Connecting in Shenzhen – What Travelers Need to Know

What to Know About Connecting in Shenzhen (Step-by-Step)

Chinese airlines are currently very popular among tourists and travelers from Russia, as the most affordable way to get from cities in the European part of Russia to Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and others. However, there is one inconvenience: all flights involve a layover in China, and unfortunately, sometimes layovers can be very long and you have to wait them out at the airport. We'll tell you about how a layover at Shenzhen Airport works based on our experience.

Overall, they do everything necessary to ensure passengers don't get lost during a layover. Just carefully listen to the staff's instructions and follow them. If you're confused, don't hesitate to ask airport staff, and if you don't know the language, just show them your boarding passes or itinerary receipts (it's best to print them in English or Chinese). Here are general instructions for understanding:

• If Flying with One Airline on One Ticket (Booking)

  Until recently, Shenzhen Bao'an Airport (airport code – SZX) did not have a proper transit corridor between arriving and departing international flights. This is despite arrivals and departures being in the same terminal building, just on different floors. That is, even if you were flying with one airline, you couldn't go directly from the international arrival in Shenzhen to the departure gates for the next flight without leaving the international zone. Since January 2024, a transit corridor has been introduced, so you no longer need to go through visa-free transit by leaving the international zone.

  If you have a connecting flight on a single ticket with two legs, you will need to go through passport and customs control. Fortunately, no visa is required for this – a visa-free regime and visa-free transit are provided (whether you qualify, we answer in detail below). The procedure is well organized, and upon arrival, staff will meet you and direct you to Domestic Transit.

• If Flying on Separate Tickets with One or Different Airlines

  If you're flying on two or even three separately purchased tickets, even with the same airline, or on two tickets with different airlines, you will not be checked through to your final destination at the departure airport. For the layover, you'll need to first go through passport control, collect your luggage, go through customs, go upstairs to check in for the next flight and drop off your luggage, and then go through passport and customs control again.

  Fortunately, you don't need a full Chinese visa for such transit; visa-free transfer is provided. Upon arrival, you need to find the Transit Without Visa counter and approach them. At this counter, they will either help you with check-in for the new flight and take care of transferring your luggage, or help you with the documents for visa-free transit, and you'll have to go through passport control, collect your luggage, go through customs, and then you'll exit the international zone into China. After that, you'll need to go upstairs to the check-in counters for the next flight, and then proceed as usual for an international departure: check-in and luggage drop-off, security control, customs and passport control, and you'll enter the departure lounge and gate areas. We're not exactly sure which of these options will be used for transit passengers at the airport, but in any case, you will make it to your next flight.

  No hotel booking is required for such visa-free transit in Shenzhen. But if you have a very long layover in Shenzhen, nothing stops you from booking a hotel and, after going through control and collecting your luggage, going to rest in your room or just walk around the city.

  Just keep in mind that this entire procedure (visa-free transit) can take up to several hours. And if you buy tickets with too short a connection, there's a chance you won't make your next flight. It's better to allow at least 4 hours between flights to have some time buffer.

Is a Visa Required for a Layover in Shenzhen

No, a visa is not required for a layover in Shenzhen. A visa-free regime is provided for citizens of many countries, including Russia.

Moreover, even if you are not a citizen of a country that is visa-exempt for China, you can still use visa-free transit to leave the airport to rest at a hotel and explore the city, or to make connections for transit through China to other airports and ports within 240 hours or 10 days. More about the 240-hour visa-free regime in China.

Do You Need to Book a Hotel to Leave the Airport in Shenzhen

No, this is not required. There is no such requirement in the transit rules, and this is confirmed by our personal experience. We left the airport to walk around the city, and there were no questions at all about this; they didn't even ask about a hotel.

In theory, having a hotel booking reduces the chances of being denied exit with a very short layover, for example under 8 hours. But again, this is only speculation, and we cannot confirm it with any official rules or personal experience.

Free Hotel and Transfer Provided During Layovers in Shenzhen

Even if you're flying with one airline on a single ticket, the airline is not obligated to provide a free hotel and transfer to it, contrary to what you might read in chats and forums.

However, some Chinese airlines do accommodate travelers by offering such an option for long-haul flights. But this is not their obligation; it's simply a bonus to attract passengers.

Whether you qualify for a free hotel depends (primarily!) on your ticket fare, the layover time, and even the route. Moreover, these rules often change; in our experience, airlines update these conditions about every six months. Furthermore, even if you buy a ticket today for a flight in six months under conditions that allow a free hotel, the conditions may change by the time of your flight.

Therefore, it's impossible to say definitively whether you qualify for a hotel for a particular flight. It's more complicated, and each specific flight needs to be examined separately, studying the current rules. Fortunately, airlines don't hide these conditions; they publish them on their websites (except for China Eastern, which has everything hidden or in Chinese). And it's on the airline websites that you should read the rules or ask their support, not ask other tourists on forums and chats.

You can easily find the conditions by searching for terms like: airline name transit hotel or airline name free hotel. For example, "China Southern transit hotel". Just be careful and check the domain in the browser's address bar to avoid landing on scam sites. Here are such pages for the main airlines:

• China Southern - here are all the conditions and how to get it.
• China Eastern - here's a form to check if you qualify and to apply. But if the form doesn't open, you need to contact support via WeChat.
• Air China - here are all the conditions and how to get it.
• Hainan Airlines - here are all the conditions and how to get it.

How Much Time Is Needed for a Layover in Shenzhen

If you are in transit through Shenzhen on a single ticket with one airline, you will not need to leave the international zone, and the transit procedure itself is very quick and simple: they will check your documents (boarding pass) for the next flight and you will need to go through the standard pre-flight security screening (checking for liquids, sharp objects, compliance with battery and power bank regulations, etc.). After that, you'll reach the departure gates and just need to wait for the boarding announcement for the next flight. In our experience, this all takes 30-40 minutes, so one hour is quite sufficient for a layover.

If you are in transit through Guangzhou on different tickets or different airlines, or if you are transferring from an international flight to a domestic one or vice versa, you will need to go through the full procedure of passport control, baggage claim, customs control, check-in for the next flight, and again customs and passport control (if not transferring to a domestic flight). In such cases, you should allow at least 3 hours for the connection, and preferably more in case of a delay on the first flight.

Is There a Risk with a Short Layover at Shenzhen Airport

If you have a single ticket with one airline, meaning one itinerary receipt (electronic ticket) is issued for the entire flight, there are no risks at all. The airline itself is responsible for the connection time, and even if your first flight is delayed for some reason and you miss the second, the airline will put you on another flight to get you to your destination.

If you bought tickets to Shenzhen and from Shenzhen separately, and even with different airlines, then you bear the risks of a short connection yourself. Moreover, in this case, you will most likely need to collect and re-check your luggage, which requires leaving the international zone and takes additional time. In such a case, even 3 hours may not be enough.

What Facilities Are Available at Shenzhen Airport

Now about the airport itself. Unfortunately, there are no comfortable places for a long layover here. There is a rest area, but it's quite small and not very well equipped, located in the arrivals and departure waiting area.

If you're flying with a layover on different airlines, immediately after arrival you'll need to go to passport control for visa-free transfer, which means leaving the international arrivals zone, so you won't be able to use those rest areas. Moreover, if you have an overnight layover, as we did, you won't be able to check in for the next flight until morning, so you'll either have to go to a hotel or huddle in the check-in area, since you can't enter the departure lounge without checking in. And in the check-in area, there's nowhere to lie down, and hardly anywhere to sit. So stock up on patience, reading material, a fully charged phone, and spend your time in agonizing waiting. Also, it's quite cold here from the air conditioning. On the plus side, there is cold and hot drinking water available, so bring a cup, coffee, tea, or even instant food.

Can You Leave Shenzhen Airport Without a Visa

If you prefer to spend your layover time in the city rather than at the airport, there are all the possibilities for that. At Shenzhen Airport, you can get a free visa-free transit with exit to the city for up to 240 hours (previously 144 hours). There are Transit Without Visa counters for this; you can find them by following the signs.

In conclusion, regarding a layover in Shenzhen, we came to the conclusion that while flying with a connection through this airport is doable, it's preferable to have either a short connection or a daytime layover. On the other hand, it gives you the opportunity, even if only in transit, to set foot on Chinese soil without needing to obtain a visa.

That's all. Safe connections and happy long travels!