Questions and Answers

I’ve booked a few return trips for later in the year with quick 24-48 hour stays in AKL. In each direction I have long layovers (15-20 hour) in PVG. Theoretically I guess that I should be eligible for 72-hour TWOV as ideally I would like to spend those days outside of the airport. However, I’m wondering if transiting PVG multiple times after such short turn arounds will raise red flags with Chinese immigration?

Has anyone else used the 72-hour TWOV with short stays in a third country or is this asking for issues/should I just suck it up and apply for a tourist visa if I want to leave the airport?

Chinese immigration is very by-the-book. You should have no problems as your stays qualify — there’s nothing required beyond an onward ticket to a third country. The only issue you might run into is that many airline staff aren’t familiar with the rules, so leave yourself extra time for check-in, as they may need to check with a head office/ supervisor to process your check-in without a visa.

I would note, though, that if you have a US passport you could get a 10-year multi-entry visa. This makes it convenient if there are last-minute fare sales, or if you ever want to go back for a longer trip.