Question

Asked by Muhammad from indonesia | Dec. 23, 2025 21:39

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

China TWOV with KUL-CAN-DOH and DOH-CAN-KUL

I am an Indonesian passport holder and would like to confirm my eligibility for the 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit policy at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN).

My itinerary is as follows:

1. Outbound Transit (Guangzhou):
· Route: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) → Guangzhou, China (CAN) → Doha, Qatar (DOH)
· Date of Arrival in Guangzhou: January 23, 2026
· Transit Duration: 20 hours and 5 minutes
2. Inbound Transit (Guangzhou):
· Route: Doha, Qatar (DOH) → Guangzhou, China (CAN) → Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL)
· Date of Arrival in Guangzhou: January 31, 2026
· Transit Duration: 6 hours and 25 minutes

My questions are:

1. For the outbound transit (KUL-CAN-DOH), am I eligible to apply for the 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit to leave the airport?
2. For the inbound transit (DOH-CAN-KUL), am I also eligible to apply for the 144-Hour (or 24-Hour) Visa-Free Transit to leave the airport?

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Answers (2)

Answered by Borut | Dec. 24, 2025 06:19

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Part 1:

Muhammad, the first and the most important detail is that you are eligible for 24 hour visa free transit because your transit time is shorter than 24 hours. You do not need a visa, of course. I can see that you are mentioning 144 hour visa free transit and I would like to inform you that this scheme was abolished roughly a year ago in favor of more generous 240 hour visa free transit. Indonesians are eligible for 240 hour visa free transit, but since your transit time in China is shorter than 24 hours, you will be treated under 24 hour visa free transit scheme and not under 240 hour visa free transit.

1. As I have already explained, you will travel under 24 hour visa free transit. Since your layover at Guangzhou airport is a long one, you can apply, upon landing, for a temporary entry permit to be allowed to exit the airport to do some sightseeing and/or to have an overnight rest in the hotel, if you plan something like this. It is important to understand that the granting of a temporary entry permit is never guaranteed since it is a bonus and not a passenger right, but is decided on case by case basis. In order to apply for a temporary entry permit you will, upon landing, fill out arrival card, perform fingerprinting, head to the 24/240 hour visa free transit counter where you will present your flight tickets (it is advisable to have them as printout) and ask for a temporary entry permit. If the permit is granted, you will head to the immigration and then to the city to enjoy your time on your own. This is valid for every citizenship when traveling on 24 hour visa free transit scheme. Since your layover is a very long one, your chances to be granted a temporary entry permit are practically granted.

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Answered by Borut | Dec. 24, 2025 06:21

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Part 2:

2. During this (second) layover, I would not recommend you to apply for a temporary entry permit because the chances are high that your application will be rejected. Airport authorities usually grant permits to those with layovers longer than 8 hours. In any case, it is your right to apply for a permit and to wait for decision by the relevant airport authorities. I wish you a nice journey.

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