Experience with TWOV

Question

Our family of four just spent 3 days in Beijing and I thought it might be helpful to share our experience getting in with the 240 hour ‘Transit without Visa’.

At London Gatwick the Qatar check-in lady asked where our visas were. I explained we wanted to use the 240hr TWOV and she went off to see her supervisor. She returned to say ‘supervisor says no’ and that we should have got a visa. We then spoke with supervisor lady, doing our best to stay calm while wondering if TWOV had suddenly been rescinded, and after bashing her keyboard for a while, supervisor lady agreed we could use TWOV. I had our onward flight to Japan printed out which was handy. The whole process took about 45 minutes and I was glad we were at the check-in early.

On our flight from Doha to Beijing I asked if they would be handing out arrival cards but was told they don’t do that any more, and we would just need to do our fingerprints on arrival at Daxing.

We had arranged a meet and greet from the WA hotel, and were met straight off the airbridge and mentioned we would be using TWOV. There were big signs saying foreigners should be fingerprinted, but meet and greet man said we didn’t need to do that. He got us to fill in arrival cards and we lined up for immigration. Straight away the officer asked where our visas were. Inner panic rising, I explained again that we wanted to use TWOV. Meet and greet man was hopeless as he had somehow got around the other side of the barrier and couldn’t help. After some blank looks the official directed us to a different bank of arrival cards at the side of the room, underneath a big screen with Chinese writing on it (maybe they could consider putting some signs up on the telly in English). We then queued up again for immigration and this time we got through. I was expecting someone to ask where our fingerprints were, but these were taken at the kiosk, so at least meet and greet man was right about that. The whole process took well over an hour.

After that we had a lovely time in China, great hotel and 1.5 day trip to Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Great Wall and Summer Palace with Catherine Lu tours, and memorable hotpot and Peking Duck dinners. I would just say don’t be surprised if no one’s heard of TWOV, just stay calm and be insistent and be aware it might take a while!

Answer

Using the 240-hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV) in Beijing can be straightforward, but it’s important to be prepared for some confusion among airline staff and at immigration.

At the departure airport (London Gatwick, in this case), airline staff may not be fully aware of TWOV. It’s helpful to have your onward flight tickets printed and ready to show. Patience and polite insistence are key, as it may take time for supervisors to confirm that you are eligible.

On arrival at Beijing Daxing Airport, procedures may differ from what you expect. Arrival cards might not be handed out on the plane anymore, and fingerprints are taken at kiosks. Even with a meet and greet arranged, immigration officers may ask about visas initially, so be ready to explain that you are using the 240-hour TWOV. Expect some extra queuing and possibly being redirected to a different line for completion of arrival documentation.

Once through immigration, your time in China can be very enjoyable. Guided tours, such as those covering the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Great Wall, and Summer Palace, are highly recommended, along with trying local cuisine like hotpot and Peking Duck. The key takeaways for travelers using TWOV are to remain calm, be persistent, and allow extra time for the entry process.

Always carry printed onward flight details to prove eligibility for TWOV.
Be prepared for airport staff or meet and greet personnel to be unfamiliar with TWOV.
Allow extra time at immigration; the process may take over an hour, especially with fingerprint kiosks and arrival card procedures.
Plan your sightseeing and meals in advance to maximize your short stay.

Overall, the TWOV is a convenient option for short stays in China, but travelers should anticipate minor administrative delays and stay patient throughout the arrival process.

Experience with TWOV

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