72-Hour Visa-Free Stay in Beijing and Shanghai for American Travelers

Both Beijing and Shanghai will allow transit passengers from 45 countries to stay in the in the city for up to 72 hours without a visa. The new visa policy is believed to attract more tourism spending to both Beijing and Shanghai.

Beijing National Stadium: Bird’s Nest”

Shanghai has already been offering visa-free transit stays for some certain passport-holders for a maximum of 48 hours. The new policy came into effect on January 1st, 2013. In Shanghai, transit passengers holding third country visas and plane tickets can enter Shanghai through the city’s two airports, Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG); in Beijing, transit passengers can enter only through Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).

China Pavilion, “The Crown of the East,” Shanghai

The 45 visa-free countries are:
Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States.