Transit without visa

Question

Hi all,

I know there’s a lot of questions about this, but we will be travel with kids so want to make sure we 100% would meet the 10 days visa free requirement. We are U.S. citizens and we have the following itinerary planned:

US - Japan -Guangzhou -US

We plan on taking the ferry in Guangzhou to HK directly to the airport and then fly back direct to the U.S. I believe under the rules, we disregard HK. We want to confirm that we qualify for the transit without visa and can stay in Guangzhou for up to 10 days. Wasn’t sure if U.S. counts as “third country” if we are U.S. citizens. I’m also assuming that there’s no applications before arrivals and no fees associated with this?

Answer

As U.S. citizens, your itinerary of U.S. → Japan → Guangzhou → Hong Kong (then ferry to HK airport) → U.S. generally qualifies for China’s 144-hour (6-day) visa-free transit policy, and under the recently expanded pilot program in Guangdong Province, U.S. travelers are also eligible for the new 10-day visa-free transit in the Greater Bay Area. However, there are some key details to confirm to ensure full compliance with the rules.

First, the visa-free transit policy applies to travelers transiting through mainland China from one country to another, meaning your entry point (Japan) and exit point (Hong Kong, even though it’s part of China, is treated as a separate immigration region) qualify as “different countries or regions” under the Chinese immigration definition. Therefore, your route meets the “third country” rule — the fact that you are U.S. citizens does not affect this eligibility as long as your travel path follows the international transit rule.

Second, the 10-day visa-free transit for Guangdong applies to arrivals in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Zhuhai, provided you stay only within the Guangdong Province during your visit. You can exit the mainland portion of China via Hong Kong or Macau as part of the same journey, which aligns perfectly with your plan to take the ferry from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.

Eligible entry ports: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Zhuhai Jinwan Airport, and major land or ferry ports such as Guangzhou Nansha Port or Zhuhai Jiuzhou Port.
Eligible exit ports: You may leave Guangdong Province by ferry or land crossing into Hong Kong or Macau, or by air from one of the eligible airports.
Permitted area: Travel is limited to Guangdong Province; you may not leave the province during the stay.

Third, regarding your concern about applications or fees — there is no pre-application or visa fee for this policy. You simply inform your airline before boarding your flight to Guangzhou that you intend to use the visa-free transit policy, and they will notify Chinese immigration in advance. Upon arrival, you proceed to the “24/72/144-hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV)” counter where officers will review your passport, onward ticket to Hong Kong, and accommodation details. Once approved, you’ll receive a temporary stay permit stamp in your passport that authorizes you to remain in Guangdong for the allowed period.

No application needed in advance — everything is handled on arrival.
No fee required — it’s a free entry permission for qualifying travelers.
Documents needed: Valid passport, confirmed onward ticket (to Hong Kong in your case), and accommodation booking within Guangdong.

Finally, note that while the term “10-day visa-free transit” is used in official communications for Guangdong’s extended stay policy, the widely recognized 144-hour (6-day) visa-free transit rule still applies for most Chinese cities, including Guangzhou. The 10-day version is part of a pilot program aimed at expanding flexibility in the Greater Bay Area. If immigration officers apply the 144-hour rule instead of 10 days at the time of your entry, you will still be fully covered for your short stay in Guangzhou.

In summary:

Your itinerary qualifies for visa-free transit because Japan → Guangzhou → Hong Kong → U.S. involves three distinct regions.
Hong Kong counts as a different region for transit purposes, so it meets the “third country” rule.
No advance application or fee is required — just present your onward ferry or flight ticket and hotel booking upon arrival.
Stay within Guangdong Province, and depart to Hong Kong within the allowed period (up to 10 days under the new rule or 144 hours if officers apply the standard rule).

Therefore, you can confidently proceed with your plan. Your family will be able to stay in Guangzhou without applying for a visa beforehand, provided all transit and itinerary details meet the requirements stated above.

Transit without visa

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