Question

Asked by HN from netherlands | Jul. 26, 2026 11:34

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

18 Hours transfer in Fuzhou, Traveling from Netherlands to Taipei

I have a flight arriving on 13th of September(14:15) and the next leaving on 14th of September(08:45), transfer time 18hours but next day, I am traveling from Amsterdam airport to Fuzhou airport by Xiamen airlines, and again taking the Xiamen airlines from Fuzhou airport to Taipei, I have to collect my baggage and re-check in, I have passport from Pakistan, will I be able to get 24hrs entry visa to collect baggage, do the check in and/or stay in a hotel during the transfer ?

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Answers (4)

Answered by Borut | Jul. 27, 2026 01:08

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Part 1:

Your itinerary is definitely eligible for 24 hour visa free transit and you do not need any kind of visa. Here is what you should do in the exact order:

- Before the flight you will print out your flight tickets and hotel booking confirmations (ticket & hotel booking confirmations). Do not forget to do that! You should have your flight tickets at hand in both Amsterdam and Fuzhou.
- Also, before departure you will fill out Chinese arrival card online through China National Immigration administration website! Do not forget to do that!
- At the moment of check-in in Amsterdam you will present your flight tickets and declare that you are traveling to Taipei via mainland China (Fuzhou) under 24 hour visa free transit scheme. After a short check, you will be issued a boarding pass for your flight to Fuzhou.
- Upon landing in Fuzhou the first thing you will do is to perform fingerprinting at automatic fingerprinting machine.
- After fingerprinting you will proceed to 24/240 hour visa free transit counter where you will apply for the temporary entry permit by presenting your flight tickets and hotel booking confirmations. This is free of any charge. After a short check you will be granted a temporary entry permit because you have to enter China formally because you have to collect and re-check your luggage.
- After you have obtained a temporary entry permit you will proceed to the immigration.

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Answered by Borut | Jul. 27, 2026 01:11

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Part 2:

- After immigration you will collect your luggage and then proceed to your accommodation.
- When the time comes, you will head to the airport to perform check-in or just bags drop off for your flight to Taipei.
- After you have checked the luggage you will cross the security check (metal detector and the stuff), then exit immigration and finally head to the gate for your flight to Taipei.
- It is important to use correct terminology because this is not a 24hrs entry visa, but 24 hour visa free transit scheme and temporary entry permit that you will receive at Fuzhou airport that will allow you to enter mainland China. In other words, there is no any kind of visa at all.

I hope this helps and I wish you a smooth transfer/transit in Fuzhou.

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Answered by HN | Jul. 30, 2026 01:42

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Thank you so much for the reply, Really appreciated.
I had a follow up quetion, So, when I arrive at Fuzhou, I will have a single entry Visa for China, but I dont wanna use it as I am travling back from Taipei to Shanghai after three days and thats when I wanna use my Single entry chinese visa,
So, in this situation while I already have a visa, will I still be able to get a 24 hours transit permit/entry to get my baggage and stay in a hotel? or the immigration will make me use my single entry visa first? and If thats the only way that I have to use my single entry visa first which I dont want to use it during my transit in Fuzhou, will I be able to just stay inside the airport, don't go through immigration, don't bring a luggage as well and just take the next flight straight on? I will be really thankful for your guidance.

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Answered by Borut | Jul. 31, 2026 01:42

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Good question. The answer is simple. During your first layover (Amsterdam -> Taipei direction), you will perform all the steps I have explained and when you approach 24/240 visa free transit counter as well as immigration you will tell them all the time that you want 24 hour visa free transit and to preserve your single entry visa for your next arrival. They will accept that and your visa will be "spared" for your next arrival. This is not a problem since many are doing exactly that. The Chinese immigration authorities are well aware that passengers want to use their visa for a longer visit after that short one and not to use a visa for just 18 hours layover.

So, you can really preserve your visa, but be vigilant, tell that you are using 24 hour visa free transit for this 18 hours long layover and that you will use your visa for your following visit. You will be fine. Also, it will be absolutely necessary for you to perform all the steps I have explained and to formally entry China because your flight scheme simply does not support staying in the transit area because you will have to collect and re-check your luggage. Just to conclude, you are not the first to travel via China by doing that (preserving your visa for the next, real visit) and you will be able to do that during your layover in Fuzhou. Just have your eyes wide open and tell to those in charge plainly what your plan is. Have a smooth layover in Fuzhou and later a nice visit to China.

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