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Transferring at Pudong without a Visa

Shanghai Expat Forum Index » Hot Topics Forums » Visas, Taxes, and Legalities

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Chris_S_UK

Reacher

Joined: June 02, 2009
Posts: 207
Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 01:35 PM
Post subject: Transferring at Pudong without a Visa

I have a friend visiting during the national holiday at the beginning of October. We were planning to hit Beijing for a couple of days, but i'm increasingly worried about the crowds.

I had a thought about heading out of the country for 3 days, but my friend just has a single entry visa, which will have been used upon his initial arrival. What I am wondering is, if we fly back into Pudong a couple of hours prior to his flight back to blighty, can he just transfer, without the need to pass through customs? i've never seen a transfer lounge, or people transferring at Pudong. In fact, I also seem to remember there is an express line at customs for people "transferring within one hour".

Be interested to hear people's thoughts!

JoRyu

Squeeker

Joined: Aug 04, 2009
Posts: 13

Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 01:57 PM

Yes he can transfer directly which mean there is no need for him to enter the country again. Though he may still need to go through the process of immigration, not sure about the process.

I did it once but it was coming in to Pudong from an international flight and then transferring to a flight for Hong Kong. Went through a special transfer express lane and then told the officer there that I'm not entering country going to transfer. So no mark was made on Visa.

Hope that helps.

Chris_S_UK

Reacher

Joined: June 02, 2009
Posts: 207
Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 02:08 PM

Thanks for the response. Did you actually have a valid chinese visa at the time?

sinned69

Veejay

Joined: Sep 01, 2004
Posts: 1852
Location: China, Middle East, Asia Pacific
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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 02:18 PM

While you consider your plans and possible excursion out of China, keep in mind that your friend could transfer at Pudong airport, provided he arrives at Pudong and not Hong Qiao airport. So as you decide where you might take a little trip to out of China, bear in mind that nearly all domestic flights and some flights to/from Taiwan/HongKong depart/arrive at Hong Qiao, and sometimes flights departing/arriving are diverted from one airport to another with little to notification prior. It's happened to me before. This might have some ramifications if you try to base your plans on your friend being able to do a transfer at Pudong.

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Last edited by sinned69 on Sep 03, 2009 - 02:36 PM; edited 2 times in total

JoRyu

Squeeker

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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 02:23 PM

yes, I had a single entry L-visa at the time.

Chris_S_UK

Reacher

Joined: June 02, 2009
Posts: 207
Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 02:39 PM

It would probably be a trip to Hong Kong, one which i've done many times on Cathay Pacific/Dragon air. Of course, the unforseen could happen, but surely there would be some system in place for those people transferring (if transferring without a visa is possible)?

JoRyu, the fact you actually had a visa makes me slightly uneasy. I may ask a chinese friend to check it out for me. Again, comments much appreciated.

Chris_S_UK

Reacher

Joined: June 02, 2009
Posts: 207
Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 02:44 PM

Also, I doubt his bag would get checked all the way through to final destination. Separate flight from HK to PVG and then PVG to LHR (i.e. not a single booking - different airlines etc). Looks like we'll run the gauntlet in Beijing!

page982

Newbie

Joined: June 15, 2009
Posts: 4

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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 04:02 PM

I did it once at Pudong this May. I flied from Milan to Pudong and needed to continue my trip to Taipei a few hours later. I found a transferring lounge at PVG but it was closed though. After stated my situation to an immigration officer, I entered Shanghai with a "transferring" stamp on my Canadian passport, which has no China visa before. Hours later, I had to go through immigration/custom inspection to take my flight. Fortunately, I have only carry-on bagage with me.

JoRyu

Squeeker

Joined: Aug 04, 2009
Posts: 13

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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 05:25 PM

I'm pretty sure you are okay. A few of my friends just did the exact same thing just a week or so ago. They had single entry L-visa which they had already used. Went to HK for a week and came back and spend a few hours at the airport before flying back home.

I know for sure they had check-in bags. What happens is that you will have to pick up your back from your HK flight and then you go to the transfer area and recheck in your bags for the next flight.

Check the map on this pages http://www.shairport.com/en/pd1.jsp?categoryId=OUT_CON_A0180

shanghai657

Seeker

Joined: Aug 12, 2007
Posts: 68

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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 06:39 PM

there is NO WAY this is allowed. A few years ago the UK stopped allowing Chinese nationals transiting through Heathrow without a visa, so the Chinese government slapped a retaliatory deal on all British travellers. If your buddy is British and is flying from Hong Kong via Shanghai to England, he or she will need a new visa. If no visa then they will be stranded in HK and have to buy a new ticket to fly back. Phone the British Consulate (in the Portman Centre) for confirmations.

Chris_S_UK

Reacher

Joined: June 02, 2009
Posts: 207
Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 03, 2009 - 09:55 PM

I didn't think it would be that easy. Thanks for confirming it though - it's not a risk I would want to take in any case.

pendulum

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Posted: Sep 04, 2009 - 08:22 AM

I thought that as long as you have a ticket out of China then they will give you a 48 hour transit visa automatically

shanghai657

Seeker

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Posted: Sep 04, 2009 - 10:24 AM

they probably do give a lot of nationalities a visa-free transit period, but not the British. if you do not have a proper visa, they probably will not even let you on the place heading for china in the first place.

titania

Seeker

Joined: Feb 14, 2009
Posts: 55
Location: Puxi, SH
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Posted: Sep 04, 2009 - 12:35 PM

i have transited in many coutnries without having to worry about having a valid visa for that country as I am not looking to enter it. However, thigns might be different in china, so please keep us posted of your findings, so it will be good to know.
Goodluck, i do hope your friend does not need a visa as that'd be too much hassle.

Chris_S_UK

Reacher

Joined: June 02, 2009
Posts: 207
Location: Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 04, 2009 - 01:26 PM

^ There is no way I / my friend will be finding out - it is just too much hassle. I do recall that when checking in at an airport, en route to China, the desk staff are quite thorough - ensuring you have a visa etc. Last time I flew out of Changi airport they wanted a 3rd party contact number as well, which is new to me.

I would be interested to know what they would do if you rocked up, as a brit, to transfer without a visa (you'd somehow slipped the net in the departing country), but I don't want to be the one finding out!

page982

Newbie

Joined: June 15, 2009
Posts: 4

Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 04, 2009 - 01:37 PM

One of results from googling China Transit visa: http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/hzqz/zgqz/t84188.htm

In summary,
G-visa(Tansit visa) waiver: Amended on 2009-4-23
A. 24 hrs for all crews and passengers staying within airport
B.
1. Pudong & Hongqiao airports only
2. valid passport & confirmed airline ticket for 48hrs
3. permission to destination country
4. nationality: Japan, S. Korea, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Luxenburg, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland

Hmm, UK is not on the list.

kuldaen

StreetBeater

Joined: June 06, 2005
Posts: 2262
Location: Somewhere in Shanghai
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Posted: Sep 04, 2009 - 05:23 PM

page982 wrote:

This is the UK application site for chinese visas,

http://www.visaforchina.org.uk/visaen/visaView.html?method=readNotify& notifyId=1120#Menu=ChildMenu2

(from the official embassy page http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/)

It says that you don't have to have a transit visa if you don't leave the airport and stay less than 24 hours, ELSE you need to apply for one before hand. ( UNLESS you are from one of the countries listed in which case you can stay for 48 hours)

Quote:

(4) Foreigners who have confirmed onward tickets and seats on international flights and directly transit through China and stay for no more than 24 hours within the airport boundaries shall not need to apply for a transit visa.

(5) No visa is required for citizens of the following 20 countries, who transit through China via Shanghai within 48 hours, no matter what type of passports they may hold: Republic of Korea, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Schengen states -- Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy.

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