Germany to Foshan: 10–11 h nonstop to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), 48 minutes by road to Lecong, 30 days visa-free.
- Flight
- 10–11 h nonstop
- Entry
- 30 days visa-free
- Transfer
- 48 min from CAN
- Visit
- Four days
- Guide day
- USD 150 / day
- Pickup
- USD 149
Sourcing trip · Europe
Germany to Foshan: Frankfurt nonstop, and a visit built around the spec
Frankfurt to Guangzhou is ten to eleven hours nonstop, and the German buyer who makes the trip usually arrives with a specification rather than an inspiration board. That is the useful version of this trip: fewer suppliers, checked against a document, with the evidence the EUTR requires.
- Flight
- 10–11 hNonstop
- Entry
- Visa-free30 days, no visa needed
- Allow
- Four daysin Foshan
- Airport pickup
- $149Credited back within 6 months
Germany to Foshan: 10–11 h nonstop to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), 48 minutes by road to Lecong, 30 days visa-free.
- Flight
- 10–11 h nonstop
- Entry
- 30 days visa-free
- Transfer
- 48 min
- Visit
- Four days
- Guide day
- USD 150 / day
- Pickup
- USD 149
Getting here
Schedules change with the season — confirm the operating carrier before booking. The airport code is the part that stays put.
Entry rules for German travellers
30 days, visa-free. Ordinary passports enter visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism or transit. The waiver currently runs to 31 December 2026.
German passports enter visa-free for 30 days, valid through 31 December 2026.
- Without a visa
- 30 days per entry
- On what basis
- Unilateral visa-free entry
- Current term runs to
- 31 December 2026
- Visa on arrival
- No — port visas only for urgent business, with an invitation
- Airside transit
- Under 24 h, no visa if you stay airside
CarryReturn ticket · Hotel booking · Invitation letter for business
Waivers were extended repeatedly through 2025–2026 and several expire on 31 December 2026. Confirm the current term with the Chinese embassy before paying for flights.
Airport pickup, $149 — refunded when you order
- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhongshan
- Drop at your hotel — or straight to a showroom if you land early, with parking and tolls settled
On a 23:40 landing the transfer reaches Lecong about an hour later — enough daylight for one showroom.
Example vehicles; the exact car is confirmed the day before. Photos: Wikimedia Commons — Dinkun Chen CC BY-SA 4.0, CC0 — not our vehicles.
A paid service, not a free transfer: one arrival, one vehicle, one drop-off. Parking included; tolls at cost. The credit is valid for six months from your arrival date.
Landing, then the transfer
Every route ends the same way: an hour on the ground between the arrivals hall and Lecong.
Do not plan on the Hong Kong ferry. The Shunde Port passenger service was suspended on 16 July 2026 with no restart date announced. Older guides still recommend it.
The days on the ground
Four days is the working minimum for anything beyond a single category. Appointments are booked before you land, and each evening you get a written recap of what you saw and what is still open.
- Day 1
Land and calibrate
Arrival day. Transfer in, check in, and walk one mall so the prices stop being abstract
- Day 2
Lecong showrooms
Lecong showrooms against your list: two or three options per line, photographed and priced
- Day 3
Factories behind the malls
Behind the showrooms today: Longjiang for upholstery, Nanzhuang if tiles are on the list
- Day 4
Samples and sign-off
Samples, custom pieces, then sign off and leave with a specification
Field noteShunde is the food destination — double-skin milk and claypot rice come up more than any furniture tip in the notes.Rich喵喵爱吃折耳根, Xiaohongshu
Field noteFloors 5–6 of the Louvre import hall need an appointment made on site. Walk-ins are turned away.时久, Xiaohongshu
Where the days are actually spent
Contract pieces come from factories that already build to a fire and wear standard.
Lecong 乐从
Where the trip starts: room-set showrooms, a hundred options before lunch, prices you can argue with.
Longjiang 龙江
Sofa and upholstery factories. Come here after the malls, when you want to know what the price is made of.
Chancheng 禅城
Downtown Foshan: a workable base, the flagship showrooms, kitchen and bath.
Where to stay
Pick the base first; the room is the easy part.
InterContinental Foshan 佛山保利洲际酒店
The Guicheng business district, closest to Guangzhou. Sensible if the trip is stacked with supplier meetings on the Nanhai side.
Sofitel Foshan 佛山罗浮宫索菲特酒店
walk to the malls · short trips
Langhao Hotel Lecong 朗濠酒店(顺德乐从天佑城店)
walk to shops · value
Straight-line distance from the Lecong furniture anchor. Ratings: Google Places and Amap, 31 Oct 2026.
Where to eat
Showroom days run long and the malls close at 18:30. These are worth walking to afterwards.
Ratings and average spend from Amap, retrieved 2026-10-31. Hours and closures change — confirm before booking a table for guests.
What German buyers get caught on
- 01EUTR due diligence is the importer's duty, not the factory's. Ask for species, origin and a FSC or PEFC certificate at quotation stage, because a document that arrives after the order is a problem you cannot fix.
- 02GS marking for furniture is voluntary but decisive with German retailers, and it is not the same as CE. CE applies where the product falls under a directive — electrical parts, for example.
- 0319% VAT on import plus duty. A supplier quoting a landed German price without VAT is quoting half a number.
- 04Fabric and foam flammability is checked against the buyer's own standard, often a retailer's specification rather than a national one. Ask which standard is being referenced before the sample is made.
- 05German buyers often want a factory audit or a social compliance document in addition to a product sample — that is a separate appointment, not a stop on the showroom route.
Practical specification checks, not certification advice. Confirm current requirements with your importer or testing body.
Importing into Germany
The buying is the easy half. This is the half that lands at your door.
- Import VAT
- 19% standard rate on import
- Plug / voltage
- Type C / F · 230 V
- Main port
- Hamburg · Bremerhaven
- Ocean transit
- 32–40 days
- Currency
- EUR
- Working language
- German, English
Check the current rate with your broker before you price the order — these figures drift.
Trip cost, before any furniture
| Line | Planning figure |
|---|---|
| Flights | EUR 700–1,200 return on the Frankfurt nonstop |
| Hotel | Lecong or Chancheng, 4-star, EUR 55–105 per night |
| Guide day | USD 150 guide only · USD 250 with car · USD 299 with a 7-seat SUV |
| Compliance | GS testing and EUTR documentation cost money before shipment — quote them with the product |
Planning figures, not a quotation.
Questions German buyers ask
How long is the flight from Germany to Foshan?
Ten to eleven hours nonstop from Frankfurt to Guangzhou, then about an hour by road to Lecong or the Guangfo intercity rail to Foshan West.
Do German passports need a visa for China?
No, up to 30 days. Germany is on China's unilateral visa-free list, currently valid to 31 December 2026. Confirm the term with the embassy before paying for flights.
Is CE marking enough for furniture?
No. CE applies where a product falls under a directive — electrical components, for instance. For furniture the more decisive marks are often GS and the buyer's own specification, and neither is granted by the factory's say-so.
Can you pick me up at Frankfurt-style morning arrivals?
Yes. The driver tracks the flight and waits in arrivals with a name board. Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai, Dongguan and Zhongshan are all covered, plus Foshan West station.
How many days should a German buyer plan?
Four. One day in Lecong against your list, one day in Longjiang or Nanzhuang at the factory, one day for samples and the technical file, and one for sign-off. Add a day if a factory audit is on the agenda.
Elsewhere in Europe
Same continent, different import file. Three more routes worth comparing before you book.
Keep planning
Send your list before you book the flight
Share quantities, rooms, budget and your travel month. We come back with a route, a supplier shortlist and an honest answer on whether the trip is worth making.
Trade rules, duty rates and certification scope change without notice. Confirm the current requirements for your product and entry date with a licensed customs broker before committing to a deposit.