Does anyone know anything about the Shanghai 144 hour transit visa?

Thanks for prompt replies.Any links to the multiple entry visa debate/rules would be much appreciated.??

Thanks for prompt replies.Please ignore my previous note .As we are UKcitizens we can only apply for a 2 year multiple entry visa anyway!

This is new and allows cruise passengers in tour groups an exemption from visa requirement.

See official Shanghai Immigration website

sh-immigration.gov.cn

This is new and allows cruise passengers in tour groups an exemption from visa requirement.

See official Shanghai Immigration website

sh-immigration.gov.cn

Incorrect information again. One does not need to be in a tour group. Please read your own reference again and tell me where it says that joining a tour is a requirement? Please do not spread wrong information and mislead people.

Quote from the website "need to enrol in a tour group". This is taken from the explanation and answer to question 2.

I am sure you will offer your apologies and refrain from lecturing.

Quote from the website "need to enrol in a tour group". This is taken from the explanation and answer to question 2.

 

I am sure you will offer your apologies and refrain from lecturing.

My comment is about the topic discussed here.

Your link goes to a Chinese webpage and even with my limited reading abilities of Chinese, I still see no reference of what you are talking about on that page.

The topic of this thread is the 144-hour exemption. Links to the official rules were given in a previous post.

If you wish to introduce another topic, at least give us a working link to it.

I'd be interested to know of cruises ships who park themselves in Shanghai for more than 6 days.

My comment is about the topic discussed here.

Your link goes to a Chinese webpage and even with my limited reading abilities of Chinese, I still see no reference of what you are talking about on that page.

The topic of this thread is the 144-hour exemption. Links to the official rules were given in a previous post.

If you wish to introduce another topic, at least give us a working link to it.

I'd be interested to know of cruises ships who park themselves in Shanghai for more than 6 days.

I believe this (Q #2) is what yoredale is referring to.

Interpretation of 15-Day Visa-Exemption Policy for Foreign Tour Groups Entering Shanghai by Cruise

09-30-2016

To support the construction of Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Hub, sanctioned by the State Council, as of October 1st, 2016, a 15-day visa-exemption policy for foreign tour groups entering the country by cruise from Shanghai (hereinafter referred to as “the policy”) is to officially take effect. As the responsible authority to carry out this facilitative policy, we would like to avail of the opportunity to answer some questions regarding the policy which foreign passengers are concerned with.

1.

Q: When does the 15 days of visa-free stay mentioned in the policy start counting?

A:Upon approval by Shanghai immigration inspection authority, foreign tour groups, whose members hold valid international travel documents and enter the country from Shanghai by cruise and later exit it with the same cruise ship,shall be exempted from the requirement of Chinese visas and allowed to stay in China for not more than 15 days, which starts counting from the next day upon arrival.

2.

Q: In order to be eligible for the policy, do foreign tourists who travel by cruise to Shanghai need to be received by a travel agency?

A: Yes. Foreign tourists who travel by cruise to Shanghai need to enroll in a tour group of 2 or more members organized by a travel agency legally registered in Chinese Mainland. The receiving travel agency is required to declare to Shanghai immigration inspection authority the passenger manifest of an eligible tour group and only after being approved by Shanghai immigration inspection authority can said tour group undergo the procedures for visa-free entry.

3.

Q: In what manner should the travel agency declare the passenger manifest of a foreign tour group to the immigration inspection authority for approval?

A: Domestic travel agencies which are responsible for receiving eligible foreign tour groups entering China by cruise shall be responsible for examining and verifying the passenger manifests and declare them to Pujiang Immigration Inspection Station (PIIS) via the “15-day Visa Exemption Tour Group Information Declaration System” founded on the internet website http://www.singlewindow.sh.cn 24 hours prior to the docking of concerned cruise ships. While a cruise shipis docking into the port, the receiving travel agency should be present to submit a physical passenger manifest to PIIS for inspection and greet the tour groups.

4.

Q: If a foreign passenger applies to enroll in a tour group eligible for 15-day visa-exemption entry while aboard a cruise ship en route to Shanghai instead of enrolling in one in advance, will Shanghai immigration inspection authority give permission?

A: If individual foreign passengers request to join a tour group eligible for 15-day visa-exemption entry while aboard a cruise ship en route to Shanghai, the cruise company and its agency need to get into contact with the receiving travel agency first. Under the condition that the travel agencyis capable of accommodating such changes, it shall submit an emergency application to the immigration inspection station and provide a complementary manifest of those group members who are enrolled later. Only after such an application is approved by the immigration inspection station shall the passengers be able to undergo the procedures for visa-free entry.

5.

Q: Which documents are required of foreign tour groups when handling the procedures for visa-free entry by cruise?

A: Upon approval by the immigration inspection authority of the group manifest submitted in advance, foreign passengers shall be able to go through the immigration inspection procedures for visa-free entry by producing their own valid international travel documents. For those foreign passengers who have already received inspection by immigration officers stationed on board the cruise ship, after the cruise ship calls at the port, they canuse their own travel documents to have their identities verified by the Immigration Inspection Cruise Management System installed at the cruise gangway and then disembark from the cruise ship.

6.

Q: While handling visa-free entry procedures, are foreign passengers required to fill out arrival cards in advance?

A: While the immigration inspection station is conducting inspection on foreign tour groups eligible for 15-day visa-free entry, no arrival cards or departure cards are required, nor will any entry or exit stamps be affixed on passengers’ international travel documents.

7.

Q: After completing visa-free entry procedures in Shanghai, can foreign tour groups travel to other port cities in China with the same cruise ship and exit the country there?

A: Yes. When the policy is adopted, it is already taken into consideration that cruise ships which enter China from Shanghai might call at and exit the country from other port cities in China. However, foreign tour groups should travel as a whole with their cruise ship and the areas of activity are confined to BeijingMunicipalityand cruise port cities and administrative regions of surrounding cities within Shanghai Municipality, Liaoning Province, HebeiProvince, Tianjin Municipality, Shandong Province, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regionand HainanProvince.

Yes that is what I referred to, but I don't know how to attach or paste it here.

Now expect a lecture or sarcastic comment from others !!

Thanks for the update yoredale and hel0013.

Good to know that there is another alternative. As you still need to be up for the tour cost, unfortunately it's not so useful for those who have been there before.

Our ship's day tour costs £40 which is a lot less than the £150 visa cost.

However, we still need confirmation that cruise companies accept the new rules.

Just spent one hour trying to contact someone in P&O UK to get their view on the issue but all I managed was to be transferred several times from them to the company who provide a visa service CITB.

Does anyone have a name or suggested contact in P&O ?

Incidentally CITB charge in excess of £200 for their service.

Yes that is what I referred to, but I don't know how to attach or paste it here.

Now expect a lecture or sarcastic comment from others !!

Thank you yoredale for the heads up on this latest policy... Unfortunately it doesn't help us as we already have our Visa... :(

Shanghai to Adopt 15-Day Visa Exemption Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Entering China by Cruise from Shanghai

09-30-2016

In an effort to accelerate implementation of the national strategy of innovation driven development, recently, sanctioned by the State Council, a 15-day visa exemption policy for foreign tour groups entering the country by cruise from Shanghai (hereinafter referred to as “the policy”) is to take effect on October 1st, 2016. Foreign tour groups (consisting of no less than 2 members), when organized and received by travel agencies legally registered in Mainland China, shall be exempted from the requirement of Chinese visas when entering the country as a whole from cruise ports in Shanghai and entitled to not more than 15 days (calculated from the next day upon arrival) of stay in China. The domestic areas which said foreign tour groups are allowed to visit include Beijing Municipality and cruise port cities and administrative regions of surrounding cities within Shanghai Municipality, Liaoning Province, Hebei Province, Tianjin Municipality, Shandong Province, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hainan Province.

The adoption of the policy is yet another major facilitative state measure aimed to back the construction of Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Hub and will inevitably hasten the development of Shanghai’s cruise industry. In recent years, Shanghai’s cruise economy has boomed. Statistics show that the passenger traffic through cruise ports in Shanghai reached 1,624,000 in 2015, up by 35.5% than previous year, among which, however, only 4.3%, or 69,000, is that of foreign passengers, tying up with 2014. A crucial factor contributing to the low percentage of foreign passenger traffic through cruise ports is the low “cost performance ratio” caused by the nuisance of having to apply for Chinese visas in advance and short shore time for sightseeing, and as a result it somewhat undermined the willingness of foreign passengers to visit China by cruise. After the policy officially takes effect, when organized and received by travel agencies registered in Mainland China and approved by the immigration inspection authority in Shanghai, a foreign tour group whose members hold valid international travel documents can enter the country visa-free from Shanghai Port International Passenger Terminal and Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal as a whole, stay in China for up to 15 days and travel with the same cruise ship to the next domestic port of call till said ship exits the country. In addition, within 15 days following its entry from Shanghai, a cruise ship can proceed to call at ports in other Chinese coastal cities and provinces, and passengers can go ashore and explore the city where the port of call is located, which will stimulate cruise companies to create more cruise routes and offer foreign tour groups more sightseeing options, attract more foreign passengers to tour in Shanghai and other locations and further boost the development of Shanghai’s cruise economy. The adoption of the policy will also be conducive to the development of new in-depth tour products by domestic travel agencies, enhancing the appeal of quality tour resources such as Shanghai Disneyland, and revving up local service industries such as catering, hotel, transportation, retailing, etc.

Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection and its subordinate Pujiang Immigration Inspection Station will be the primary responsible authority for the implementation of this facilitative policy. To ensure its smooth implementation, Shanghai immigration inspection authority has formulated concrete work schemes, updated its exit an entry inspection system and selected highly competent immigration officers who are fluent in foreign languages and boast strong communicative skills for the task of conducting inspection. Presently, relevant immigration inspection stations have completed training its frontline officers in terms of relevant regulations in the policy and methods of identifying false travel documents of various countries, updated the contents of billboards and electronic displays at the sites of duty at the convenience of passengers. In the meantime, Shanghai immigration inspection authority has made sufficient preparations for the landing of the policy by familiarizing cruise companies and agencies and travel agencies with comprehensive interpretation of the policy. Currently, various preparatory efforts prior to the launch of the policy have been wrapped up. Shanghai immigration inspection authority will avail of the opportunity afforded by the adoption of the policy to continually improve its service and administrative capabilities, strive to create a more convenient port clearance environment and make its due contributions to the socio-economic development of Shanghai.

We had an e mail from Celebrity last week confirming that passengers on cruises starting and ending in Shanghai would qualify for this exemption.

Just spent one hour trying to contact someone in P&O UK to get their view on the issue but all I managed was to be transferred several times from them to the company who provide a visa service CITB.

 

 

 

Does anyone have a name or suggested contact in P&O ?

 

 

 

Incidentally CITB charge in excess of £200 for their service.

We are in Shanghai now and arrived from the UK via Istanbul.

Some other cruisers we met did buy visas either direct from the embassy or via CITB, the fess ranged from £150-200 for the visas.

You DO NOT NEED TO BUY ONE !! Immigration process on arrival,is slow whether you have a visa or not, you have to be in a different line if you're using the 144 hour exemption .

Listening to others in the line flying in from other UK airports there is still genuine confusion at those airports and at cruise line offices as to who qualifies to use this exemption . After 9 months of this system being in use this is surely unacceptable and poor on all fronts.

We should all feel let down by EVERYONE involved in the travel industry who are supposed to be experts on this sort of stuff. It's what we pay for isn't it ?

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It is important to note that the new 15 day exemption applies to those arriving by cruise ship.

The existing 144 hour rules apply to those arriving by air or starting a cruise in Shanghai.

It is unfortunate that cruise companies are still referring customers to visa providers who, as far as I can ascertain, are still stating that visas are required and accepting their applications ( and £200).

I just returned from a cruise ending in Shanghai via South Korea. I used the 144-hour rule with no problem. When I checked in for the cruise in Japan, I showed my return flight information (returning to the US) to the cruise representatives. Once I arrived in Shanghai, I stayed one night and had no problems entering or leaving China.

I just returned from a cruise ending in Shanghai via South Korea. I used the 144-hour rule with no problem. When I checked in for the cruise in Japan, I showed my return flight information (returning to the US) to the cruise representatives. Once I arrived in Shanghai, I stayed one night and had no problems entering or leaving China.

I am flying into Singapore, boarding celebrity millennium beginning of January for a back t back cruise calling at Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines and disembarking in Shanghai for a one night stop in a hotel. I have read everything and am so confused. I think I'm definitely exempt but Celebrity told me to get one just in case! It's a lot of money for just in case! More thought gets please.

I am flying into Singapore, boarding celebrity millennium beginning of January for a back t back cruise calling at Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines and disembarking in Shanghai for a one night stop in a hotel. I have read everything and am so confused. I think I'm definitely exempt but Celebrity told me to get one just in case! It's a lot of money for just in case! More thought gets please.

What do you do after 1 night in Shanghai? Fly direct back to the UK?

I am flying into Singapore, boarding celebrity millennium beginning of January for a back t back cruise calling at Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines and disembarking in Shanghai for a one night stop in a hotel. I have read everything and am so confused. I think I'm definitely exempt but Celebrity told me to get one just in case! It's a lot of money for just in case! More thought gets please.

If you're not going to another part of China after your one night in Shanghai, then you can use the 144 hr visa without a problem.

Just make sure you have your return flight ticket handy.

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I know we don't need a visa for Hong Kong, bit wondering if it will be an issue before as we leave Shanghai for Hong Kong? As technically we are visiting China after Shanghai.

Each segment only counts on its own.

XXX-PVG-HKG is acceptable for transit without visa (depending on your passport and your timing)

HKG-PVG-XXX is also ok and would be counted completely on its own, acknowledging in each case that XXX CANNOT be the Hong Kong. You must go from one place, to China, to a different place.....(also acknowledging that Hong Kong is counted as "not China" for visa purposes ;-)

Transit without visa can be used repeatedly assuming that each specific transit meets the requirements.

Each segment only counts on its own.

 

XXX-PVG-HKG is acceptable for transit without visa (depending on your passport and your timing)

 

HKG-PVG-XXX is also ok and would be counted completely on its own, acknowledging in each case that XXX CANNOT be the Hong Kong. You must go from one place, to China, to a different place.....(also acknowledging that Hong Kong is counted as "not China" for visa purposes ;-)

 

Transit without visa can be used repeatedly assuming that each specific transit meets the requirements.

Thanks! We visit Taiwan then Shanghai for two days followed by a sea day then 4days In Hong Kong. Would this timing work?

Thanks! We visit Taiwan then Shanghai for two days followed by a sea day then 4days In Hong Kong. Would this timing work?

No worries. :cool:

You enter from Taiwan, spend well within the 144 hours in Shanghai, & depart to HK.

You are covered by the visa-free terms. :)

But do make sure that the cruise line is aware of that & that you do not intend to get a visa for Shanghai - right or wrong, they have the right to refuse you boarding if they believe you are required to have a visa. If you get an unsatisfactory response, contact the person's supervisor, & that supervisor's supervisor if necessary.

Since Shanghai is your only Chinese port (as hoyaheel's post, HK is a separate entity) and is a mid-cruise port-of-call, someone at head office should know the rules.

JB :)

Won't do any harm to print off the Shanghai website rules either.

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Take a look at the chinatravelguide website. It explains the "rules" for the various visas very clearly.

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