144 hours visa transit - do all flights need to be direct tofrom china?

Question

Hi ThereI need to do a 4 day trip to Shanghai from London UK, but all direct flights to Shanghai are double in price due to national holiday. Does the 144 Visa free transit still apply if i get a indirect flight to shanghai. i.e London to Shanghai but 4 hour transfer time in Hong Kong or Hanoi- i will not leave airport. If indirect flights are accepted when i arrive to Shanghai, can I do an indirect flight from a different chinese city instead- again I do not intend to leave the airport)? On my return, I will get separate direct flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and then Hong Kong returning London a couple days later.Thank you for your help

Paul · Answer

Sorry that you have to travel during the national holiday. London > Hanoi > Shanghai > Hong Kong London is allowed on a transit without Visa.London > Hong Kong > Shanghai > Hong Kong > London is not allowed as you cannot travel to the same country you arrived in shanghai from.You are unable to land in another Chinese city on the way to/from Shanghai as that would limit you to the 24 hour direct transit

Jessica Ma · Answer

Thats Great!Thank you PaulSo as long as my destination and transfer before and after Shanghai are not the same, and not in China , it is fine for me to enter Shanghai with no Visa.

Paul · Answer

Yep. Country A > Mainland Chinese city > not Mainland China + not the same country you land in mainland china from, qualifies as a transit. Additional mainland china city even if same plane, makes it 2 Chinese stops and limited to 24 hours. Direct (aka non-stop) Hong Kong to Shanghai is treated same as flying direct London to Shanghai. They only want to know that country immediately before and after is not the same country

Kevin · Answer

Technically, direct and non-stop are different. Direct flights have the same flight number, but can stop en route. You must fly to China on a non-stop flight. This has caught people out before, for example when traveling on a direct flight to Beijing that stops in Urumqi.

144 Hours Visa Transit - do all flights need to be direct to and from China?

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