Visa to visit Shanghai

The Chinese Embassy website says that a visa is not required for a one day ship’s visit to Shanghai as long as passengers remain in the Shanghai area. The Norwegian Spirit is scheduled to visit Shanghai on a repositioning cruise from Singapore to Yokohama in 2020. Our PCC at NCL says boarding will be denied without a Chinese entry visa. Could not convince her to consult the Chinese Embassy website. Apart from going through the rigmarole and cost of getting an entry visa or not going on the cruise, your thoughts?

The Chinese Embassy website says that a visa is not required for a one day ship’s visit to Shanghai as long as passengers remain in the Shanghai area.

Are you able to post the URL to this please?

Our PCC at NCL says boarding will be denied without a Chinese entry visa.

The re-positioning cruise this year had 200 people without a Chinese Visa and they were not allowed off in Shanghai.

We did a double cruise Yokohama-Shanghai-Yokohama after the re-positioning cruise and what you were told by NCL was enforced at the boarding in Yokohama. There were Chinese Immigration people at check-in who were enforcing the need for a Visa. The people next to us didn't have a visa and were given the option; do not board OR board and disembark at Hong Kong and make your own way to Shanghai if flying out from there.

The people at the desk next to us were having it clearly explained to them. Quite a number of people did leave the Jewel in Hong Kong.

The 72 or 144 hour "visa" free visit is only for those who arrive in one of the "visa free" ports and then totally leave China; you are not allowed to then go to another Chinese port.

I cannot find the re-positioning cruises (Singapore-Yokohama) for either 2019 or 2020 on the NCL website but if they are doing more than one Chinese (other than Hong Kong) port you will need a visa.

Spirit, April 2020

Singapur (Singapur); Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt (Phu My) (Vietnam); Hongkong (China); Shanghai (China); Hiroshima (Japan); Kochi (Japan); Kobe (Japan); Shimizu (Japan); Tokio (Yokohama) (Japan)

overnight in Hongkong, Shanghai and Kobe

it is a great cruise

Singapur (Singapur); Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt (Phu My) (Vietnam); Hongkong (China); Shanghai (China); Hiroshima (Japan); Kochi (Japan);Kobe (Japan); Shimizu (Japan); Tokio (Yokohama) (Japan)

overnight in Hongkong, Shanghai and Kobe

In that case as you are leaving China completely after Shanghai in theory you should not require a visa. However the rules with China change frequently and I would check thoroughly in January 2020. More so as the visa; if you do need one; is very short dated.

 

- Are you able to post the URL to this please.

 

Site is: sh-immigration.gov.cn and the explanation is shown under the heading ‘Interpretation of the 144 hour visa exception transit policy 2018‘. It was issued 5 February, 2018

 

- The re-positioning cruise this year had 200 people without a Chinese Visa and they were not allowed off in Shanghai.

If not being allowed off in Shanghai was an option, think we would consider that.

- The 72 or 144 hour "visa" free visit is only for those who arrive in one of the "visa free" ports and then totally leave China; you are not allowed to then go to another Chinese port.

The ship visits Hong Kong, which is visa free, then Shanghai and then leaves China for Japan...so...it should qualify for a visa free visit to Shanghai.

Casofilia, thanks for all the good information. See comments in italics above. Although the cost of a visa (total for two estimated at around USD400) is infinitesimal compared to the cruise, which we would board in Cape Town, we would prefer to avoid the complex and convoluted visa process. Guess time will tell what NCL and/or the Chinese will do for the cruise.

BTW, we were ship mates on the Norwegian Jewel, in 2017, from Vancouver to Sydney. Terrific trip.

Steff79, danke fur die reiserouter. Es sieht aus wie eine tolle kreuzfahrt...Thank you for the itinerary. It looks like a great cruise.

The Chinese Embassy website says that a visa is not required for a one day ship’s visit to Shanghai as long as passengers remain in the Shanghai area.

Have just re-read the itinerary and see that you would have an overnight; that could complicate things. Especially if you wanted to do an overnight stop/tour while in Shanghai.

As I said earlier the Chinese are prone to making changes at the "drop of a hat" so keep checking regularly. If you are able to get to a Chinese Embassy talk with someone face to face. I did not get any reply from the Embassy in NZ nor from the address I found online to numerous emails.

That is what they did this year between the Jewel's re-positioning and the cruises we were on; about 5 days!!

Based on your itinerary you should fall under the 144 hour visa free transit, at this time. Even with the overnight, as long as you do not leave Shanghai, you would be fine.

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-transit-144hour.htm

http://si.china-embassy.org/eng/lsfw/t1348983.htm

In the end, the cruise line is going to decide what they require. They may be conservative about VISAs or just not up to date, but you do have time to wait it out and submit a letter asking them to review. But if you get to 6 months and it hasn't changed, Fedex that passport to a VISA agency unless you are lucky enough to live in a city with a China Embassy!

Yes based on current rules you will not need a visa. Keep an eye out for changes but visa rules are only becoming more relaxed in China. The Asia board has several experts on China who are a good source of up to date info on all this.

The Chinese Embassy website says that a visa is not required for a one day ship’s visit to Shanghai as long as passengers remain in the Shanghai area.

 

The people at the desk next to us were having it clearly explained to them. Quite a number of people did leave the Jewel in Hong Kong.

The 72 or 144 hour "visa" free visit is only for those who arrive in one of the "visa free" ports and then totally leave China; you are not allowed to then go to another Chinese port.

I cannot find the re-positioning cruises (Singapore-Yokohama) for either 2019 or 2020 on the NCL website but if they are doing more than one Chinese (other than Hong Kong) port you will need a visa.

Hong Kong is not a Chinese port. It doesn’t require a visa. Shanghai IS part of China therefore does require the visa. Hope that helps!

https://www.tripsavvy.com/what-country-is-hong-kong-in-1535874

In terms of travel to China Hong Kong is not classified as a Chinese port which means that the cruise itinerary stated earlier has Shanghai as the FIRST and LAST port within China and so under the 72 & 144 hour rulings a visa will not be required under the present regulations.

The cruise we were on went Hong Kong, Xiamen then Shanghai. Although both Xiamen and Shanghai were 72 and 144 hour visa free ports there was a necessity for a visa for Xiamen as the boat was NOT leaving China after Xiamen so there could not be a 72 or 144 "visa". That was why those without a Chinese visa, when trying to board in Yokohama, were either not allowed to board or had to leave the boat in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is not a Chinese port. It doesn’t require a visa. Shanghai IS part of China therefore does require the visa. Hope that helps!

 

https://www.tripsavvy.com/what-country-is-hong-kong-in-1535874

This is wrong.

For visa purposes yes Hong Kong is not part of China. Multiple stops in China may necessitate a visa. A stop in only Shanghai or Tianjin will almost certainly not require a visa.

For visa purposes yes Hong Kong is not part of China. Multiple stops in China may necessitate a visa. A stop in only Shanghai or Tianjin will almost certainly not require a visa.

Thank you all for your worthwhile comments on the subject.

As PelicanBill says “in the end, the cruise line is going to decide what they require.”

Also agree with Bill’s comments along the line that if there is no advice, six months before the cruise, from NCL about changes, either get a visa or cancel.

Long time to go but appreciate your input. Cheers!

p.s. the Chinese Visa Application Centre is about an hour away from us...

We had a nightmare cruising from Singapore, on arrival at the ship we were told a visa was needed, they let us on the ship after about an hour, about 30 of us had no visas, we were travelling to Vietnam, some coastal port in China, Hong Kong and then Shanghai.

RCL then made us all pay $100 each cash, no receipt, RCL have since denied this ever happened, therefore we moved back to NCL.

RCL have never answered any correspondence about this complaint.

The Chinese Embassy site says airlines may apply for Shanghai ‘no charge’ visas, in advance, on a passenger’s behalf. Have asked our TA to investigate with NCL as the cruise port of Shanghai is mentioned in the literature. Unfortunately, do not hold out much hope...but...it is worth a try.

If Shanghai is the ONLY port that you will visit in China (Hong Kong is NOT a port in China for Visa purposes) then there is no reason why the 72/144 hour visa free situation should not apply.

Our April cruise from Tokyo to Shanghai resulted in about 200 people having to get off in Hong Kong and miss the rest of the cruise because they did not have a Chinese visa. The visa waiver did not apply to those coming from cruise ship on this itin. I highly recommend getting the multiple entry 10 year Chinese visa.

Thank you all for your worthwhile comments on the subject. As PelicanBill says “in the end, the cruise line is going to decide what they require.” Also agree with Bill’s comments along the line that if there is no advice, six months before the cruise, from NCL about changes, either get a visa or cancel. Long time to go but appreciate your input. Cheers!

p.s. the Chinese Visa Application Centre is about an hour away from us...

After considerable thought, and listening to all the excellent comments posted (Thanks!), have decided against booking the Norwegian Spirit. Instead, we plan to book a couple of legs on the Queen Mary2’s World Voyage in 2020 and sail from Singapore, doing a circumnavigation (almost) of Australia, transit the Indian Ocean and leave the ship for a holiday in Cape Town before returning home. Be safe and enjoy where ever your travels take you...