it says 1 HR stop in Hong Kong. When I called my travel agency they said it's for a technical stop and no passengers will be getting off. On visa website for Hong Kong, it clearly says Nepal passport holders need a transit visa, including for airside transit.
What does it mean?
Edit: I did call Singapore airlines and they said I won't need a transit visa since there will be no boarding pass issued for HKG. I asked her to check with her supervisor too and she confirmed the same. My flight is next Saturday and there is no time for me to get a transit visa now. Is there a consular office for Hong Kong in US where I can call and confirm? On internet I only found Chinese Embassy number to contact and they never pick up the phone.
Update: I got a call from Singapore Airlines today asking what passport I have and if I can have transit in Hong Kong (a little too late to call of course). Later they left a voicemail saying if you are from so or so country you can't have transit in HKG without a visa and of course Nepal passport was one of them. So I had to call back and fight with the operator for over an hour that THEY had told me it was ok for me to travel just a week ago. They blamed my ticketing agent for booking it in the first place. After couple of hours of back and forth, and a long long wait on hold they agreed to get me direct flight from SFO to SIN provided that I pay the flight change cost. Such a hassle !!
Best Answer
I suspect that you do need a transit visa. First of all, your travel agent is incorrect that "no passengers will be getting off"; it is possible to book travel on flight SQ1 from SFO to HKG only, with HKG as your final destination. You can try it out on the Singapore Airlines website. So this isn't a true technical stop.
There will likely be people getting off at HKG. And unless the airline has some very special procedures, it would probably be possible for you to get off too, whether or not you are supposed to. As such, it makes sense that you would have to have an airside transit visa.
To be certain, you should call the airline and ask.
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Overseas travelers from some countries only need a Hong Kong visa for transit if they pass through immigration, for example if their onward flight is some time away and they wish to leave the airport. However, if such foreign nationals remain in the airport transit area, they do not require a visa.Do I need a visa for a technical stop?
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Answer 2
According to Timatic, the database used by airlines:
- Visa required, except for Passengers with a Hong Kong (SAR China) Permanent Identity Card.
and
- Visa required, except for Passengers with a travel document issued by Hong Kong (SAR China) with "Holder's eligibility for Hong Kong (SAR China) Permanent Identity Card verified .
None of the exceptions apply to you, as such you need a visa.
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