72h visa-free transit in Shanghai when passing through the same transit point

China offers a 72h visa free transit in many of its major cities, including Shanghai, when traveling from country A to B via China (to citizens of selected nations). (I.e. US -> Shanghai -> Tokyo is ok, but not US -> Shanghai -> US)

My question is, how about the following itinerary? (E.g. flying with emirates):

Italy -> Dubai -> Shanghai -> Dubai -> France

While A and B are different, I'm twice transiting in Dubai and they might just look at the last airport.

And bonus question: Italy -> Shanghai -> France (i.e. without layovers) should be OK or is EU somehow considered one country?

Best Answer

I found this link to contain information (sometimes with a focus on U.S. citizens) with great detail.

It clearly states that for the 72h vise-free transit it counts the country of the last airport you transited in, i.e. the above itinerary via Dubai would not be valid.

UPDATE: also this link gives a great depth of information and confirms the above.

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Do I need a visa to transit through Shanghai?

1) A foreign citizen who is transiting through China by air is exempted from a visa if he/she will stay only in the airport for no more than 24 hours and has a valid connecting ticket with confirmed seating on an international flight.

Can you transit through Shanghai?

24-Hour Direct Transit Under the 24-hour visa-free transit rule, no visa is required for international flight, ship, or train passengers who transit directly through mainland China and will stay for less than 24 hours. Passengers should hold tickets to a third country or region and have a confirmed seat.

Do you need a visa if you have a connecting flight in China?

Foreigners who have confirmed onward tickets and seats on international flights and directly transit through China and stay for no more than 24 hours within the airport boundaries do not need to apply for a transit visa.

Do you need a visa when taking a connecting flight?

Re: Do I Need A Visa For A Connecting Flight Through The US? Yes. There is no transit at US airports and you will need to clear both Immigration and Customs at your first point of entry into the US regardless. You will need either an ESTA or a Visa.

Transit visa china EXPLAINED properly! 24, 72 and 144 hour visa free | Air china, Shanghai airport

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Images: Uriel Mont, Tim Samuel, Samson Katt, Ono Kosuki