Question

Asked by Marius from united kingdom | Feb. 03, 2019 13:47

About:72-Hour Visa-Free Transit

London - shanghai - tokyo

Hi, I am a Romanian citizen, travelling from London to Tokyo via Shanghai. Same airline for both flights, Eastern China Airlines. The stopover is around 12 hours, so I will use this time to visit the city. I am eligible for 144 hours transit visa.

Do I really need to check out my checked in luggage? I would like to avoid this hassle.

Thanks, M

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Answers (5)

Answered by John Doe | Feb. 03, 2019 15:32

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That's up to the airline's regulations. Keep in mind that Shanghai has been refusing entry to many people without hotel confirmations so YMMV when it comes to Immigration. As your layover is less than 24 hours you won't be able to get 144-hour transit.

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Answered by Marius | Feb. 05, 2019 09:55

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Thanks Jon. I will do have an onward seat confirmation, arriving 8am and departing 6pm the same day. You are saying that a transit visa would not be possible if the layover is less than 24 hours. Sorry for asking but could you please reconfirm this, as this is the first time I hear or read about a minimum 24 hours requirement. Thanks again, Marius

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Answered by Rob | Feb. 05, 2019 14:29

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Marius, you are confusing two different things: 1. Your route qualifies for 24 hours transit without visa (ie you don't need a transit visa). 2. You can only leave the airport if the immigration officer issues you a Temporary Entry Permit. That is at the discretion of the officer in Shanghai, and there are several recent reports that this has been refused for daytime connections. If that happens to you then you have to stay in the airport.

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Answered by Marius | Feb. 11, 2019 14:02

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Hi Rob, Thank you very much for taking time to answer my questions. It looks like a lucky draw...Can I assume a 50/50 chance to get a temporary entry permit for a daytime stopover of 9 hours? Will a tourist visa, obtained in advance, remove all ambiguity? Thanks again, marius

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Answered by John Doe | Feb. 12, 2019 10:20

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You can either a) make a hotel reservation and have that for inspection or b) get a tourist visa. The visa is valid for two years but will cost 140+ GBP in total while a hotel reservation is significantly cheaper but you will face uncertainty at immigration (although many local hotels in China can be cancelled on the day of check-in). It's really up to you.

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