144 hour visa free transit

Question

I am traveling to China on a British Passport.  I am leaving from Sydney direct to Shanghai, then flying out through Hong Kong.  Do I actually need to enter Hong Kong to qualify for the 144-hour transit visa or can I just be in transit.

Borut · Answer

You can be just in transit and there is no need to formally enter Hong Kong. The basic rule of 144 hour visa free transit requires that the immediate points before and after your mainland Chinese destination have to be in two different countries or eligible territories (eligible territories: Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau) regardless of the nature of that points. In other words, your flight toward Hong Kong, even if you will be in a transit for just 90 minutes, makes you eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in wider Shanghai area. You can proceed with your travel plans with absolute peace of mind.

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144 Hour visa free transit