Question

Asked by Eugenio Bernardi from united kingdom | Oct. 07, 2019 02:45

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Flying back from Macau to London with 2 stops in China Mainland!!!

Hello, I'll travelling to China in 10 days with a direct AirChina flight from London to Beijing.
I live in the UK, but have and Italian passport. I already applied and obtained a tourist visa with 1 entry for the whole journey from the Chinese Visa centre in London.

My only doubt is still concerning my return journey:
I visit Macau as last, where I know I won't need any additional visa to enter, but I'll also consume my single entry visa for China.
I then have my flights back (all AirChina again) to London from Macau, but with two stops in China Mainland:

1- Macau to Wuhan with 2:40h layover in Wuhan
2- Wuhan to Beijing with 5h layover in Beijing
3- Beijing to London

The exit from China is within 24H from landing in Wuhan.
I have and Italian passport expiring in 2023 and I know both Wuhan and Beijing offer the free-transfer-visa.

An I going to be alright for the flights back to the UK?
Do I need to apply for a free-transfer-visa before leaving from Macau?

I already checked this 100 time on the internet, but I really want to make sure asking here as well, as the airline AirChina was not really helpful at the phone and there is this "2h minimum" layover rule that is really confusing.

Thank you!

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Answers (2)

Answered by ZUPAN | Oct. 07, 2019 15:49

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Part one:

Eugenio, your situation is really easy and you are definitely eligible for 24 hour visa free transit for your journey back, from Macau to London via Wuhan and Beijing.

I realize you have absorbed a lot of information, even the 2 hour rule :) Anyway, 2 hour rule is applied in Urumqi only and you will see this city only from above flying on your flight to London from some 11 kilometers.

To clarify... The rule is very simple, your single entry visa will expire at the very moment when you exit from mainland China to Macau. Anyway, you have bought a ticket with eligible itinerary because the rule says that if your entire transit time in mainland China, counting from your first scheduled landing, in your case in Wuhan, until your last scheduled departure, in your case from Beijing, is less than 24 hours, you are eligible for 24 hour visa free transit.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Oct. 07, 2019 15:50

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Part two:

You will print out your flight tickets and have those printouts with you. At check-in in Macau, you will declare that you will travel to London via Wuhan and Beijing and you will also present your tickets. After a short inspection, you will be allowed to board the plane.

Upon your arrival in Wuhan, you will apply for a temporary entry permit because the next segment will be a domestic flight to Beijing. This is all just fine and after you arrive in Beijing and you exit the plane, you will proceed toward the exit and then just head toward the security to cross into an airside area of the airport toward your gate, for your flight to London. Of course, you will ask in Macau whether your luggage will be tagged all the way to London. This is important detail because it will tell you whether you will have to make new check-in or just proceed toward the gate with your boarding passes.

To conclude, these are more technicalities that you will easily overcome after you know that your itinerary does not require a visa. Just be relaxed, you have everything in your hands.

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