Question

Asked by Sha from united kingdom | Nov. 21, 2025 20:59

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Twov question

Hi there,

Im british and travelling from Japan to the UK with transits in China. The itinerary will be as follows,

- Tokyo to xian (short transit time, wont be leaving the airport)

- Xian to Shanghai ( long transit time, want to leave airport)

- Shangai to London.

The whole trip will be longer than 24hrs.

- Will I need to get a TWOV thing in Xian even though I'm not leaving the airport? Or do I get it in Shanghai when I do?

- Will I need to exit the airport at Xian after getting the transit visa or will I go straight to the gate?

Thanks

Reply

Answers (2)

Answered by Borut | Nov. 25, 2025 15:19

0 0 Reply

In reality, the situation is quite simple. When traveling to China it is always the first point of landing the place where you will perform your entry formalities. So, when you land in Xi'an you will fill out arrival cards, perform fingerprinting at automatic fingerprinting machine and approach 24/240 hour visa free transit counter where you will apply for a temporary entry permit. Attention, this is not a visa of any kind, but a temporary entry permit.

When your permit is granted you will head to the immigration and then to collect your luggage (if you need it to collect - you will ask during your check-in in Tokyo) and finally head to the gate for your flight to Shanghai. Your flight Xi'an to Shanghai will be purely a domestic one. You should not worry about your ability to exit the airport in Shanghai because you will arrive there as a domestic passenger. If you want you can have a rest in the hotel, explore the city or to have a good meal.

Just to conclude, your main focus will be the formalities in Xi'an. Please, have your tickets printed out or have those flight confirmations received in your email inbox as a screenshot on your smartphone. Also, you will almost certainly have boarding passes and they will be sufficient. Just to reassure you, you do not need any kind of visa for your transit in China. Have a nice journey.

0 0 Reply

Answered by Sha | Nov. 25, 2025 20:31

0 0 Reply

Thank you!

0 0 Reply

See more answers...

Related Questions: