Note: Guangzhou and Chengdu had also been approved by the State Council to carry out this free transit policy. That is to say, air passengers from those 45 countries can enjoy 72 hours free transit via Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (from 1st August 2013) and Chengdu Shuangliu Airport (date has not yet been set):
Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, 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, United States.
1. Confirmed interline ticket and valid visa to the third country or region (if required) are needed for entry. According to presentations by the Exit and Entry Administration of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB), the 72 hours will be counted from the moment visitors get their transit permits, but not the time when they land at the airport. However, different airlines may have different policies regarding this free transit. For example, passengers may be denied boarding their flights if they do not have confirmed tickets for leaving within 72 hours (here the 72 hour can be simply calculated based on scheduled landing and scheduled departure of the flights). So to avoid hassles, transit passengers from said countries are suggested to book a flight ticket for leaving within 72 hours to a third country or region.
2. Visitors are required to register at a police station with their transit permits within 24 hours after entry. (Here it should be clear that the registration will be done when you check in to a hotel. So, personal registration is required only for those who stay at their friends' or family's place.) Restrictions of the 72-hour Visa-free Transit:
1. This regulation does not apply to passengers who travel on round trip flights (e.g., Hong Kong - Beijing - Hong Kong), which means the destination and place of departure can not be the same. That is to say, only those who make transit through Beijing or Shanghai International Airport to the third country are eligible for this policy.
2. The 72-hour free stay only applies to transit via Airports. Passengers by train or any other vehicles should still apply for a transit G visa in advance.
3. For air passengers who are interested to visit Beijing/Shanghai during stopover, they should make sure put forward transit permit requests to the airlines taken in advance, so that the airlines can declare it to the airport customs before landing.
4. Visitors are not allowed to leave Beijing/Shanghai to other cities during the 72 hours. They can only depart from the Beijing/Shanghai 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 Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB). Otherwise, tourists cannot apply for an extension of stay.
Punishment on Violators:
Visitors from said countries should strictly follow the restrictions above. Violators of Chinese law, shall be warned, fined or detained for a few days depending on the circumstances. Cases of gross violation shall be expelled from China and prohibited re-entry.