72-hour Visa-free for Transit Travellers in Hangzhou

Now there are 10 Chinese cities that offer a 72 hour stay without visa for transit passengers

If you transit through Hangzhou, now you can enjoy a 72-hour visa-free stay to visit a splendid city. Besides Hangzhou, the 72 hour visa free entry is already available for Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, Xi'an, Chongqing, Dalian, Shenyang, Haikou.

HANGZHOU, Oct. 2014 - East China's Hangzhou City began to offer 72-hour visa-free entry for international transit passengers, a move to boost tourism and business. The policy covers travelers from 51 countries, including the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Japan. They can enjoy a 72-hour stay in Zhejiang Province after entering the country via Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, providing they have third country visas and onward tickets to leave for a third country or region within 72 hours.

The move will boost international tourism, commercial and trade cooperation as well as cultural exchanges, said Chen Zongyao, a senior provincial government official on Monday. Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, is one of the favorite destinations for domestic tourists. But its inbound tourism is weak. In the first half of this year, Hangzhou received 48 million domestic tourist arrivals and only 1.5 million from overseas, according to the municipal tourism commission.

51 Countries to enjoy the 72 hours visa-free policy:

24 countries signed the European Schengen visa agreement - 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.

13 European countries -  Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania.

6 American countries - United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile.

2 Oceanian Countries - Australia and New Zealand.

6 Asian countries - South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar.

For the convenience of foreign visitors to enjoy this 72 hours visa-free policy, Hangzhou customs sets express channels for clearance procedures. Visitors can get more information from electric screens at the scene. Service hotline is 12360. What’s more, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport has opened dedicated channels, specific verification counters and 37 tourism bus routes connected to downtown Hangzhou and its suburbs.