24 hour visa free transit to 72 hour visa

Question

Hello, I am a US citizen with US passport. Can the following itinerary qualify for visa free?1) Laos to Shanghai ( 1 international ticket, without exiting airport and departing for domestic connecting flight in less than 24 hours )2) Shanghai to Guilin  ( 1 domestic ticket)3) Stay in Guilin for less than 72 hours for Visa free requirements4) Flight Guilin to Beijing (1 domestic ticket, without exiting airport and departing for domestic connecting flight in less than 24 hours )5. Beijing to San Francisco ( 1 international ticket to fly home)Does this qualify for Visa free entry for Guilin 72 hours visa? Put another way, are domestic connections allowed if you don't leave the airport and transfer via separate ticket within 24 hours?

Borut · Answer

Actually, it is not 72, but it is brand new (started from December 17th) 240 hours visa free transit that you are eligible for. So, you can do that under 240 hour visa free transit without any visa and without any problem. Here I have to inform you about one important detail. Upon your landing in Shanghai that will be your first stop in China, the first that you will do is to approach a transit counter where you will formally apply for a temporary entry permit for 240 hours visa free transit. This is done always at the first point of your entry into China. So, here you will present your flight tickets and your rough itinerary. After a short check, you will be granted a permit and you will head to the immigration where you will formally enter China because your next flight (to Guilin) will be a domestic one. This application is free from any charge.  I just wanted to inform you about that formality in Shanghai so that you know what will you have to do there. Also, just forget about 72 or 144 hour visa free transit because from December 17 it is 240 hour visa free transit. Have a nice journey.

24 hour visa free transit to 72 hour visa

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