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Question: Asked by James Faulkner from united kingdom | Aug. 25, 2025 02:30

About:240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

240 Hour Visa

Dear Sir,
Please can I check that I won't require a visa for the the following itinerary.
Flight from London to Beijing landing on the 28th October.
Train to Guangzhou on 31st October.
Train to Hong Kong on 5th November.
Flight from Hong Kong 8th November to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
I will then fly back to London from Vietnam on 14th November with a short (1 hour 20 minute) flight connection in Guangzhou.
I will be in Beijing for sightseeing and Guangzhou for the Canton Fair and to visit one of my suppliers factory. I look forward to your reply. Thank you.

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Answers (2): Answered by Borut | Aug. 25, 2025 14:26

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There is no doubt, your itinerary is eligible for 240 hour visa free transit. I will just stress the importance of two details: 1. Your flight from London to Beijing is not allowed to have a landing of any kind. 2. You will have to buy your Guangzhou to Hong Kong West Kowloon station train ticket even before you depart from London toward China. You will be asked to present it in both London at the time of your check-in and upon your landing in Beijing. This particular train ticket is the proof that you will be really in a transit in mainland China, between UK as a country and Hong Kong as an eligible territory. Your flight from Vietnam to London via Guangzhou is unrelated to this itinerary and during your that layover you will just walk from one to the other gate and you do not need to perform any formality nor to fill out any forms. Also, during this layover you will not be a subject of immigration and customs inspection. Have a wonderful journey.

0 0 Reply; Answered by Borut | Aug. 25, 2025 14:41

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Just to add, I have missed one detail. When I wrote that your flight from London to Beijing is not allowed to have a landing of any kind, I missed to write - in Hong Kong :) So, now the information is complete.

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240 Hour Visa