The State Public Security Ministry announced that Shanghai and neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces will begin offering six-day, 144-hour visa-free transit to foreigners from 51 countries beginning later this week.
Starting on January 30, travelers entering the country from Shanghai’s two airports, Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan International Airport and Nanjing’s Lukou International Airport will be able to stay in those cities and provinces for up to six days without a visa. They’ll also be able to exit the country from any of those four airports.
If you hold a passport from one of the following countries this applies to you: 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, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.
According to Shanghai Airport Immigration Inspection Office, since the implementation of 72-hour visa-free stay policy in January 1st, 2013, more than 100 thousand foreigners have taken advantage of this facility. After three years, it proves to be a great success, propelling Shanghai forward as an international metropolis. To enhance the fruitful tryout, the government thus put forward with a series of immigration measures, including the 144-hour visa-free transit policy and Green Card (Permanent Residency) bonus. Though not having been carried out yet currently, it’s predicted that this scheme will gain favor of international travelers.
With the fast process of globalization, we can expect more and more steps in the future to lower the barriers between countries.