China’s immigration authorities said in a statement that it will increase the number of ports of entry that allow tourists a six-day visa-free stopover to 27.
According to the South China Morning Post, the new ruling which will be brought into effect from 1 December aims to attract more business and holiday travellers. It also aims to expand its source of revenue from tourism, by drawing more visitors from outside of Asia.
Tourists from 53 countries will be able to gain entry to China without a visa when in transit to another country. They will be able to access 20 cities through the ports for up to 144 hours (6 days), China’s National Immigration Administration said.
Visitors need a valid passport and tickets to a destination outside China within the visa-free period to gain entry.
According to On the Go Tours, travellers need to go straight to the dedicated counter at immigration inspection and fill out the Arrival/Departure Card. Once the visitors’ passport has been stamped with the permit, that shows the permitted duration of your stay, they need to check in with their hotel. The hotel will take care of registering tourist stays with the local authorities.
The tour company offers packages like its Beijing visa-Free tour that takes visitors to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. It also offers a three-day, or five-day, Shanghai visa-free tours.
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