Chinese visa not requred for cruise passengers?

This was posted on cc.

China had updated its entry/exit law last year (2013) and the 24hours visa free transit include not just air but also ship and train.

Here's the latest information from China Consular Affairs (in Chinese)

http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/cjwd...t1175678.shtml

Translated to English:

http://translate.googleusercontent.c...lr9tzTCPHLhX4w

Past examples of cruise passengers using the 24hours visa free transit in Shanghai

http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/lis...?lx=37&id=2943

http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=37

We are looking at a cruise that stops at Shanghai for less than 24 hours.

It would seem that a visa is not required.

Has anyone been on a cruise that stopped in one port in China and DID NOT have a visa.

It only pertains to people arriving at the airport and leaving the same day. I think you will find you will still need to get the chinese visa.

I think your best bet is to get in touch with the cruise company you are travelling with and ask them. Chinese visas are complicated.... they have single entry, multi entry, 3 month, 6 months, 12 month..... you need to find out which one meets your requirement.

"does not stay in China over twenty-four hours and does not leave the port, are exempted from visa."

That could mean you can't leave the dock or airport :confused:

It only pertains to people arriving at the airport and leaving the same day. I think you will find you will still need to get the chinese visa.

 

I think your best bet is to get in touch with the cruise company you are travelling with and ask them. Chinese visas are complicated.... they have single entry' date=' multi entry, 3 month, 6 months, 12 month..... you need to find out which one meets your requirement.[/quote']

Billy and charlie's Mum.

Did you read the links that I provided?

Billy and charlie's Mum.

Did you read the links that I provided?

I did but this only pertains to in people in transit.....not people who are planning on doing a day tour. You cant leave the port or airport. You can go from the port to the airport and visa versa but if you are arriving on a cruise ship and are planning to get off thecship your have to have a visa.

The link mentions terms effective July 16th 2014, so presumably something's changed.

But the google translation is too vague & literal, with some obvious mis-translations, and it really needs a professional translation - especially regarding "port" and "city".

And the example quoted was of a Brit couple who cruised in & flew out, without quoting whether they went direct to the airport. Plus I get the impression that "Brit" couple were ethnic Chinese & presumably spoke the language.

Interesting post, B & C's mum, mebbe we'll learn more in the next few weeks

JB :)

I did but this only pertains to in people in transit.....not people who are planning on doing a day tour. You cant leave the port or airport. You can go from the port to the airport and visa versa but if you are arriving on a cruise ship and are planning to get off thecship your have to have a visa.

We are only going to be in Shanghai one day (about 14 hours) and not going to any other PRC ports.

Our passports are currently with the Chinese Visa Application centre for double-entry visas, as we have a 7 day land tour after arriving in Beijing and then our ship will be calling at Shanghai later for a port call. I studied all the information before submitting them and believe the double-entry visas are required. Surely if the regulations had changed our cruise company would have informed us, as they advised the double-entry visa too?

You have to give the Application Centre your full itinerary, so if they come back to us and say we only need single-entry, I will let you all know!

It sounds like you don't need a visa in your case, but that is totally irrelevant because the cruiseline have the final say. If they require you to have one in order to board the ship, you must have one else you don't get on the ship and you lose all your money.

Check with your cruiseline. Princess requires one for China even if you don't get off the ship in any Chinese port.

Having filled these out every year for my husband and I for business trips I will tell you their rules change every couple of months. That being said I believe once a ship is in their port you are on their territory. The new rule says in transit not on ship. If you leave to tour you had better believe you need that visa. The cruise company needs to prove you have it how do they know if you are getting off or not and you are in their country and they make sure you know it.

Our passports are currently with the Chinese Visa Application centre for double-entry visas, as we have a 7 day land tour after arriving in Beijing and then our ship will be calling at Shanghai later for a port call. I studied all the information before submitting them and believe the double-entry visas are required. Surely if the regulations had changed our cruise company would have informed us, as they advised the double-entry visa too?

 

You have to give the Application Centre your full itinerary, so if they come back to us and say we only need single-entry, I will let you all know!

If you have other ports in different countries in between Beijing and Shanghai then yes, you will need a double entry visa. If you are going straight to Shanghai from Beijing and not going into international waters then a single entry visa is sufficient.

We are only going to be in Shanghai one day (about 14 hours) and not going to any other PRC ports.

Doesn't matter how long you are going to be in Shanghai, you are still entering China. You won't be "in transit" ie. going from the ship directly to the airport...... so I am pretty confident in saying you will need a single entry visa.

Are you willing to chance it.... you won't even get on the ship because every time we have had China on our itinerary they asked to see the visa before we were allowed to start our cruise. I actually have seen people being turned away..... they had to organise the visa's and join the ship a few days later.... cost them a LOT more money too.

The best advice I can ever give is in doubt speak with a good visa service. They will know for sure.

Yes, China changes there rules but so do most countries and that is usually once a year including changes to the visa application.

On a related note, we have been to China several times and most recently earlier this year. On this years visit we only had one stop in the mainland so we could have gotten a visa for just that stop but the visa service recommended a multi entry visa. Why? Because things happen such as even medical issues. Always wise to be safe.

Again, for this one if it was me and there was confusion I get with those who are the subject experts who deal with this day in and day out and that is a reputable visa service.

Keith

We did the visa service before and would do it again if necessary. I actually wish X would not have included Shanghai on this cruise due to the visa requirements.

China should adopt the same process as Russia does for cruise passengers. Of course, it is their country.

Hopefully, the link that I provided indicates that China has relaxed the visa requirement for one day cruise passengers.

I don't see why China should go with what Russia does.

We certainly have stringent procedures.

Keith

"does not stay in China over twenty-four hours and does not leave the port, are exempted from visa."

 

That could mean you can't leave the dock or airport :confused:

I just read the document and you might have to stay on the ship if you do not have a visa.

And if you need the visa and you don't have it you might not be able to board the ship.

Keith

I am quite sure that staying on the ship is not a solution. At that point you have entered China. No need to touch the ground to have to produce a visa.

Same here. I live on a lake that is 75% in Canada and 25% in the US. I can assure you that if I cross the international line by boat, the US patrol will intercept me and the fact that I just want to cruise without going on land will not cut it with the Homeland Security guys.

So my guess is, the cruise company will not even let you on board at the point of origin.

Our passports are currently with the Chinese Visa Application centre for double-entry visas, as we have a 7 day land tour after arriving in Beijing and then our ship will be calling at Shanghai later for a port call. I studied all the information before submitting them and believe the double-entry visas are required. Surely if the regulations had changed our cruise company would have informed us, as they advised the double-entry visa too?

 

You have to give the Application Centre your full itinerary, so if they come back to us and say we only need single-entry, I will let you all know!

Passports are back this morning and we have double-entry visas, but I doubt the Application Centre was going to tell us anything different!

Just got my husbands back it took a week since I had all their sticky requirements done. Make sure where you get your photo done they know it is for a China Visa since they size is different.

Just got my husbands back it took a week since I had all their sticky requirements done. Make sure where you get your photo done they know it is for a China Visa since they size is different.

We just submitted usual passport photos, which we had taken in a photo booth. There was a different option for USA and another country's Visas, but no mention of China.

We just submitted usual passport photos, which we had taken in a photo booth. There was a different option for USA and another country's Visas, but no mention of China.

The two times we applied for Chinese visa's we used our passport photos, no problem. Maybe it's different for US people applying. :confused:

Why risk it? Just get the visa

We arrive in Shanghai at 6 am aboard a Celebrity ship, plan on going directly to airport from ship. Do we need a $225 visa. That seems to be the price the visa service companies charge.

We arrive in Shanghai at 6 am aboard a Celebrity ship, plan on going directly to airport from ship. Do we need a $225 visa. That seems to be the price the visa service companies charge.

The more that I read on cc, I sense that you probably would need a visa. I am sure that Celebrity would inform you if one was required.

I wish that I was wrong.