Visa help needed - China

Ok, if I understand, I can fly to Shanghai and get on a ship the next day without a VISA. Is that correct?

What I really need to know, is if I were to possibly fly to Bejing, and stay 3 days, and take a train to Shanghai and get on the ship. It seems I need a VISA to complete this.

Can you tell me the best way to get it? It looks like I need to get it out of a Houston office, but I live in Florida. Anyone with experience using an "agent" to handle it for you, and recommendations?

Correct, if you are to fly to PEK, stay & sightsee for 3 days and take HST to PVG and board your cruise, you (and spouse/travel partners, etc.) will need a Chinese visa or you will be denied boarding by the airline @ origination airport. Fees (regular processing) is $140 USD per person, just make sure your passport is current & not to expire soon as it's the same fee to request/apply for the 10 year multiple entry visa - via the nearest Chinese embassy/consulate office (FL) near you.

Here, we used one of the major Chinese travel agencies that specialized in PRC travel and their visa service is just $50 p/p - saving us 2 trips in person (it's actually only 4 blocks from the MCT on 42nd & 11th Ave) Cruiselines are known to charge a lot more for their services, check & call around for local recommendations - they acted as your appointed "agent" but sometimes, you are required to go in person (for variety of reasons) so allow time to get this done - typically turnaround time for us is about 5 to 7 working days.

Good luck - you will be amazed how modernized PEK & PVG airports are these days, if only our own hometown airports can come close to it (that's another story over at Flyertalk ... :D ) Bon Voyage !!

We used CVSC (China Visa Service Center) both times we've needed visas for China and were quite happy with them. http://www.mychinavisa.com/

For our state of residence we had to go through the Chicago consulate. Different ones have some different requirements. I know the Houston consulate required more from our Texas travel companions than we had to provide to Chicago. The CVSC website covers what each consulate requires.

We watched a video on YouTube that went over filling out the China visa application. It was very helpful as it explained some of the wording that didn't make sense. CVSC also went over our applications before submitting them to the consulate. One of our friends had to provide more documentation than she originally submitted. Having the visa service catch that saved her time and money.

Ok, if I understand, I can fly to Shanghai and get on a ship the next day without a VISA. Is that correct?

If this is correct (I have no experience directly) it is only true if your ship makes no other stops in China.

Ok, if I understand, I can fly to Shanghai and get on a ship the next day without a VISA. Is that correct?

 

I may be wrong, but if you fly to China you will be "entering" China and will need a visa. A few years ago my boyfriend was simply making an airline connection in China on his way to Hong Kong but apparently left the secure part of the airport and was detained because he did not have a visa... and he wasn't even leaving the airport. If there is some exception for what you've described above I'm not familiar with it. Might exist, but it sure seems odd to me that you would not need a visa when you arrive in the country by air.

As a general rule, exceptions for needing a visa are generally when one arrives in a country (that normally requires a visa) by cruise ship and leaves again on the same cruise ship.

We used CVSC (China Visa Service Center) both times we've needed visas for China and were quite happy with them. http://www.mychinavisa.com/

 

For our state of residence we had to go through the Chicago consulate. Different ones have some different requirements. I know the Houston consulate required more from our Texas travel companions than we had to provide to Chicago. The CVSC website covers what each consulate requires.

 

We watched a video on YouTube that went over filling out the China visa application. It was very helpful as it explained some of the wording that didn't make sense. CVSC also went over our applications before submitting them to the consulate. One of our friends had to provide more documentation than she originally submitted. Having the visa service catch that saved her time and money.

Another good experience with CVSC...They easily took care of everything and we got the multi-entry for China that's now good for 10 years.

Things have changed. China now allows up to a 72-hr stay in some circumstances without a visa. Now that I've checked, the OP's belief that they could fly into Shanghai one day and sail from there the next without a visa is incorrect. If they were flying out the next day - that meets the current criteria for not needing a visa. Sailing - that does not.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/

I may be wrong, but if you fly to China you will be "entering" China and will need a visa. A few years ago my boyfriend was simply making an airline connection in China on his way to Hong Kong but apparently left the secure part of the airport and was detained because he did not have a visa... and he wasn't even leaving the airport. If there is some exception for what you've described above I'm not familiar with it. Might exist, but it sure seems odd to me that you would not need a visa when you arrive in the country by air.

 

As a general rule, exceptions for needing a visa are generally when one arrives in a country (that normally requires a visa) by cruise ship and leaves again on the same cruise ship.

We also got the 10-yr visa this last time. Since we were issued that, we considered returning another time on a land trip. However, the pollution is SO bad that I got nasty sinus infections both times we've gone. A third trip is off the table.

Things have changed. China now allows up to a 72-hr stay in some circumstances without a visa. Now that I've checked, the OP's belief that they could fly into Shanghai one day and sail from there the next without a visa is incorrect. If they were flying out the next day - that meets the current criteria for not needing a visa. Sailing - that does not.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/

 

 

 

We also got the 10-yr visa this last time. Since we were issued that, we considered returning another time on a land trip. However, the pollution is SO bad that I got nasty sinus infections both times we've gone. A third trip is off the table.

Oh...sorry to hear that...We have been there in both March (Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai) and October ( Xiamen & Shanghai) and didn't have a problem..lucky I guess..we'll for sure go back to Shanghai our favorite.

Thanks for all the replies. The 72 hour thing was explained so many different ways, that left my head spinning.....However, most likely we are going to stay a few days extra, so I will need the VISA.

Just thinking about this for early 2017 and I want to make sure I get it right. Europe is so much easier!

Things have changed. China now allows up to a 72-hr stay in some circumstances without a visa. Now that I've checked, the OP's belief that they could fly into Shanghai one day and sail from there the next without a visa is incorrect. If they were flying out the next day - that meets the current criteria for not needing a visa. Sailing - that does not.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/

 

Thanks, you learn something new every day. Sounds like they are confusing things by making exceptions for "some circumstances" and not others, LOL.

Actually it is not confusing and it does not apply 'in some circumstances". This is just wording used by the poster above. The rules are very clear and many people take advantage of this exemption every day. There is even a special desk at immigration for it.

In any case, this does not apply to people getting on a cruise.

Actually it is not confusing and it does not apply 'in some circumstances". This is just wording used by the poster above. The rules are very clear and many people take advantage of this exemption every day. There is even a special desk at immigration for it.

In any case, this does not apply to people getting on a cruise.

Well it sounds like it DOES apply "in some circumstances." Maybe not if you're getting on a ship, but if you can fly in and stay X days and need a visa, or fly in and stay Y days and not need a visa, that sounds like in "some circumstances" you need a visa and in some you don't. :rolleyes: