Foreign visitors are not permitted to leave Beijing to other Chinese cities during the 72 hours, and have to depart from Beijing.
Visitors have to register at a police station with their visas within 24 hours of their arrival, according to the government.
The 72 hours will be calculated starting from the moment visitors get their transit stay permits, said Gao Dahua, deputy director of the exit and entry administrative corps of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Beijing Capital International Airport is the only entry-exit port applicable for the policy, Gao stressed.
The policy may enhance the status of Beijing Capital International Airport as an international air hub, said Gao Lijia, a general deputy manager with the airport.
The airport has seen about 7.6 million inbound and outbound foreign passengers during the first nine months in 2012 and 521,600 out of them are transit passengers, Gao said
He predicted that the policy will bring 600,000 to 800,000 transit visitors to China in 2013.
To help with the transit visitors, the airport will improve service facilities in the airport including special visa-free channels, said Li Chunfang, manager with the planning and development department of the airport.
'Devil' foreign instructors at Chinese bodyguard training camp