Do I need a visa if I have multiple stop overs in China?

Question

Hello, we are flying from London Heathrow > Beijing Daxing (PKX) > Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) > Christchurch New Zealand next year and trying to figure out if we need a Visa for the domestic flights? There is approximately 10 hours between landing in Beijing and leaving Guangzhou.

Is there anything we need to do regarding visas?

Thank you

Answer

Since your flight itinerary involves landing in Beijing Daxing (PKX) and then taking a domestic flight to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) before continuing to Christchurch, you need to consider China’s visa and transit policies carefully.

China generally requires foreign travelers to have a valid visa to enter the country. However, for certain transit situations, you may be eligible for a 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit, depending on your nationality and the cities involved.

In your case, since you are planning to enter Beijing and then take a domestic flight to Guangzhou with a stopover of approximately 10 hours, there are a few important points to note:

If you plan to leave the airport and travel domestically between cities (Beijing to Guangzhou), the standard visa-free transit policy does NOT apply. The 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit is only valid if you stay within the permitted areas of the port city (or nearby cities under the transit policy) and do not pass through Chinese immigration to travel domestically.
Because your plan involves flying from Beijing to Guangzhou (another city), you will be going through immigration in Beijing to board your domestic flight. This means you are entering China officially, and you will need a valid Chinese visa before your trip.
If you stay strictly within the international transit area of Beijing and do not go through immigration, you may not need a visa, but you would not be able to take a domestic flight to Guangzhou. Domestic flights require you to clear Chinese immigration and have checked baggage handled, which mandates a visa.

Therefore, for your itinerary, you should obtain a regular Chinese visa (typically a tourist “L” visa) before your departure from London to cover both the entry into Beijing and the domestic travel to Guangzhou.

Here are your options summarized:

Apply for a Chinese tourist visa (L visa) before travel, which allows you to clear immigration in Beijing and take your domestic flight to Guangzhou without any issues.
Change your itinerary to remain in the international transit area of Beijing and take a direct international connection to New Zealand without leaving the airport, which might allow you to avoid a visa (not recommended if you want to travel to Guangzhou).

It is also advisable to confirm your plans with your airline, as they may have specific requirements for passengers connecting to domestic flights within China. Make sure your visa is valid for the duration of your stopover and domestic travel.

In summary, because you are transferring between two Chinese cities on domestic flights, you will need a Chinese visa to enter and travel domestically. Transit visa exemptions do not cover this type of domestic transfer.