Visa Advice

Question

HI All,

We are traveling from London to Guangzhou on 4th July we arrive morning of the 5th of July.

We are then planning on spending 2 nights in Macao 5th and 6th of July.

We are then doing an internal flight from Gunagzhou to Liyi 7th-8th July

We are then returning to Guanzhou for 8th-10th July before flying from Guangzhou-London on 10th July.

Do I require a visa for this trip or am i covered under the 240 hour visa tree transit? i am getting conflicting advice from chatgpt and other articles online.

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Answer

For your planned trip, visa requirements depend on the duration of your stay, entry points, and whether you are transiting through China without leaving designated areas. Here's a detailed breakdown based on your itinerary:

1. London → Guangzhou (arrival 5th July)

Since you are entering China from London, you generally require a valid Chinese visa unless you are eligible for a transit visa exemption.

2. Guangzhou → Macao (5th-6th July)

Macao is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. UK passport holders can enter Macao visa-free for up to 180 days. Note that traveling from Mainland China to Macao involves exiting China and entering Macao, so this counts as a separate border entry.

3. Guangzhou → Linyi (internal flight, 7th-8th July)

Domestic flights within China require that you already hold a valid Chinese visa. The 144-hour or 240-hour transit visa exemption only applies to foreign nationals transiting through certain international airports without leaving the designated areas or for specific nearby regions. Once you leave the airport for domestic travel, the exemption no longer applies.

4. Guangzhou → London (departure 10th July)

When returning to Guangzhou for your international flight home, you must have a valid exit permit, which would be your standard visa.

Option 1: Apply for a regular Chinese tourist visa (L visa) in advance from the Chinese consulate in London. This will cover your arrival in Guangzhou, domestic travel to Linyi, and return to Guangzhou before flying home.
Option 2: Attempt to use the 240-hour visa-free transit (for Guangdong province) for your initial entry, but this is generally not suitable if you plan to leave the airport for Macao or take domestic flights, as the exemption applies only to direct transit and specified regions.
Option 3: If your stay in Guangzhou is strictly less than 72/144/240 hours and you only stay in the permitted area, you might qualify for transit exemption, but your itinerary with Macao and Linyi travel makes this option highly risky and likely invalid.

Important Notes:

The 240-hour visa-free transit is typically for travelers passing through the Pearl River Delta region airports (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai) and is designed for short layovers where travelers do not leave the region extensively.
Crossing into Macao counts as leaving Mainland China, which invalidates the transit exemption.
Domestic flights inside China require a valid Chinese visa regardless of the transit exemption.
It is strongly recommended to obtain a standard tourist visa before departure to ensure smooth travel and avoid denied boarding or entry.

In summary, for your travel plan—London → Guangzhou → Macao → Linyi → Guangzhou → London—you will need a standard Chinese tourist visa (L visa). Relying on the 240-hour transit exemption would not cover your full itinerary due to Macao entry and domestic flights.

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