back from holiday, updates for visa policy

[petertcg]

Hey all,

 

I just came back from holiday, I stayed in Beijing for a transit. For those of you who don’t know, China has recently changed it visa policy. Here’s the latest update:

 

Starting this year, Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport offer a 72-hour visa-free stay for foreign visitors from a list of 45 countries with third-country visas or round-trip tickets to a third destination. This policy is only applicable for foreign visitors who enter, stay in and leave from the cities of Beijing and Shanghai.

According to the regulations of Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, foreign visitors who meet ALL the following requirements can apply for the visa-free transit:

Hold passports issued by the following 45 countries,

Hold valid international travel documents,

Qualify for the entry to a third destination country,

Hold valid airline tickets to a third country within a period of 72 hours which are reported to Chinese immigration by their airline companies

72-hour Visa-free Transit Policy is valid for passport holders from the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar

Restrictions of the 72-hour visa-free transit policy:

1. This regulation does not apply to passengers who travel on a single return flight (e.g., Bangkok – Beijing - Bangkok), which means the next destination and original departure cannot be the same. They need to apply for a transit visa before their departure.

2. The 72-hour visa-free stay only applies to transit via the three aforementioned airports. Passengers by train or any other vehicles should still apply for a transit visa.

3. Visitors have to purchase connecting plane tickets before arrival in Beijing or Shanghai. The policy does not apply to passengers who are planning to purchase plane tickets upon arrival at one of the three aforementioned airports.

4. Visitors are not allowed to leave Beijing or Shanghai for other cities during the 72-hour visa-free period. They can only depart Beijing from Beijing Capital International Airport or depart Shanghai from Pudong International Airport or Hongqiao International Airport.

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 the Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB).