Shanghai joins Beijing, offers visa-free travel

Shanghai has decided to waive visas for transit passengers from 45 countries for stays of up to 72 hours in the city, after Beijing announced a similar policy last week.

Shanghai has been offering visa-free stays for some transit travelers for a maximum of 48 hours. The policy will be extended to 72 hours from January 1, 2013.

Transit passengers can enter Shanghai through Hongqiao and Pudong airports. The new ruling does not apply to visitors arriving by ship or train.

The 45 visa-free countries are:

Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States.