The rumors are true, yes, it is possible to transit through Shenzhen, China at the Shenzhen Bo’an International Airport without a visa. As most travelers know transits through other countries can be a bit tricky at times, especially in China. Typically travelers must acquire a transit visa, however there are some exceptions. Most major airports in China grant a 24-hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV) to travelers carrying proper documentation and proof of onward travel, but the airports in Xi’an, Weihai, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Shenzhen, Yanji, Mudanjiang, and Fuzhou are disqualified in providing this service. However, as of the fall of 2018, reports around the web indicated that this isn’t the case for the Shenzhen Boa’an International Airport.
Currently, there is great confusion surrounding the question, “Can I actually transit through Shenzhen without a visa?” but the answer is yes, it’s possible!
Based on personal experience as a U.S. passport holder, my husband and I were granted a 24-hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV) through Shenzhen in March 2019. While the airport doesn’t quite have an efficient system setup to transit onward travelers, they are still granting the 24-hour TWOV. We can also verify that people from other countries were also being granted the same service upon arrival.
What do I need to successfully transit through Shenzhen, China?
Prior to boarding our flight to Shenzhen, at check-in we informed the attendant of our hopeful transit through China. He then called to verify with flight officials, and those at the Shenzhen airport, to see if this was possible. When he received confirmation that it was possible, he proceeded to fill out additional paperwork for our transit and sent it ahead of us to the Shenzhen Bo’an International Airport. By doing this it made our transit process much smoother. Be sure to inform your airline that you intend to transit in China, too.
After flying into Shenzhen, we were funneled through the arrival terminal. There is one “pre-check” self-service kiosk station that you should stop at to have your fingerprints scanned and to provide additional information, then you can go directly into the immigration check at the airport. When we got to immigration the staff could barely speak English, however one employee did understand the words “transit” and “transfer.” He was able to direct us to a side counter where designated transit employees were able to help us.
The immigration officials requested a few documents from us:
- Passports
- Copy of tickets/Proof of onward travel within a 24-hour timeframe
- Arrival/Exit cards
There was special arrival and exit card that was given to us in order to transit, which we filled out at the immigration counter. The information requested on the form was fairly standard (name, age, address, date of exit, flight number, etc).
Officials requested a copy of our travel itinerary, but we only had a photo of it on our phones, so the immigration officer simply snapped a photograph of the cellphone image and made a copy herself. To be safe, have your itinerary pre-printed, since we can’t guarantee that they’ll do this for every traveler.
After filling out the immigration forms, we were granted the 24-hour TWOV. We proceeded through immigration and customs as usual, and were granted access to the rest of the airport. However, we were responsible for checking in with our transiting airline after that point.
Check-in with our second airline was simple, and we filed through security into departures as usual.
Transits are new at Shenzhen Bo’an International Airport
Various travel websites indicate that a transit through Shenzhen, China is a new process. People have successfully been doing this, supposedly since the Fall of 2018. While most major airlines in China grant the 24-hour TWOV, Shenzhen until recently did not. It simply wasn’t set up with the Chinese government to conduct transits. Since the Shenzhen Bo’an International Airport is growing rapidly with more and more international flights circulating through it, the need to grant transits has increased exponentially.
Of course, flyers beware, there is still no absolute guarantee of a transit through China. However, being granted a transit is highly likely as long as the proper documentation is provided on your end as the traveler. You shouldn’t be turned away unless you fail to provide pertinent information, or there’s some other travel warning in place. If this is the case, there’s probably a greater issue or danger at hand in either China or your home country.
With all that said, China can seem a bit daunting to transit through, but don’t be discouraged. It actually boasts a slew of airlines that could rival prominent names within the industry – plus the flights are sometimes a fraction of the price than that of western lines. Not to mention, water, snacks, and restaurants are cheap in comparison to other airports around the world.
Questions?
Hopefully this helps to clarify whether or not your can transfer through Shenzhen these days! But, if you’re still in need of some help, feel free to throw us a line. If not, happy trails and may your transit through China be as quick and smooth as a jet piercing through a fluffy, white cloud.
