Will I be able to enjoy the 24 direct transit exemption in China?
I am currently staying in China as a student, however I only have a single entry visa (which I have already used). I will be leaving China to do some travelling in other countries.
I have a return flight to my home country scheduled from Beijing on the 18th. Will I be able to use the 24 hour direct transit visa exemption if I plan to do the following:
- Arrive by plane in Tianjin on the 17th
- Take a train from Tianjin to Beijing
- Fly from Beijing on the 18th (within 24 hours)?
Travel websites either differ, or are unclear on the mixing of vehicles. I haven't been able to find a direct source, eg government website :(
Best Answer
This has changed since the question was answered in Dec '15.
At almost all international airports in China, almost all nationalities get 24 hours of transit without any type of visa. There are special restrictions for these passports:
- United Kingdom British National (Overseas) passport (Home Return Permit or visa required in addition to holder's Hong Kong Identity Card)
- Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR passport (Home Return Permit required)
- Macau Macau SAR passport (Home Return Permit required)
- Taiwan Taiwan passport (Taiwan Compatriot Permit required)
- Syria passport (visa required)
There are also some special restrictions for specific airports (not Tianjin or Beijing).
You can leave the airport during the 24 hours of transit, and can in fact depart from a different airport in China, as long as it is within 24 hours of arriving in China. Your destination must be to a different country than you arrived from. For the purpose of the visa-free transit, the Hong Kong and Macau SARs are treated as different countries.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_China#Visa-free_transit
This link also describes the 72-hour visa-free transit & 144-hour visa-free transit rules applicable to specific nationalities.
Pictures about "Will I be able to enjoy the 24 direct transit exemption in China?"
Does China allow transit?
The 72-hour visa-free transit policy in China allows air passengers from 53 countries to transit and stay for up to 72 hours (3 days) in 18 China cities without a visa. In order to facilitate international visitors' short stay in China, the policy is promising to be carried out in more and more cities in the future.Does China require transit 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.Can I transit through Shanghai?
Travelers of any foreign countries can get 24 visa free transit with connecting (air, ship, train) tickets to a third country (region). It allows travelers to transit in Shanghai without going through any immigration inspections. You can stay inside the airport or leave the airport to visit Shanghai within 24 hours.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.Transit visa china EXPLAINED properly! 24, 72 and 144 hour visa free | Air china, Shanghai airport
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