Shanghai 144-hour Visa Free Travel for Transit Travelers

Shanghai, together with neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang in East China, has implemented a 144-hour, roughly six-day visa-free policy for transit travelers since January 30, 2016.

Under the new policy, travelers from 51 countries can enjoy 144-hour visa-free travel in the entire Yangtze River Delta region upon entry via Shanghai's air, sea and railway ports, Nanjing Lukou International Airport or Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, providing they have valid travel documents and tickets to leave for a third country or region within 144 hours.

Transit travelers from certain countries can now travel through the Yangtze River Delta for 144 hours without a visa. (Upper left: the Grand Canal in Suzhou. Bottom left: the West Lake in Hangzhou. Right: the Oriental Pearl in Shanghai)

Compared with the previous 72-hour visa-free policy, the new policy enables visitors to arrange their travel more flexibly. Aside from the doubled transit time, it allows passengers to travel across the Yangtze River Delta, including but not limited to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Nanjing. Furthermore, the transit ports are not limited to airports. Cruise and train passengers are also able to avail of the policy. The requirements remain the same as before.

In the past, the 72-hour visa-free policy made cities in mainland China less attractive for transit travelers than Hong Kong and other international cities in neighboring countries, which have a more relaxed visa policy. Officials hope the new policy will boost the tourism industry in the Yangtze River Delta.

"3 days is a bit short, but 6 days would be the right time. Travelers can also take trips to Suzhou and some famous water towns. They have more choices when selecting tours." explained Vera Zhao, product manager at Odyssey Tours. "It is hoped that the 144-hour policy will soon be adopted by other tourist cities in China." she added.

The 51 visa-free countries are the U.S, the U.K, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.

Of course, you can also apply for a port visa to enter China, which can free you from worrying about time and city limits. With the simple preparation of your itinerary, list of group names, hotel booking confirmation and your return flight booking information, you can get your port visa within 2-3 days of applying. DHL will deliver the original copy within 3 working days if required. The only thing you need to remember is the port of arrival. Make sure it is exactly the same destination as your port visa.