In a previous post I explained how China requires a visa for most citizens to enter the country, however, there’s a small loophole to that. China has in place a 72-hour and 144-hour transit visas. The really interesting visa is the 144 hours one, equal to 6 days, and was implemented to increase tourism in the area. The policy was put into place this year (2016) and covers only the cities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. However, only nationals of certain countries can enjoy this special transit visa. The downside of this visa is that you cannot leave the city it was delivered in, but on the other hand, Shanghai is big and interesting enough for you to spend 6 days there. The 72-hour policy only includes 18 cities for the moment, and you are required to leave through the same airport you entered. Three days might seem short, but if you’re wanting to visit say, Beijing, while avoiding all the visa hassle it may already seem like the better option. One important thing is that, upon arrival in order to obtain either visa you must make sure you have a ticket confirming your flight to your final destination. So if […]
Shànghǎi – Futuristic City [Ciudad Futurista]
Unfortunately our trip to Shanghai was very short, we were there for only 3 days taking advantage of the fact that we had some friends that lived there. Our final destination was actually Vietnam. To travel to China most people need a visa (Colombians, French, Americans , etc.) however you can do transit through the country for a total of 144 hours. So luckily we didn’t have to deal with that! But you do have to get a special permit upon arrival, showing you’re there for the less than the hours permitted.