Beijing will start a 72-hour visa-free stay policy for citizens of 45 countries from Jan. 1, 2013, municipal authorities said Wednesday.

Tourists holding third country visas and plane tickets can apply for a transit without visa (TWOV) in the capital city at Beijing Capital International Airport.

The following are these countries listed in accordance with the numbers of inbound overnight visitors in Beijing from 2009 to 2011:

-- Austria;

-- Belgium;

-- the Czech Republic;

-- Denmark;

-- Estonia;

-- Finland;

-- France;

-- Germany;

-- Greece;

-- Hungary;

-- Iceland;

-- Italy;

-- Latvia;

-- the Republic of Lithuania;

-- Luxembourg;

-- the Republic of Malta;

-- the Netherlands;

-- Poland;

-- Portugal;

-- the Republic of Slovakia;

-- the Republic of Slovenia;

-- Spain;

-- Sweden;

-- Swiss;

-- Russia;

-- the United Kingdom of Britain;

-- the Republic of Ireland;

-- Cyprus;

-- Bulgaria;

-- Romania;

-- Ukraine;

-- the United States of America;

-- Canada;

-- Brazil;

-- Mexico

-- Argentina;

-- Chile;

-- Australia;

-- New Zealand;

-- the Republic of Korea;

-- Japan;

-- Singapore;

-- Brunei;

-- the United Arab Emirates;

-- Qatar.