Question

Asked by Lily from united kingdom | Feb. 02, 2026 03:55

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

Visa-free entry permit to access rest of airport during connecting layover

Hello! I have a British passport and I'm flying from London to Auckland New Zealand, via Haikou Meilan airport in China with Hainan Airlines. From London, I will have a three hour layover at Changsha and from there I fly to Haikou, with a 5 hour stop over for a connecting flight to Auckland. I have been researching and am struggling to find if the airline provides a 'through check-in service' for baggage, so I won't have to claim it and check it in again during the connecting layover. However, if this is the case, will I need to apply for the "24 hour visa-free entry permit" to claim my luggage during the connection? Apologies if my phrasing is confusing. Many thanks

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Answers (1)

Answered by Borut | Feb. 02, 2026 16:53

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Lily, we will disperse all the confusion. The most important detail is that your itinerary is eligible for 24 hour visa free transit and you do not need any kind of visa. There will be some procedures and here I will explain starting with your layover in Changsha:

- Upon landing in Changsha you will fill out arrival card and tick transit in the appropriate box on the arrival card
- Perform fingerprinting at automatic fingerprinting machine
- Approach 24/240 hour visa free transit counter where you will present your flight tickets, your arrival card and fingerprinting receipt
- You will receive a temporary entry permit in your passport
- You will cross the entry immigration because your next flight is a domestic one and you will head to the gate for your flight to Haikou

In Haikou:

- Upon your arrival in Haikou you will collect your luggage and re-check it for your flight to Auckland
- When you have checked your luggage you will cross the exit immigration and head to the gate to your flight to Auckland.

You should not worry because you will see many passengers using exactly this flight option (itinerary) to reach destinations like Australia, New Zealand and many other countries in Southeast Asia. Since you are flying with Hainan Airlines you will receive a very good support and explanations en route. You have perfectly enough time in both Changsha and in Haikou to perform all the formalities. Just approach to this journey with absolute peace of mind. I hope this helps.

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