Beijing looks to attract more international travelers by extending visa-free entry for people transiting through the city to a full six days.

International visitors can now apply for a 144-hour visa-free stay in Beijing that covers the neighboring city of Tianjin and parts of Hebei Province.

Twice the length of the previous policy, the offer is available to citizens from 53 countries. Applicants are required to have valid international travel documents as well as reserved tickets with a fixed date to a third destination (aside from China and their point of origin).

Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are considered to be third destinations for this policy.

First announced last summer, the policy allows visitors to freely move between Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. International tourists can enter and leave the three areas using six port of entries that include Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing West Railway Station.

Visitors hoping to take advantage of the policy are required to fill out the 144-hour visa-free stay permit upon arrival along with an arrival/departure card.

While visiting Beijing on their layover, international visitors are also eligible for a retail tax refund. After making purchases from designated stores in Beijing and Tianjin, tourists can apply for the tax refund at airports in either city.

Additionally, international visitors won't have to worry about their luggage during their Beijing layover as airports are offering to look after them for free.

The visa-free policy has proven to be popular in Beijing, attracting 26,323 visitors in 2016, a 32 percent year-on-year increase.

China first offered the 144-hour visa-free permit to tourists visiting Shanghai and the surrounding Zhejiang and Jiangsu areas last year. A similar policy is expected to implemented soon for Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and all of Guangdong Province.

Want to know if you can take advantage of the new 144-hour visa? Here's a full list of the 53 eligible countries:

24 Schengen Agreement countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

15 other European countries: Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Belarus, Monaco

Six North and South American countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile

Six Asian countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar

Two Oceania countries: Australia, New Zealand

More stories from this author here.

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com

Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: CNTA, sd China