Trying to understand TWOV - help with itinerary

Question

We're hoping to do a trip to both Japan and China in October.

Plan is to fly with Air China from London to Osaka - with a one hour layover in Shanghai.

Then 2 weeks later fly from Tokyo to Shanghai - stay in Shanghai for 2 nights, then fly to Beijing and stay in Beijing for 2 nights. Then finally a flight back to London from Beijing. Total time spent in China is not decide yet, but would be a maximum of 7 days..

Would this trip be possible under TWOV for a British passport holder, or would we need to amend our route/apply for a visa?

Answer

For a British passport holder, China offers the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) or the 24/144/144-hour visa-free transit policy in certain cities. However, there are some important details for your planned itinerary.

Firstly, the short one-hour layover in Shanghai on your London–Osaka flight is likely too brief to use TWOV, as you will not be leaving the transit area. Most transit without visa rules are designed for longer layovers where travelers enter the city.

For your October trip returning to China from Tokyo:

Shanghai and Beijing are included in the 24-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit zones for British citizens, depending on your entry point and departure method. For a stay of 2 nights in Shanghai followed by 2 nights in Beijing, you will exceed the 24- or 144-hour transit limits if you attempt to rely on TWOV.
TWOV rules typically require that you have an onward ticket to a third country (in your case, flying from Shanghai to Beijing is considered domestic, not international, so TWOV would not cover multiple-city travel within China).

Options to consider:

Apply for a standard Chinese tourist visa (L visa) before your trip. This will allow you to enter multiple cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, and stay for your intended duration.
Adjust your itinerary to use TWOV only for a single-city visit within the allowed hours (24/144h) and ensure onward travel is to a third country.

Summary: With multiple stops and stays exceeding 24–144 hours, you will need a Chinese visa rather than relying on TWOV. TWOV is suitable for short layovers or transit in a single city, but not for multi-city stays of several days.

Trying to understand TWOV - help with itinerary

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