How to avoid being denied boarding at Paris CDG for China

Hi everyone, we need your advice to avoid being denied boarding at Paris CDG.

We’re planning a one-month trip to China, which matches the 30-day visa on arrival, but with a return ticket from Vietnam. For example, we’d arrive in Chengdu, then travel via Lao Cai to Vietnam, and fly back to Paris CDG from Hanoi 45 days later. Do you think this could be an issue at boarding?

Second option: arrive in Chengdu (*30-day visa duration*), then fly from Kunming to Hanoi 45 days later (Vietnam visa duration), and return to Paris CDG from Hanoi. Thanks for your input!

Hi there,

Don’t forget that the 30 days must include both the day you arrive in the country and the day you leave.

You must have a confirmed outbound ticket from China, no matter which city you’re leaving from.

In your case, you’re spending 30 days in China, then heading to Vietnam. They might also ask for proof of onward travel from Vietnam when you check in for your China flight or when you arrive in Vietnam—we were asked for ours when we landed in Vietnam.

Thanks so much for your reply! My biggest worry is getting turned away at boarding in CDG airport because I don’t have a return ticket from China. So if I book a flight ticket from Kunming to Hanoi, would that work? My return flight will be departing from Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks!

Yes, absolutely! With an exit ticket from Kunming to Ho Chi Minh City, that’s all good, and with your return ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to CDG, it’s perfect. Everything’s good to go! !

You must absolutely have an exit ticket from China, regardless of the exit city.

Well no, otherwise how would people who plan to leave China on foot or by bike to a neighboring country do it?

Hi there,

Yes, it's possible, but you’ll need a visa. They won’t leave you stranded without knowing when you’ll leave, especially in China. I entered China without a visa twice between November and December last year, and each time, border police asked for my exit ticket from the country.

You must absolutely have an exit ticket from China, no matter the exit city.

Oh come on, otherwise how would people who plan to leave China on foot or by bike to a neighboring country do it?

They buy a 30 € ticket they don’t use but that serves as proof of leaving the country within the required timeframe.

Yes, that's right. The easiest way is to buy a train ticket on 12go Asia, Kunming/Hekou/Lao Cai. It won’t even cost you 20 €. For extra proof that you’re leaving China, book your first hotel in Vietnam and show your train and hotel confirmations at Roissy and at the Chinese customs checkpoint (if asked).

Another great site for traveling to China is trip.com because, like other booking sites, it offers flights, accommodations, and on top of that, trains.

Thanks for your replies—we’re going to take a train from Kunming to Lao Cai instead. Thanks again! Best regards

Hello,

Yes, it's possible, but with a visa. They won't leave you stranded without knowing when you'll leave, especially in China. I entered China without a visa twice between November and December last year. Each time, border police asked for my exit ticket from the country.

Personally, I re-entered China in November by land—the immigration officers didn’t ask for an exit ticket, and thankfully so, because I didn’t have one. I hadn’t even thought about it. The visa exemption was only for 15 days.

But it might indeed be different when arriving by plane.

Hi,

It’s actually surprising—entering China without a visa and without an onward ticket is quite an achievement. Maybe overland travel is more hit-or-miss, I’m not sure.

Actually, I still had some doubts because it wasn’t very clear about visa exemption when entering by land. Anyway, I went through immigration at Hong Kong station—they’re probably more used to foreigners there—and since I wanted to leave China by bus, I didn’t have the bus ticket yet, of course…

Personally, I wouldn’t have risked it—if you get checked, it can get dicey. No visa, no return ticket to prove you’re leaving. I prefer traveling with peace of mind. 😉

Actually, I was still a bit unsure because it wasn’t very clear about the visa exemption when entering by land. Anyway, I went through immigration at Hong Kong station—they’re probably more used to foreigners there—and since I planned to leave China by bus, I didn’t have the bus ticket yet, of course...

People also enter by land from Central Asia without being asked for anything... except to leave China before the 30-day expiration.

Hi,

Just to be safe, I emailed the airline taking me to China next month. Their reply was: "return ticket within 30 days (I’m traveling without a visa) OR proof of onward travel out of China by bus, train, or flight within 30 days as well. Without proof of onward travel, you’ll be denied check-in at CDG."

Same here! I crossed back twice via Lao Cai, Vietnam last year—once in March with a 60-day double-entry visa and again in July with the 15-day visa-free entry. This border is mostly used by Chinese and Vietnamese travelers. Foreigners are pretty rare. Formalities are super quick on both sides (Lao Cai–Hekou). When I applied for the 60-day double-entry visa in Bangkok, I didn’t have an exit ticket after 30 days because I was planning to take a local bus from Yuanyang to Hekou. The officer at the counter just asked me to write it down on a piece of paper, sign it, and attach it to my file.

Hi, We went to Vietnam last November (with a Chinese airline) on a multi-destination return ticket via Japan. At CDG, they asked us for an exit ticket from Vietnam to check in. We had a 3-day stopover in China on the way out, and the border police officer asked for our onward ticket—same thing on the way back. I read on another forum that a young traveler was refused check-in at CDG because he had a one-way ticket but no onward transport out of China. So, just to be safe, I emailed the airline I’m flying with in March because I have another multi-destination ticket, but this time, I’m staying a month in China before heading to Vietnam and returning to France via Japan. Their response was crystal clear: no exit ticket from China, no check-in. At least it’s straightforward. I replied to their email to let them know I’d booked bus tickets to Vietnam, and they said it’s OK as long as I have the reservation at check-in in CDG.

Hi there! I’m based in China and work in tourism. I’m happy to share some tips with you—hope they’re helpful!

On the official websites of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it isn’t stated that proof of onward travel is mandatory when leaving France or arriving at Chinese customs. In fact, with the 30-day visa-free regime, many travelers don’t think to prepare exit transport reservations in advance. They often plan to visit Japan or Thailand after spending some time in China. Online travel planning tools and apps are super handy for this. Our tourism department is well aware that you’re ready to organize the rest of your trip during your stay.

When going through customs or being checked, you just need to explain your travel itinerary, your hotel reservation for the first few days, your planned budget, etc. All of this is simply to verify that your travel plans are coherent and reasonable. Later, if your passport is checked, keep in mind that this is a standard procedure worldwide. It just helps them better understand the context and intent of your trip.

In short, most of the time, you won’t be required to provide proof of onward travel. A well-organized trip—even if explained orally—is usually enough. That said, having a train or flight reservation for your exit can only make things easier for you. It’s a choice you’re free to make.

Safe travels! ^^

Just giving you an update—we took Emirates for our Barcelona-Dubai round-trip flight. We stayed a week in Dubai (it was our third trip there) with a snorkeling trip to the Sultanate of Oman. Then we flew from Dubai to Ho Chi Minh City, still with Emirates. We traveled all across Vietnam from south to north, crossed the border at Lao Cai to Hekou (China), and spent 30 days in Yunnan, from Jianshui to Sangri-La. Total trip duration: about 90 days. For the return flight, same route but with a few hours’ layover in Dubai.

Emirates didn’t ask us for anything at boarding, nor did immigration in Dubai or upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City. The 45-day Vietnam visa is renewable if you leave the country. Crossing the Vietnamese border at Lao Cai is relatively easy, though the Chinese border checkpoint took a bit longer. Just to clarify, we didn’t have a return ticket from China, and it wasn’t a problem at all.

For the trip, we used a Visa Gold Fortuneo card—actually, two cards since we have a joint account. As a backup in case of loss or blocking, we had a Boursorama Ultim card. For China, LastVPN works perfectly, and DIDI for taxis and Alipay for payments are essential. Get your China SIM card in Hekou—there are also ATMs for withdrawals. Taxis from the city center to the train station, then a high-speed train to Jianshui or Kunming.

Best regards,

Good evening, We’ve just returned from 3 months of travel, including 1 month in China. When leaving from Roissy, I asked at the airline counter, and their answer was: if you have a round-trip ticket, no matter where you’re returning from, they won’t ask for anything. However, with a one-way ticket, they’ll ask for proof of exit unless you have a visa. We crossed the border into Vietnam from Nanning—it’s well organized but very crowded. The contrast between Chinese and Vietnamese roads is striking: modern highways in China versus a network from another era in Vietnam. That said, construction is underway in some provinces, and there’s a project for a Ho Chi Minh City–Hanoi highway.

China is truly surprising. We returned via Chongqing, then headed to Guiyang. We made a detour to Zenyang before continuing to Guilin, Liuzhou, and then Nanning, taking our time to explore the areas around these cities. We’re heading back this autumn for another month, but to different places. The 30-day visa-free stay is still valid until 12/31—after that, we’ll see. We also learned on the ground that leaving via Hong Kong, even for just one day, resets the 30-day visa-free period, so we might stay longer there.

Absolutely: China is truly surprising. And you should take advantage while they’re offering free visas!