What foreigners need to know about 72-hour visa rule

Rumors that Beijing would waive visas for travelers have been making the rounds for some time now. But that's all it was – a rumor. This is all set to change however, according to an official announcement made on December 5. From January 1, 2013, visitors stopping over in Beijing on transit will be allowed to stay in the city for up 72 hours visa-free. But as with any new rule in China, there's some fine print worth reading. Who exactly qualifies for this exemption, and are there any strings attached? And is there even any reason for us to get excited? Read on to find out more. 

Who can take advantage of the visa waiver?

Travelers from 45 countries will be allowed to take advantage of this 72-hour visa waiver program, and according to Li Baochun of the Entry & Exit Administration, this list could get longer if the need arises. For a full list of countries click here. However, travelers must be on transit via Beijing; in other words, Beijing cannot be the final destination. What's more, visitors cannot travel to other Chinese cities and must show that they satisfy the entry conditions of their destination country.

Hang on, let's back up a bit. Only people en route to another country who stop over in Beijing are applicable – which rules out all tourists coming specifically to China. And since most connecting flights are part of the overall ticket package (in other words, you rarely have much or any flexibility in choosing the departure time of your connecting flight out of Beijing) and usually only involves a layover of a couple of hours, this visa waiver rule is pretty much useless to the average traveler. So, if you thought that this means a quick 3-day visa-free business or leisure trip to China, think again! However, if you ever do happen to find yourself stuck at Beijing Capital Airport for a significant chunk of time on your way to, let's say Japan, you could consider leaving the airport and heading to the Forbidden City for a quick tourist snapshot without having the hassle of applying for a tourist visa!