Starting June 12, citizens of Indonesia are officially eligible for China’s 240-hour transit visa-free policy, bringing the total number of applicable countries to 55.
This policy allows eligible travelers holding valid international travel documents and confirmed onward tickets to a third country or region to transit through any of China’s 60 designated ports in 24 provinces, including major hubs like Beijing and Shanghai.
While in transit, travelers can stay visa-free for up to 10 days, but only within the designated region specified by their port of entry.
READ MORE: China Extends Visa-Free Transit Stays to 10 Days
And here’s the catch...
Don’t Cross Regional Lines
Screenshot by That's
A recent incident involving a British family of three has sparked debate online in China, serving as a cautionary tale about what can go wrong when ignoring the fine print.
On May 26, the family arrived in Guangzhou excited for a halal food tour, and had already pre-booked hotels and mapped out their trip.
However, immigration officers stopped them at the entry point—denied entry on the spot.
Turns out, during a previous trip to Beijing, they violated the terms of the 144-hour transit visa (which only permitted travel in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region) by hopping on a high-speed train to Shanghai.
They even stayed in a hotel there, triggering an automatic alert to Shanghai’s immigration bureau.
Though they were not involved in any illegal activity and had paid a fine at the time, the consequences linger: they’re now banned from re-entering China via transit visa for five years.
They can still apply for a regular visa, as officers from Shanghai’s immigration bureau clearly explained to them.
As more countries are added to China’s growing list of visa-free access, this story serves as a timely reminder: read the rules!
READ MORE: 240 Hours Visa-Free Transit – The Full List!
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[Cover image by Billy Jiang/That's]
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