Two stops in China - does 24-hour visa-free transit apply?

Part one:

Urška, you obviously use the flight CZ6022 for the first portion of your journey: Vienna - Urumqi - Guangzhou.

Look, right now, this flight has exactly 2 hours of layover in Urumqi and that makes it perfectly eligible for 24 hour visa free transit because Urumqi, with nits specific policy has a maximum of 2 hours layover. There was a lengthy topic right here about this particular flight and we had relevant number of first hand witnesses that have confirmed that this flight is eligible for 24 hour visa free transit. Most of the people interested about this flight naturally originate from Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria and even the parts of Germany.

Anyway, the problem is in the fact that this flight will have extended layover in Urumqi starting the winter flying season that includes December. To be precise, it will have 2 hours and 10 minutes of layover in Urumqi. These 10 minutes longer than allowed 2 hours have caused so many questions because people have already bought their tickets and now they are not certain whether they will be eligible for 24 hour visa free transit through China. Most of the commentators were practically unanimously certain that China Southern will find a discrete way to circumvent this strict 2 hours policy in Urumqi, but so far nobody has used to cross China using this flight because the layover, right now, is still 2 hours.

Part two:

The only other alternative is to appear at the airport at the the time of check-in in hope that the mentioned extension will be somewhat circumvented. Anyway, the strategy of this type is extremely dangerous because you risk to be denied boarding. Indeed, this would be the worst outcome that could be imagined. In case if you receive any answer from China Southern - Vienna branch about this particular flight, but after the extension, your feedback will be more than appreciated. If you remain without a definite answer, you will have to obtain a transit (G) visa in advance at the embassy in Ljubljana. OK, I just hope you will come again here with your experiences because there will be more and more passengers on this flight in the coming months who will need the same answer as you do right now.

It would be very unfair to give you any answer at the time being because it is impossible because this extension will have an affect somewhere in November. It is needless to telly you that by calling embassies and airline is more or less useless because most of them will just suggest you to ask somebody else. Probably the only address that could offer a reliable answer is China Southern branch in Vienna (+431206092620), but even them should be forced to contact the ground staff at Vienna airport that works at check-in. Their working hours are from 09:00 until 15:00 (Monday to Friday) or something like this and they should be really pushed to find an answer. I know it is not their job, but they are colleagues with the ground staff and they could do that favor if they only make the slightest effort.

Part three:

By the way, your flight back, assuming you will use CZ6021 via Urumqi again, will remain definitely eligible for 24 hour visa free transit because it will retain exactly 2 hours of layover in Urumqi.

As you can see, the only problem is this extension of 10 minutes for your flight toward east.

Hey please update your journey since I am also traveling to Jakarta this December from Vienna via Urumqi and Guangzhou. Thank you!!

Nathalie, I hope that we will find out the real situation with this 10 minutes extension from actual 2 hours to 2 hours and 10 minutes. This flight has gained tremendous popularity, but with the mentioned 10 minutes over the allowed 2 hours, I really don't know whether it will remain eligible for 24 hour visa free transit or not. So far we can only hope that China Southern will find a way to make some kind of a deal with immigration authorities In Urumqi in the same way as it was with the actual CZ6022 flight.

Hi, Thank you for your answers.
I've conntacted Chineese Embassy in Slovenia and they said it's better to check directy with the airline. Then I checked with Air China and they said that they as an airline are not responsible for any related visa question, as it is beyond their control.
So I'm thinking we'll wait until November if someone flying this or similar route will figure it out, othervise we'll just apply for the transit visa.

Indeed, there is no other way at the time being. I just hope that someone will appear with a relevant first hand experience. You have enough time to wait for a while before you apply for a transit visa. Anyway, if you realize that we miss a reliable first hand experience, then obtaining a visa will be a must.

Hello;

I tried severel times to ask this question. I hope this time will be ok. So we have booked tickets also from Viena and our rute is Viena-Paris-Guangzhou transfer 2.5 hours - Manila. And way back Manila-Guangzhou transfer 1.30 hours-Urumqi technical stop for 2 hours. I would also like to be shure about this confuze thing about VISA shold we ask for TWOV at Guangzhou or we already enyoy 24 hour Visa free transit.

Thank you for your help.

I forgot Im also slovenian citizen.

Part one:

Boštjan, if I'm not wrong, your itinerary is exactly this one:

Vienna - Paris - Guangzhou (2.5 hours of layover) - Manila

Manila - Guangzhou (1.3 hours layover) - Urumqi (2 hours layover) - Vienna

OK, this is, China Southern scheme and you are definitely eligible for 24 hour visa free transit on both itineraries and you don't need any kind of visa. I will explain.

Your first flight itinerary would be also eligible for 144 hour visa free transit because of this segment:

Paris - Guangzhou - Manila

As you can see, you as a Slovenian citizens are eligible for this visa free transit scheme. Never mind... Your layover is a short one, so you will be covered formally by 24 hour visa free transit although you will never apply for anything. You will just cross the transit/transfer procedure and appear, after the formalities are done, at the boarding gate for your flight to Manila. OK, this is explained.

Please, be advised that you will declare both in Vienna and Paris that you will travel to Manila via Guangzhou using 24 hour visa free transit.

Your second itinerary is the one that is also covered by 24 hour visa free transit, but there are some differences since you will have two layovers in China. Not a problem, since you will be traveling by CZ6021 all the way from Guangzhou to Vienna.

Part two:

Upon your check-in in Manila you will declare that you will travel to Vienna via China using 24 hour visa free transit. After a short inspection you will be allowed to board the plane. Now, here you will have a slightly different procedure in Guangzhou because the portion of your flight from Guangzhou to Urumqi, although on international flight number is considered to be domestic. Never mind, here is what you will have to do... Upon your arrival in Guangzhou you will have to be very fast! You will apply at 24 hour visa free transit counter for a temporary entry permit that will allow you to continue your journey to Urumqi and to Vienna. After you have accomplished this, you will run through the customs and immigration and if necessary, you will openly ask for a priority. Please, just don't be shy to do that.

When you board the CZ6021, you can be really relaxed because upon arrival in Urumqi you will get a some kind of herd leader that will guide you through all the necessary formalities. Urumqi is a very special place and it has this infamous 2 hour limit visa free transit rule. Your flight is perfectly within the mentioned limits, so you are confirmed fine. Really, you should not worry because we have a number of wonderful first hand testimonies about the visa free transit eligibility of CZ6021 flight.

Part three:

By the way, you have arrived here as a gift because you will travel through Urumqi within some time and you can really help Urška a lot. Of course, she will travel toward Urumqi in the opposite way and her problem is that her flight CZ6022 will have, unfortunately, 2 hours and 10 minutes of layover, i.e. 10 minutes more than it is allowed. Anyway, there are some indications that China Southern will bypass this obstacle and allow to its passengers to enjoy 24 hour visa free transit regardless the mentioned 10 minutes longer than allowed layover. So, it would be really of great help if you could ask some of the immigration officials in person whether the flight CZ6022 with the layover of 2 hours and 10 minutes will be eligible for 24 hour visa free transit or not. Please, your contribution in this sense would be invaluable for your compatriot Urška, but also for the traveling community because many of them will use this flight via Urumqi. Thank you in advance :)

Thank you for all information.

Unfortunately Urška will be the first one becouse We start traveling in 12 of February next year, so I culd not share my experiece to Urška. And our flight from Guangzhou to Viena is CZ6021.

Thank you again mr. ZUPAN

Indeed, she will fly during December. OK, let's hope that somebody will appear to give her and all of us a first hand experience for her flight, that is CZ6022.

You are fine with your CZ6021 because it has exactly 2 hour layover in Urumqi.

Boštjan, enjoy your trip to the Philippines :)