Chinese cities Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou will double the country’s 72-hour visa-free stopover window by rolling out the red carpet for up to six days for transiting travellers, avoiding the need to apply for a conventional Chinese visa.

That means a business traveller could fly from Sydney to Shanghai or Nanjing, remain there for the business week, fly onwards to Hong Kong and then fly home – all sans Chinese visa – as Hong Kong is considered a separate country under China’s visa-free rules, making your Shanghai visit a ‘transit’.

A more conventional journey such as Sydney-Shanghai-Sydney without transiting a third country would, however, continue to require a pre-arranged visa.

China’s Bureau of Entry and Exit Administration (Ministry of Public Security) hasn’t yet firmed up a start date for the longer six-day window but has communicated to local Chinese media that the program will also expand to cruise terminals and train stations in these cities.

Other cities participating in the existing visa-free program including Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi’an, Wuhan and Xiamen will retain the current 72-hour window for transit passengers.

Also read: China: visa-free stopovers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou

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