240 hr visa for Swedish Citizens

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m a Swedish citizen and will be traveling soon on Qatar Airways from Stockholm to Hong Kong (with a 3-hour layover in Doha). I plan to stay in Hong Kong for 2 days, then take a train to Guangzhou, where I’ll stay for 5 days before flying back to Stockholm from Guangzhou via Doha on Qatar Airways.

Do I need a visa for this itinerary? I know I dont need any visa to travel to Hong Kong but getting mixed answers on eligibility for 240 hr visa for Travel to Guangzhou (Mainland China)

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer

For Swedish citizens planning to visit Hong Kong and then travel to Guangzhou in Mainland China, the visa requirements depend on the duration and entry points. Here is a detailed breakdown for your itinerary:

Hong Kong:

Swedish citizens do not need a visa for short stays in Hong Kong. You can enter visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism.
No prior registration or approval is required, and you can stay, explore, and take trains to Mainland China from Hong Kong.

Guangzhou and 240-hour Visa Exemption:

The 240-hour visa-free transit (10-day) is available to citizens of certain countries, including Sweden, but it only applies to specific cities and entry points.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is a qualifying port of entry for the 240-hour visa-free transit, but there are important conditions:

You must arrive from a third country (in your case, Hong Kong counts as a third region, so this is acceptable).
You must depart to a third country or region (flying back via Doha satisfies this requirement).
The 240-hour visa exemption is valid only in the designated areas; you can stay within Guangzhou city and possibly nearby areas without obtaining a separate visa.

During the 240-hour visa-free stay, you must register with local police within 24 hours of arrival in Guangzhou if staying at a hotel. Most hotels handle this automatically.

Key Points and Recommendations:

Ensure that your Guangzhou entry is through a designated port eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit (for most international arrivals this is Guangzhou Baiyun Airport).
Keep your onward ticket from Guangzhou to your next destination (Stockholm via Doha) ready to show at immigration.
Check with your airline (Qatar Airways) to confirm that they allow travel under the 240-hour visa exemption, though generally this is standard.
If for any reason your entry is not eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit, you would need to apply for a regular Chinese visa in advance.

In summary, for your planned itinerary—2 days in Hong Kong, then 5 days in Guangzhou with onward flight back through Doha—you should be eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit in Guangzhou, and no prior Mainland China visa is required.

240 hr visa for Swedish Citizens

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