10 day transit visa

Question

Hello, im wanting to book Beijing but a bit confused about the transit rules. Will my flights going from London to Amsterdam ( 1 hour 55 min layover ) to Beijing. Then Bejing to France ( 1 hour 30 min layover ) back to London Qualify for the 10 day transit visa?

Answer

The 10-day transit visa in China is designed for travelers who are transiting through China to a third country, allowing a stay of up to 10 days without a full visa. However, eligibility depends on your travel itinerary and entry/exit points.

Based on your proposed flights:

London → Amsterdam (1h 55min layover) → Beijing
Beijing → France (1h 30min layover) → London

Important points to consider:

Transit visa eligibility: To qualify for a transit visa, you must enter China from one country and depart to a different country. The transit should be through an international airport in China, and your onward flight must be confirmed.
Third country requirement: In your itinerary, Beijing is your entry point, and your next flight is to France. Since France is a third country relative to your entry from the UK (London), this meets the basic requirement for the transit visa.
Layovers before and after Beijing: The short layovers in Amsterdam and France (under 2 hours) do not affect eligibility, as the transit visa rules focus on entry and exit points from China, not connections outside China.
Visa application: Even though your itinerary qualifies in principle, you must apply for the 10-day transit visa before travel or confirm that you are eligible for the 144-hour/10-day visa waiver in Beijing. Not all nationalities qualify automatically, so U.S., UK, or EU passports may have different rules.

Additional considerations:

Ensure all flights are confirmed and you can present the onward boarding passes from Beijing to France at immigration.
Check with the Chinese consulate or embassy for your nationality-specific rules, as some transit visa waivers only apply at certain airports or regions in China.
If approved, you can stay in Beijing for up to 10 days, but any domestic travel or multiple entries would require a full visa.

In summary, your planned route appears to meet the basic criteria for a 10-day transit visa in Beijing, provided you confirm eligibility based on your nationality and have confirmed onward tickets to France. Short layovers outside China do not affect the transit visa eligibility.