240 visa waiver vs £130 tourist visa

Question

Hi - I am really hoping someone can help please. We are confused. We fly from Manchester UK to Beijing leaving on April 27th and arriving April 28th. We are in Beijing then go to Shanghai. We then from Shanghai to Tokyo on the 7th May - so if you include the arrival and departure dates we are in China for 10 days. Does the 240hour visa waiver start at midnight on the 28th April and would we be okay using this ? Thank you

Answer

The 144-hour (6-day) or 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policies in China allow eligible travelers from certain countries to stay in designated cities or regions without obtaining a standard tourist visa. The 240-hour visa waiver is available in specific cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and a few others, provided you are entering and leaving through designated airports or ports.

For your itinerary:

Arrival: April 28 in Beijing
Travel: Beijing to Shanghai within China
Departure: May 7 from Shanghai to Tokyo

The key points regarding the 240-hour visa-free transit:

The 240-hour period starts from the actual time of entry into the city where the visa-free policy applies, not from midnight of the day of arrival. So if you arrive in Beijing on April 28 at 10:00 AM, your 240-hour clock starts at that time.
240 hours equals 10 days, so counting from April 28, you would be covered until May 8, which means your 10-day stay (April 28 to May 7) is within the allowed duration.
You must arrive and depart through ports or airports that are part of the 240-hour visa-free transit program. Beijing Capital Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport are included, so your flights comply.
The visa-free transit is valid only if you are traveling onward to a third country (in your case, Japan), not returning to your point of origin.

Given your dates and route:

You arrive in Beijing on April 28, stay for several days, travel to Shanghai, and leave for Tokyo on May 7.
Your stay of 10 days fits exactly within the 240-hour allowance, so you would be covered under the visa-free transit without needing a standard tourist visa.
Ensure you have proof of onward travel (flight to Tokyo) and may be asked to provide hotel bookings or itinerary details at immigration.

Alternative option:

If you were to obtain a standard tourist visa (around £130), it would allow more flexibility in case of unexpected changes, or if you wanted to travel outside the designated cities. However, for your planned itinerary, this is not strictly necessary.

In conclusion, using the 240-hour visa waiver is appropriate and sufficient for your 10-day stay in Beijing and Shanghai. Just make sure to comply with the entry and exit requirements and keep your onward travel documents ready.

240 visa waiver vs £130 tourist visa

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