Question

Asked by Maria Liaqat from australia | Dec. 03, 2025 01:57

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Does China Southern provide hotel accommodation if transit is 23 hours?

Hi,

I am planning to travel from Brisbane to Lahore on China Southern. I have a 23 hours layover/transit in Guangzhou on the way to Lahore and 15 hour on the way back to Brisbane. I want to ask:

1. Does the airline provide transit accommodation for such long layovers?
2. If yes, then if the transit hotel provided is outside the airport, will I have to apply for visa to exit the airport? I hold a Pakistani passport.
3. Even if the airline does not provide transit hotel and I apply for a hotel outside, I would still need a visa. What visa would that be? I heard something about a 24 transit without visa. Will I have that on Pakistani passport on arrival? Or do I have to apply for some other visa before I travel?
4. If I end up not eligible for 24 TWO, and there is no option to exit the airport during the transit, will I still need some other documentation to stay within the transit area or airport hotel until my next flight?

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Answers (6)

Answered by Borut | Dec. 03, 2025 12:00

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Hi Maria,

1. I am afraid that we cannot offer you a reliable answer because China Southern is in no way related to this website. However, based on your itinerary (long-haul flights) and your very long layover in Guangzhou, I would say that you are almost certainly eligible for free transit accommodation. I would advise you to check thoroughly the following website, please, copy and paste the link: https://www.csair.com/mcms/mcmsNewSite/en/cn/#/tourguide/transit_flow/free

2. Transit accommodations provided by China Southern are always provided outside the airport or better to say, it is provided landside and you have to cross the immigration in order to reach any of them. The good detail here is that you do not need a visa to enjoy your accommodation because you can apply and obtain a temporary entry permit that will allow you to cross the immigration, to formally enter China and to have a good night rest before the continuation of your flight. Here one huge warning! Temporary entry permit is not a passenger's right, but a possibility or a bonus offered to those with long layovers, elderly and those traveling with small children. Even then, it is always decided on case by case basis. So, the chances that you will be granted a temporary entry permit are really very good, but not guaranteed. Basically, it is your right to travel through China visa free when your layover is shorter than 24 hours (as it is in your case), but your right is not to exit the airport. Your chances are very good, but again, not guaranteed.

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Answered by Borut | Dec. 03, 2025 12:11

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3. I have already partially answered, but I will repeat it here because this is very important detail. So, since you have a layover (always based on scheduled arrival and departure times) shorter than 24 hours and that automatically means that it is your right to travel via (through) China visa free based on 24 hour visa free transit scheme. This is something you can take for granted. When traveling on 24 hour visa free transit, your right is to travel visa free and to remain in the transit area (airside). In case if a transit time (layover) is very long, you can apply for a temporary entry permit upon your landing in Guangzhou. This is done at 24/240 hour visa free transit counter by presenting your flight tickets and your hotel booking or free accommodation provided by an airline. Here you can expect two outcomes. The most probable is a positive one because your layover is very long and you intend to stay at the hotel during the night hours. So, when your temporary entry permit is granted, you will head to the immigration and then to the city to stay in the hotel overnight. You are not limited to your hotel, of course. You can explore the city as well. In other words, hotel booking always helps and if the airlines is offering an accommodation that helps even more. Also, there is a possibility that the authorities simply refuse to grant you a temporary entry permit without explanation because this permit is not a passenger's right, but a bonus that is always decided on case by case basis on the day of arrival.

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Answered by Borut | Dec. 03, 2025 12:17

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If you want to be 100% certain that you will be allowed to exit the airport, a Chinese transit (G) visa obtained in advance is a must. In any case, I do not advise the hassle with obtaining a visa just for this layover since it is covered by 24 hour visa free transit and hopefully with positive outcome as far as temporary entry permit is concerned. If I were you I would not obtain anything in advance, but would rely on some level of luck in obtaining a temporary entry permit upon landing in Guangzhou. If your application for a temporary entry permit is negative, well, I know that 23 hours are quite a long time at the airport, but you will manage to survive it.

4. You are definitely and without any doubt eligible for 24 hour visa free transit and you do not need any kind of visa, but you can be rejected when applying for a temporary entry permit upon landing in Guangzhou. If rejected for a temporary entry permit upon landing, you will just remain at the transit zone (airside) of Guangzhou airport and you do not need any documentation beside your passport. I hope you will be successful in obtaining a temporary entry permit and consequently I wish you a pleasant journey.

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Answered by Maria | Dec. 03, 2025 17:14

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Thank you for such a detailed response!

Just out of curiosity, what would the cost be if I were to apply for the temporary visa to try and make sure there is no reliance on luck?

Another question, let's say I do not apply for the temporary visa and when I get to the airport immigration, I am not granted the 24/240 visa on my Pakistani passport - or whatever their reason may be, I will have to stay in the airport for a whole day. I checked that the airport hotel on the airside in Guangzhou is closed at that moment. I think the name is Aeroport hotel. What other options would I have to spend a whole day with a 9 year old? Do you have any idea if there are other hotels airside? Or facilities?

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Answered by Borut | Dec. 04, 2025 00:17

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Maria, temporary entry permit is something you will apply for upon your landing in Guangzhou and it is free of charge. You were probably thinking about a transit (G) visa that should be obtained in advance? If I am not wrong, its price is about 100 AUD if obtained in Australia, however, it could be somewhat problematic to obtain it in Australia for a citizen of Pakistan. If you have residency in Australia then fine, but if not it is questionable whether your application will be accepted for processing. You can try if you think that all the procedures of visa obtaining are worth the hassle. I would still stick to the luck and very good chance in obtaining a temporary entry permit upon landing in Guangzhou.

Again, you will fly on 24 hour visa free transit. This is a status that allows you to travel through China visa free. This is not something that you get or obtain. This is your status and your right, but it is a temporary entry permit upon arrival that may be granted or denied. So, if it is denied, you will really have to stay in the transit area for the entire duration of your layover. However, since you are traveling with a child and with 23 hours of layover, your chances to be granted a temporary entry permit are really excellent.

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Answered by Borut | Dec. 04, 2025 00:18

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As far as I know, the airside hotel (Aerotel) is really currently closed, so you do not have much options, but to find a suitable part of the transit area to have a nap and to walk around... I really cannot tell you more because I am not aware of some other stuff beside shops, restaurants, wi-fi areas and similar. Also, I am not aware about other accommodation facilities airside beside the closed Aerotel. I am sorry for not being more helpful in this regard. In any case, I would say that it would be really a miracle if you were not granted a temporary entry permit. I am quite positive that your application for one will have a positive outcome. Just be relaxed, everything will be fine.

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