What would happen if you're caught in Beijing with a 144-hour visa exemption for the Shanghai area?

If you fly into Shanghai (and plan to fly out from there as well) and enter on a 144-hour visa exemption, and then take the Train to Beijing to spend the time there, what would the consequences be if checked by the authorities?

Would you be deported from the country, or simply sent back to Shanghai?

How likely is it even that a police officer would ask a Western tourist to go to the hotel with them so they can check the passport?

Best Answer

If you are going to central Beijing, this area is quite different to the rest of China. Security around Tiananmen Square is very tight, and all pedestrians in the area are searched airport-style in large white tents that block the pavement. Here you will be required to present identification (in the form of either a Chinese ID card or a valid passport) before you can get into the main tourist parts. Museums and major places also demand passports to gain entry; as I recall the National Museum of China took my passport away for several minutes of inspection before they allowed me entry.

Most of this work is undertaken by surprisingly young members of the People's Liberation Army rather than by police, and usually they are not interested in your visas, but just want to confirm your picture. Still I am sure they would refer any irregularities to their superiors.

Personally I would strongly discourage you from breaking the rules; a Chinese visa is cheap and easy to obtain. The consequences for breaking the visa conditions may be expulsion from China via the nearest airport, at your expense (after a brief period of detention) and a five year ban. It is, in my opinion, a mistake to think of China as a westernised place where minor infractions of the law by foreigners will be tolerated.

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What would happen if you're caught in Beijing with a 144-hour visa exemption for the Shanghai area? - City Skyline at Night

How long can you live in China without a visa?

The government of the People's Republic of China allows holders of ordinary passports issued by some countries to travel to Mainland China for tourism or business purposes for up to 15, 30, 60 or 90 days without having to obtain a visa.

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 China without a visa?

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.

How do I get a 144 hour visa for China?

Condition

Be a citizen of one of the 53 countries qualified by the provisions and hold valid international travel documents that identify their nationality;

Hold a ticket for a connection to a third country (or region) that will leave within 144 hours of the passenger's arrival.

What would happen if you didn’t sleep? - Claudia Aguirre

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Images: Martin Wang, ZHANQUN CAI, zhang kaiyv, Garrison Gao