China Tour Questions and Answers, China Travel Q&A

Answered by Vincent | Jun. 26, 2019 00:04

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How do I find a flight to Hong Kong (no visa required) that allows me to get 144H transit in Shenzhen ?

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Answered by Vincent | Jun. 26, 2019 01:22

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Yes I got this thank you. But my question is how do I get the flight from France to HK with a 144H transit in Shenzhen ? Because usually transits only last up to 20H on the flight tikets I see online. So I guess I really have to tell the carrier at French airport about it and then the carrier will arrange my 144H stay permit ?

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Answered by Vincent | Jun. 26, 2019 01:37

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For example I have to get a flight from France to HK that stops at Shenzhen let's say 8H, then at Shenzhen airport I can apply for 144H stay permit even if it's only an 8H stop ?

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Answered by Vincent | Jun. 26, 2019 14:59

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So:
1) I just buy a ticket online for Shenzhen without buying a visa, booking also the housing in Shenzhen
2) I buy another ticket online from Hong Kong to France, booking also the ferry Shenzhen-Hong Kong
3) I inform the carrier at the departure (French airport) for my 144H stay permit in Shenzhen
4) I get my 144H stay permit at the arrival (Chinese airport) in Shenzhen
5) I spend the 6 days from Monday (arrival date) until Sunday 23:59' (going back to France date)
6) I take the ferry to Hong Kong airport and go back to France

Is it right ?

Can I choose Hong Kong if you say it's not a country ?

Thank you for reading.

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Answered by Vincent | Jun. 26, 2019 15:04

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Could you clarify the first 3 points of YOUR 6 step system (the illustrationpicture) on how to specifically do them please ?

Sorry if I'm being tedious.

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Answered by Vincent | Jun. 26, 2019 23:36

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If I replace Shenzhen by Guangzhou, will I be able to stay in Shenzhen ? How can I go from Guangzhou to Shenzhen then ?

Actually, I wanted the first 3 points of your picture to be clarified: 1) Inform the carrier when boarding 2) Fill in a departure/arrival card 3) Apply for the 144H stay permit

I don't read Chinese and I don't speak Chinese for now, but I know someone in China who does, and I might have translating apps for China, is it okay?

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 26, 2019 00:45

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Vincent, I will just copy/paste the same text that I have posted as an answer to David's question regarding the very same thing in the post bellow yours:

OK, to be completely eligible, you will book online, in advance, your ferry ticket from Shenzhen Shekou port to Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal through CKS - Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company. CKS is operating the ferries, in reality catamarans, between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. When you book your ferry ticket you will receive e-confirmation with all the data that are necessary for your travel and for your successful application for 144 hours visa free transit in Guangdong province.

This ferry is actually the only available option to travel between Shenzhen to Hong Kong that could be bookable online and to be eligible for 144 hours visa free transit. Keep in mind that you will have to travel on that ferry that you will book your ticket for. Also, you will print out e-confirmation before your departure from South Korea and have it in your hand at check-in.

The difference between yours and David's case is, at least if I have properly understood, that David wants to continue his travel and his stay in Hong Kong and you need to travel to Hong Kong just to depart from there by plane back to France. So, you will book, on the same website, a ferry to Hong Kong International Airport. Of course, if your intention is to stay in Hong Kong, then you will also book your ticket to Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 26, 2019 02:11

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No, no... I can see that we don't understand each other. To simplify... In order to be eligible for 144 hours visa free transit you have to:

- Travel directly from a foreign country, in your case from France, to Shenzhen and not to Hong Kong
- Travel by ferry from Shenzhen to Hong Kong within 6 days from your arrival to Shenzhen
- Travel from Hong Kong back home

There has to be a logic for transit where a mainland China is a transit country:

Country A (France) - Country B (China) - Country C (Hong Kong)

OK, Hong Kong is not a country, but is considered as the third (C) country for 144 hours purposes.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 26, 2019 02:14

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Of course, your stay in Shenzhen or in the other parts of Guangdong province has to be longer than 24 hours.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 26, 2019 16:23

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Points 1 and 2

You can book your tickets as an open jaw type, i.e. Paris - Shenzhen and Hong Kong - Paris. Everything you should do is to look after multi-city option that is offered along the single and return ticket options. Anyway, I strongly recommend that you choose Guangzhou over Shenzhen because Guangzhou has much better international connections. As far as I can see, for the days of your choice (Monday arrival, Sunday departure), by far the best option would be Aeroflot and also Emirates. Keep in mind that you cannot use Chinese carriers for your arrival in Shenzhen/Guangzhou in case that they do not flight directly to one of the mentioned cities! Also, keep in mind that you cannot travel from Hong Kong through mainland China, but via some other routes. Just play a bit with internet online websites that offer plane tickets.

Point 3

You inform the airline at the very moment of your departure from Paris, i.e. at check-in. You don't do anything before. At the check-in you will present all your tickets in hard copy including the one for the ferry as a proof that you will leave mainland China within the mentioned 6 days.

You can definitely choose Hong Kong although it is not a country because it is treated as the third country just for the purposes of the 144 hours visa free transit.

Just to add that all the steps are fine, but again, I suggest that you replace Shenzhen with Guangzhou as your arrival airport.

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Answered by Vincent | Jun. 30, 2019 08:09

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Can I get a 72H visa free transit (arrival on 25th, departure on 28th of July) ?

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Answered by Vincent | Jun. 30, 2019 11:33

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So if I go with these 2 dates: arrival on 25th at Guangzhou airport and departure on 28th of July at Hong Kong airport, Can I get the 144H visa-free transit ? Because I would only stay 72H and not 144... Thank you for always replying by the way ! Very nice.

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Answered by Vincent | Jul. 02, 2019 02:23

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Is there any vaccine I must have in order to be allowed to go in China ? I'm not into vaccine at all..

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Answered by Vincent | Jul. 02, 2019 02:27

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I saw I must have a plane ticket from China to Hong Kong, not a ferry ticket...

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 27, 2019 01:51

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Part one:

OK, we have obviously misunderstood ourselves. Let's clarify the details.

1. When you approach the check-in counter in Paris, you will just declare to the staff that you intend to travel to Hong Kong and that you will use 144 hours visa free transit in Guangzhou. Exactly like that. Mentioning of Hong Kong is essential because you have to present that your final destination is Hong Kong although for you the most important part is your stay in Shenzhen. So, you will present them your flight tickets and your ferry ticket (in reality an e-confirmation that you will receive affter a booking of CKS website) and you will receive your boarding passes that will allow you to reach Guangzhou/Shenzhen. In case that you realize that they are not quite familiar with 144 hours transit, you will just point them to Timatic where every single detail is explained. The best thing is that you will board the plane in Paris where there will be enough well informed staff that can interpret the details written in Timatic. With this, you are done with point 1.

2. You will receive a yellow arrival/departure card on your flight that will land in Guangzhou/Shenzhen. You will fill out that card and have it with you. Also, upon arrival you will approach the counter with 144 hours visa free transit facility where you will fill out another form that is of blue color. Here you will present your ferry ticket from Shekou port to Hong Kong airport and will receive a sticker in your passport. After that you are free to leave the airport and are free to go all over the entire, very large province of Guangdong.

3. This part is explained under the point number 2.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 27, 2019 01:52

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Part 2:

I have noticed that you have several times pointed out that you don't speak Chinese, but in reality, especially in Guangdong province and especially in Guangzhou and Shenzhen you even don't have to because practically everything is written in both Chinese and in Latin alphabets and mostly translated in English. All the formal details, like arrival/departure cards, different timetables and similar are also written in Latin alphabet. You will realize very soon that you will be able to perfectly orientate yourself with the knowledge of English language.

If you replace Shenzhen with Guangzhou as your arrival point this will be your very good decision because Guangzhou has much better spectar of international connections than Shenzhen. Also, you will be perfectly allowed to travel and to stay in Shenzhen because 144 hours visa free transit is valid for entire province of Guangdong and both Guangzhou and Shenzhen are located within it.

To reach Shenzhen from Guangzhou, you can use direct buses departing from Guangzhou airport or even better a combination of metro/high speed train. Trust me, this is more fun that a burden.

One more detail, when buying your tickets you will have to take care not to book the tickets that have any additional landing within mainland China! OK, just write here and we will together review all the details. Since we have started doing that, we will also proceed in that way :).

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 30, 2019 09:36

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You will get 144 hours visa free transit in case that your stay within Guangdong province is longer than 24 hours. 72 hours visa free transit that has been extended to 144 hours recently.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jun. 30, 2019 14:11

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Yes, you will get 144 hours visa free transit valid for the entire Guangdong province simply because there is no more 72 hours visa free transit as an option in that Chinese province. You should just keep in mind to make a good choice of your flights as I have mentioned in one of my previous posts. You can present them here before you decide to make a purchase.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jul. 02, 2019 03:58

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You don't need any vaccine at all.

You don't need any flight from mainland China to Hong Kong because a ferry from Shenzhen to Hong Kong is eligible for 144 hours visa free transit in the same way as it is a flight. Of course, you can fly from Guangzhou to Hong Kong if you wish, but that would imply the necessity of your return from Shenzhen to Guangzhou by bus or by train. Ferry is at your hand while in Shenzhen, much cheaper and faster option because it will bring you directly to Hong Kong airport.

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Where can I get a flight to HK with a 6 days transit in Shenzhen?

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