The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, shopping and food, are only some of the attractions tourists would enjoy visting Chinese Cities like Beijing or Shanghai for three days.
What stops many want to be tourists is the time consuming procedure obtaining a tourist visa for China. There is a way around it if staying less than 72 hours and entering China from one county, leaving to another country including Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan can get nationals of more than 50 nations into China without visa. It’s a great way to increase inbound tourism to China, if Chinese tourism officials would try to effectively communicate this policy.
Here is the tricky part. Many airlines do not know about this policy and when checking in, the policy is not showing up as an option visibile to the check in agent. It’s important to explain this is not a visa policy , but a 72 hour non visa stay for transit.
eTN Publisher Juergen T Steinmetz last week almost missed his United Airlines flight in Honolulu, because check in agents had no idea about this Chinese visa policy and told the passenger they would be fined $24.000.00 if they allow him to board the United Airlines flight. Only after the passenger made many calls including talking to the 1K customer service agent, United Airlines allowed Mr. Steinmetz to board. When checking the Chinese consulate website there is no word about this policy. When calling the Chinese consulates it’s impossible to reach a human being.
In order to facilitate the international visitors’ short stay in China, 72-Hour Visa Free Transit policy is carried out in more and more cities. At present, eighteen cities adopt this policy. This policy allows transit passengers with passport of 51 countries to stay for up to 72 hours without a visa on direct transit.
Cities Enjoying the Policy
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Harbin, Shenyang, Dalian, Xian, Guilin, Kunming, Wuhan, Xiamen, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao, Changsha and Hangzhou
Areas Allowed to Stay
Passengers transiting in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao, or Changsha are allowed to travel in the whole province.
Passengers transiting in Beijing, Chongqing, Harbin, Guilin, Kunming, Wuhan, Xiamen, or Tianjin cannot leave the administrative area of the transit city.
Passengers transiting in Shanghai, Zhejiang, or Jiangsu can move around the three places.
Passengers stopping over in Dalian or Shenyang can travel in these two cities.
Passengers transiting in Xian Xianyang Airport are permitted to travel in the administrative areas of Xian and Xianyang.
以下国家/地区的公民已获得该计划的预先批准进入中国。
24个申根协定国家/地区：奥地利，比利时，捷克共和国，丹麦，爱沙尼亚，芬兰，法国，德国，希腊，匈牙利，冰岛，意大利，拉脱维亚，立陶宛，卢森堡，马耳他，荷兰，波兰，葡萄牙，斯洛伐克，斯洛文尼亚，西班牙，瑞典，瑞士
13个其他欧洲国家：俄罗斯，英国，爱尔兰，塞浦路斯，保加利亚，罗马尼亚，乌克兰，塞尔维亚，克罗地亚，波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那，黑山，马其顿（FYROM），阿尔巴尼亚
6个美国国家/地区：美国，加拿大，巴西，墨西哥，阿根廷，智利
2个大洋洲国家：澳大利亚，新西兰
6个亚洲国家/地区：韩国，日本，新加坡，文莱，阿拉伯联合酋长国，卡塔尔
申请条件
1. The confirmed seat onward ticket and valid visa to a third country or region (if required) are needed for entry. Based on the latest information, the 72 hours starts from 00:00 the day following the entry date in almost all the airports. For example, if an air passenger arrives in Guangzhou at 08:00 on June 2nd, then the latest time for him to leave is 23:59 on June 5. In this case, the actual stopover time is more than 72 hours. However, to play on the safe side, passengers are recommended to be more conservative and not to exceed the “strict 72 hours” which counts from the flights’ scheduled arrival time to the departure time.
2. The flights can only stop in one Chinese city, meaning passengers have to enter and exit from the same city, except in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Guangdong, where the 144-hour visa-free transit has been implemented. For instance, if a flight lands in Xian via Beijing, passengers are not able to enjoy the policy. In addition, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are regarded as a third region in terms of transit issues. If a flight passes USA – Beijing – Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan, passengers are able to enjoy.
3. Only use flights to transfer in China. Passengers using other vehicles (including using flight for single trip) are not eligible to enjoy the policy.
4. Passengers are required to leave from the same airport that they arrive, except in Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, where they can enter or leave from any port in Shanghai, Nanjing Lukou Airport, or Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport.
申请文件
有效护照
第三国或地区的签证
完整的抵达/离境卡（包括姓名，国籍，护照号码，签证号码和签发地点，航班号码，访问目的，出生日期，性别）
需要确认座位的续程票
程序
Inform the airlines when boarding – Fill an Arrival/Departure Card on the flight – Apply for the 72-hour permit at the airport you arrive – Claim the luggage – Go through the custom – Leave airport
有必要在办理登机手续时通知航空公司，以便他们可以在着陆之前向机场海关声明您的要求。 通过北京首都国际机场过境的乘客抵达后可以申请此免费过境许可证。
2. There is a special counter/lane for the 72-hour free transit at the immigration, so passengers can go there directly by following the signs. For example, the immigration channels 2 to 4 are for 72-hour free transit passengers in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.
3. After the request to enjoy the 72-hour free transit is approved, the officer will stamp a stay permit on your passport. The duration of stay is written on the passport. Remember to tell the officer that one wants to use the 72-hour free transit if he/she already has a valid visa for China.
4. After leaving the airport, remember to register at local police station within 24 hours of arrival if one wants to stay over 24 hours. Those who live with family or friends need to go to register in person at the police station with relatives or friends. Those who live in hotels do not need to go, because the hotels will do it for the guests.
5. If visitors are unable to depart on time due to unavoidable reasons, such as flight cancellation or treatment of sudden disease, they need to apply for a visa from Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB). Otherwise, tourists cannot apply for an extension of stay.
