LAX-CAN HKG-LAX

There is no any reason why would you be denied for 144 hour visa free transit. In reality, your itinerary:

Los Angeles - Guangzhou - Hong Kong

Is perfectly eligible for this visa free option. Everything before Los Angeles and after Hong Kong is not any more of interest for mainland Chinese authorities.

You know that your Los Angeles to Guangzhou flight is not allowed to have any additional landing within mainland China.

Also, you are informed that none of train options from Guangdong province to Hong Kong are not eligible.

To be eligible to exit to Hong Kong, I strongly suggest you taking a ferry from either Nansha port (located south from Guangzhou) or from Shekou port in Shenzhen. You will have to book your ferry ticket even before you depart from Los Angeles (you can do it through CKS - Chu Kong Passenger Transport), print it out and have the printout with you as a proof of your transit itinerary.

Also, you will have to take exactly that ferry you have bought your ticket for.

Basically, this is it and if you do your journey in this way, you will enjoy the benefit of 144 hour visa free transit without any problem.

Thank you for clarifying the train/ferry rules to Hong Kong. I know both Nansha & Shekou ports pretty well. Thanks also for recommending CKS.

I only need to be in China for a very short stay, and would much rather avoid the trouble of getting a tourist visa here in Los Angeles when I can do what I need to do in China with a 144 hour transit visa.

Thanks again.

Of course. Why would you bother with unnecessary formalities when you can accomplish everything just by right choice of your flight/ferry options/itineraries.

Hello again,

You mentioned that exiting Guangdong province via train to Hong Kong under the 144 hour transit visa is NOT eligible and that exiting by ferry IS acceptable. I just wanted to confirm this, because I read the following from the article:
"4. Passengers are required to leave from the same airport that they arrive, except in some of the cities with 144-hour visa-free transit scheme where they may enter or leave from land or sea ports."

Thanks again for your help.

The rule passengers have to leave from the same airport is mostly for those inland cities and Guangdong is not in the list. So don't worry too much.

Hi Jenny,

In his original response above, Borut said:
"Also, you are informed that none of train options from Guangdong province to Hong Kong are not eligible."

Can you confirm that entering PRC by air in CAN, and exiting Guangdong via train or ferry to Hong Kong is okay?

Thanks.

Yes, I have written exactly that you are quoting. Guangdong is among just several transit zones where the exit other than by plabne is acceptable. However, the exit by train is not acceptable since there is no more conventional through train in operation that was eligible. This conventional train was scraped in favor of high speed trains and high speed trains are not eligible.

So, by far the best option is to exit toward Hong Kong by ferry from either Nansha or Shekou ports.

You can read more about the possibility of exit by ferry on another section that deals with 144 and not 72 hour visa free transit scheme, where you will find a dedicated website for transit rules in Guangdong province. This 72 rule makes confusion because it is mostly replaced by 144 hour rule and has remaind relevant in just several places.

Please, have in mind to print out your ferry ticket before your departure from US and have it with you in hard copy. Again, you will have to take exactly that ferry you have bought for this purpose.

Now, just go to 144 hours section and just look carefully and you will find Guangdong section there. Just for your peace of mind.

Thank you Borut for your time & effort and for confirming & clarifying.