Live Your Best Lives
  1. Travel FAQs
  2. Asia
  3. China

10 days visa free transit Beijing

Hi, I live in UK. I’m planning To travel for 9 days in Beijing/Shanghai

1. UK - Beijing

2. Shanghai - Hong Kong

3. Hong Kong -Beijing - Uk

On my return to UK there is a connecting flight to Beijing for 3 hours.

Please share your experience on this matter.

Is this trip allowed having a 10 days visa free transit?

Thanks Mikey

For a UK citizen planning a trip as you described, it is important to understand how China’s visa-free transit policies work and whether they apply to your itinerary.

Here is the breakdown of your trip:

  • UK → Beijing: You plan to enter Beijing for the first leg of your trip. For a stay of 9 days, you would need a proper Chinese tourist visa, because the standard 10-day visa-free transit in Beijing is only for transit passengers connecting to a third country or region, not for a full 9-day stay within China.
  • Shanghai → Hong Kong: Traveling from Shanghai to Hong Kong is considered leaving mainland China. You do not need a visa for Hong Kong if you qualify under Hong Kong’s entry rules.
  • Hong Kong → Beijing → UK: On your return, you have a 3-hour connecting flight in Beijing. If you remain in the international transit area without passing through immigration, this short connection is allowed without a visa. You would not be eligible for a 10-day visa-free transit because your previous stay in Beijing/Shanghai was not a transit, but a domestic stay within China.

Important considerations:

  • The 10-day visa-free transit in Beijing is designed only for passengers who are flying into China and onward to a third country, without leaving the transit area or staying in Beijing beyond 10 days. It does not cover long stays or trips where you enter China and then travel domestically.
  • For your 9-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai, you must obtain a standard Chinese tourist visa in advance from a Chinese consulate or visa center in the UK.
  • The 3-hour connection on the return leg is a typical airport transit, so as long as you do not go through immigration, no additional visa is needed.

In summary, your planned 9-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai cannot rely on the 10-day visa-free transit. You need a proper Chinese visa for your main stay, and the short airport transit on your return from Hong Kong to Beijing does not require a visa as long as you stay in the international transit area.

More China Travel Questions

The attractions mentioned in this question

Beijing
China
China
country
Shanghai

Popular Destinations

Notre-Dame de Fourviere
Binhe Road Green Corridor
Kaiyuan Temple
Manzhouli Wedding Palace

Popular Travel Questions