Question

Asked by Jennie from united states | Jan. 08, 2026 21:05

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

China transit without visa TWOV for 240 hours itinerary for US citizen

My flight is US-Taiwan-South Korea-Hong Kong-Guangdong-US. Since I arrive into Hong Kong from South Korea and leave Guangdong to US I think this may qualify China's TWOV 240 hrs but could you please help confirm this.
I will arrive in Hong Kong stay 5 days then take ferry to Guangdong (Nansha port) stay 8 days. I will depart Nansha port directly into HKG aiport for flight departure USA. Does this itinerary qualify for China's TWOV for 240 hours? The TWOV starts when I arrive in Guangdong, not Hong Kong correct? Thanks for your help.

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Answers (2)

Answered by Borut | Jan. 09, 2026 04:32

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Part 1:

Jennie, your itinerary needs a correction in order to be eligible for 240 hour visa free transit. In your current itinerary you have a situation where you depart toward mainland China from Hong Kong and you also return to Hong Kong after mainland China. This is not allowed because the basic rule of 240 hour visa free transit requires that the immediate points before and after mainland China have to be in two different countries or eligible territories (eligible territories are Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau). In your case both of your immediate points are in Hong Kong and that is not allowed.

The correction in your itinerary is easy to accomplish. Instead of taking a ferry from Hong Kong to Guangdong province (Nansha port), you will take a ferry from Hong Kong to Macau. As soon as you arrive in Macau you will change for a ferry to Shekou in Shenzhen. Please, be careful because there are just 4 daily departures from Macau to Shekou (Shenzhen) and the last departure is at 18:00. Like this you will have an eligible itinerary that will look exactly like this as far as the mainland Chinese rules are concerned: Macau - mainland China (Guangdong province) - Hong Kong.

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Answered by Borut | Jan. 09, 2026 04:37

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Part 2:

It is essential to have in mind that you will have to buy your ferry ticket from Nansha to HKG airport in advance, even before you depart toward mainland China. I assume that here you intend to travel from Nansha to Skypier of HKG airport. So, please, have in mind this detail. Please, book a ferry ticket for this journey in advance because it is compulsory. Instead of Nansha you can also use Pazhou ferry port in central Guangzhou to reach HKG airport Skypier port. OK, the ferries from Nasha have better frequency compared to those from Pazhou.

The time of your available 240 hours is counted when you enter mainland China (Guangdong). Your time spend in Hong Kong and/or Macau is not counted against your available 240 hours. Hong Kong and Macau have separate immigration policies. So, introducing Macau is essential in order to make your itinerary eligible for 240 hour visa free transit scheme. When you arrive in Shekou do not confuse yourself because you will see some people approaching visa office. This is not for you because you will not apply for Shenzhen VOA, but you will apply for 240 hour visa free transit. When you clear all the formalities, the best option is to take a taxi from Shekou port to Shenzhen North railway station from where you can take a train to your final destination. I know that this correction makes your itinerary somewhat more complicated, but it is essential in order to make it eligible for 240 hour visa free transit. Have a nice visit to China.

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