Chinese visa not requred for cruise passengers?

[deadzone1003]

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.

 

Yes, you would unless you can figure out how to get to the airport without stepping on Chinese territory.

[diverward]

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.

 

Here is the FAQ about visas for China. The no visa visit is only for flights. It does not include cruises. Here is the website. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/faq.htm You would at least need a transit visa. Hope this helps.

[maxsevend]

If you are just transiting China via flight/ship/train within 24 hours you do not need a visa.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/intro2.htm

"2. For Direct Transit

No visa is required for foreigners who hold tickets to the final destination and have booked seats on international airlines, ships, trains transiting directly through China, and will stay for less than 24 hours and do not leave the specified transit area."

 

See past cases of 24hours visa-free transit:

 

1) From ship to airport:

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

 

2) From airport to ship:

http://上海边检总站.中国/listPageEn.aspx?lx=37&id=3066

 

You may also want to contact the cruise line to confirm since some cruise line (Princess etc.) will require you to have visa to board the ship even though it is not necessary for direct transit.

 

3) For cruise ship transiting in and out of same port:

I contacted visacentral/CBIT/China Consulate/Celebrity regarding visa requirement for a cruise that will transit Shanghai for less than 24 hours and sail to a 3rd country. Visacentral/CBIT/China Consulate told me no visa is needed if I stay on the ship. Celebrity customer service told me I do not need a China visa to board the ship (they will not check) since all passport will be collected when boarding and only those passengers with valid China visa will have their passport back to enter the Chinese city.

 

I even contact RCCL/Celebrity port agent in Shanghai and he confirmed no visa is needed if remain on the ship.

 

If you are planning to stay on the ship no visa is needed. If you want to enter the city, you will need to get a visa.

[diverward]

For Direct Transit

No visa is required for foreigners who hold tickets to the final destination and have booked seats on international airlines, ships, trains transiting directly through China, and will stay for less than 24 hours and do not leave the specified transit area."

The specified transit area means the transit lounge at the airport. You do not go through customs and do not leave the airport. If you go from the cruise terminal, you will have to go through customs and then travel through the city of Shanghai before you can get to the airport. That is my take on this. For my cruise I have to get a double entry as we will be in Beijing and then sail to Korea and Japan before coming back to Shanghai.

[maxsevend]

For Direct Transit

No visa is required for foreigners who hold tickets to the final destination and have booked seats on international airlines, ships, trains transiting directly through China, and will stay for less than 24 hours and do not leave the specified transit area."

The specified transit area means the transit lounge at the airport. You do not go through customs and do not leave the airport. If you go from the cruise terminal, you will have to go through customs and then travel through the city of Shanghai before you can get to the airport. That is my take on this. For my cruise I have to get a double entry as we will be in Beijing and then sail to Korea and Japan before coming back to Shanghai.

 

The specific transit area actually means the entire city (not just airport) otherwise how can a passenger transit via train or ship? They will need to travel from airport to port/train station or vice versa.

 

If you have a valid transit connection ie from air to ship or ship to air within 24 hours, you will go thru immigration and custom and they will stamp your passport with a temp entry permit so you can travel from airport to port or vice versa.

 

The 2 past cases I included both indicated cruise passengers traveling from port to airport or vice versa with a temp entry permit. Not just restricted to airport only.

 

In your case if you do not want to get a double entry visa and if your cruise meets the 24hours transit rule you can consider the following:

Fly into Tianjin (TSN) since the port is in Tianjin not Beijing and get on the ship that leaves within 24 hours the ship must sail to a 3rd country. When your ship arrive Shanghai you will need to fly out within 24 hours to a 3rd country.

[4774Papa]

The specific transit area actually means the entire city (not just airport) otherwise how can a passenger transit via train or ship? They will need to travel from airport to port/train station or vice versa.

 

If you have a valid transit connection ie from air to ship or ship to air within 24 hours, you will go thru immigration and custom and they will stamp your passport with a temp entry permit so you can travel from airport to port or vice versa.

 

The 2 past cases I included both indicated cruise passengers traveling from port to airport or vice versa with a temp entry permit. Not just restricted to airport only.

 

In your case if you do not want to get a double entry visa and if your cruise meets the 24hours transit rule you can consider the following:

Fly into Tianjin (TSN) since the port is in Tianjin not Beijing and get on the ship that leaves within 24 hours the ship must sail to a 3rd country. When your ship arrive Shanghai you will need to fly out within 24 hours to a 3rd country.

I suppose if you are on a cruise that is in Shanghai less than 24 hours, that you cannot go off the ship while there without a visa?

[TravelMore&More]

When on transit at the airport, whether for less than 24 hours or less than 72 hours, one can certainly leave the airport (but must stay within Shanghai). This has been the case for years and has been widely reported in all travel forum such as TripAdvisor , Lonely Planet, etc.

What we need to know here is whether this is available to people docking on a cruise ship (assuming that they previous and next ports are not in China in which case it is not a transit). We need to hear from someone who has ACTUALLY DONE IT. Any speculation as above in trying to interpret an english translation of the Chinese rules is not helpful. These are not the rules that people are referring to but a summary and a translation. They are most often wrong and certainly not official. The fact that they may be posted on an embassy website does not help. Most often these are wrong, in fact they are rarely right.

And once someone tries it, and assuming that it is successful, then we'd like to know the process and documents required. In the mean time we should stop making interpretations and speculation.

[DipBrat]

When on transit at the airport, whether for less than 24 hours or less than 72 hours, one can certainly leave the airport (but must stay within Shanghai). This has been the case for years and has been widely reported in all travel forum such as TripAdvisor , Lonely Planet, etc.

What we need to know here is whether this is available to people docking on a cruise ship (assuming that they previous and next ports are not in China in which case it is not a transit). We need to hear from someone who has ACTUALLY DONE IT. Any speculation as above in trying to interpret an english translation of the Chinese rules is not helpful. These are not the rules that people are referring to but a summary and a translation. They are most often wrong and certainly not official. The fact that they may be posted on an embassy website does not help. Most often these are wrong, in fact they are rarely right.

And once someone tries it, and assuming that it is successful, then we'd like to know the process and documents required. In the mean time we should stop making interpretations and speculation.

 

This is correct. I have personally done this several times. MY understanding was it only applied to air, but the links above would seem to suggest at least in Shanghai that is not the case and you can also exit by ship. (Strangely the free transit rules vary by city).

 

The first question is will the airline let you board your flight. You could buy a refundable ticket to avoid this issue. You also need to be admitted at the airport and then allowed to exit at the port. Seems like a risk until there is a confirmation that someone has done this or at least a Chinese news source reports it as being the new policy.

[TravelMore&More]

Actually the rules about air transit are the same in all airports that have such a visa-free transit with the exception of Guangzhou that allows you to leave the city and visit the rest of the province and that counts the 72 hours in a different way, giving you possibly more than 72 hours.

for those anting to fly to Shanghai then take a cruise, the issue, as stated above, is to board the plane. Airlines rely on a database called Timatic. This is up to date and is the only reliable source accepted by airline personnel. One can see it here: http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/#

And there is no mention of a ship exemption. It says that a visa is required unless "holding confirmed onward airline tickets to a third country" So, if one wants to fly to Shanghai to get on a cruise, the airline will not even let you board the plane.

Whether one can cruise to Shanghai then catch a flight, it should be checked with the cruise company to see if they will let you on the ship in the first place.

[mor mor]

If you are just transiting China via flight/ship/train within 24 hours you do not need a visa.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/intro2.htm

"2. For Direct Transit

No visa is required for foreigners who hold tickets to the final destination and have booked seats on international airlines, ships, trains transiting directly through China, and will stay for less than 24 hours and do not leave the specified transit area."

 

See past cases of 24hours visa-free transit:

 

1) From ship to airport:

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

 

2) From airport to ship:

http://上海边检总站.中国/listPageEn.aspx?lx=37&id=3066

 

You may also want to contact the cruise line to confirm since some cruise line (Princess etc.) will require you to have visa to board the ship even though it is not necessary for direct transit.

 

3) For cruise ship transiting in and out of same port:

I contacted visacentral/CBIT/China Consulate/Celebrity regarding visa requirement for a cruise that will transit Shanghai for less than 24 hours and sail to a 3rd country. Visacentral/CBIT/China Consulate told me no visa is needed if I stay on the ship. Celebrity customer service told me I do not need a China visa to board the ship (they will not check) since all passport will be collected when boarding and only those passengers with valid China visa will have their passport back to enter the Chinese city.

 

I even contact RCCL/Celebrity port agent in Shanghai and he confirmed no visa is needed if remain on the ship.

 

If you are planning to stay on the ship no visa is needed. If you want to enter the city, you will need to get a visa.

 

Interesting! Holland America will not let you BOARD in Seattle without the Chinese visa in your passport whether you want to stay on the ship or not. And btw, we used ordinary passport photos and they were accepted.

[maxsevend]

for those anting to fly to Shanghai then take a cruise, the issue, as stated above, is to board the plane. Airlines rely on a database called Timatic. This is up to date and is the only reliable source accepted by airline personnel. One can see it here: http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/#

And there is no mention of a ship exemption. It says that a visa is required unless "holding confirmed onward airline tickets to a third country" So, if one wants to fly to Shanghai to get on a cruise, the airline will not even let you board the plane.

Whether one can cruise to Shanghai then catch a flight, it should be checked with the cruise company to see if they will let you on the ship in the first place.

 

The new 24 hours visa-free transit that include air, ship and train is in effect since July 2013 and it could take a while for some websites to update the information. I believe most airlines are aware of this new rule otherwise the transit example from airport to port will not be possible.

 

http://上海边检总站.中国/listPageEn.aspx?lx=37&id=3066

 

The above is form Shanghai Immigration Inspection Station (I believe this is a government website) it did say they process a 24hours visa free transit for 2 Americans flying on flight CI501 from Taipei to Shanghai and connecting to a cruise ship leaving Shanghai port to Jeju Island (S.Korea)

 

For transit from ship to airport, Costa website said you will need a visa for China but the example show that passengers on Costa Atlantica cruise did actually transit visa-free from port to airport so they must be able to board the ship without any visa.

 

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

[Cosmic Rays]

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

 

Please can I ask how much you have had to pay for each Visa, and how long did they take to process? I am about to book a tour followed by a 17 night cruise to Singapore for November 2015 to China and presume I am responsible for the Visa's, not, Princess who we are booking with. We arrive and leave from Beijing on the tour and on the cruise call at Shanghai en route to Hong Kong..............therefore a double-entry will be required like you I guess?

[harg56]

You're doing a very similar trip to us - we are going this November. We paid £99 each for double-entry visas and they took exactly one week by post. I thought the fee was £81 each, but there is an additional fee if you use the postal service, even though you enclose a pre-paid envelope. The prices may change by next year and you can't apply more than 90 days before departure. A lot of paperwork but quite straightforward in the end.

 

Glen.

[clmom]

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

 

Keith

I would also suggest that, if indeed, you find the rules have changed and in your situation you do not need the Chinese visa, print off a copy of the new rules and keep it with your boarding documents. This is written proof in case you encounter airline or ship employees that may not know the most current regulations.

A few years ago, at the boarding gate for a flight from USA to Brazil, the airline agents could not quite understand the wording of the Brazilian visa regulations. They were telling some passengers that their visas were not valid and refused to issue boarding passes . Some one in the boarding area overheard the conversation, had a copy of the visa regulations and had to take the agents aside and explain the confusing wording.

The bottom line: Make sure you completely understand the rules and regulations and not just "assume" or "think" you know. How awful to plan for a great trip and be denied boarding at the last minute.

[deadzone1003]

I would also suggest that, if indeed, you find the rules have changed and in your situation you do not need the Chinese visa, print off a copy of the new rules and keep it with your boarding documents. This is written proof in case you encounter airline or ship employees that may not know the most current regulations.

A few years ago, at the boarding gate for a flight from USA to Brazil, the airline agents could not quite understand the wording of the Brazilian visa regulations. They were telling some passengers that their visas were not valid and refused to issue boarding passes . Some one in the boarding area overheard the conversation, had a copy of the visa regulations and had to take the agents aside and explain the confusing wording.

The bottom line: Make sure you completely understand the rules and regulations and not just "assume" or "think" you know. How awful to plan for a great trip and be denied boarding at the last minute.

 

This sounds like if your are right you should be able to get on the ship. Well, it doesn't exactly work that way with cruiselines, at least, with visas. If you don't have a visa, they simply do not let you on the ship. You can argue until you are blue in the face or until the ship sails away, but you are not going to get on the ship.

[timtam2]

How awful to plan for a great trip and be denied boarding at the last minute.

 

Exactly - if there is ANY doubt in the interpretation, just get the visa! You've paid all that money for the flights, the cruise, the hotels etc - what's a few more $$$ for peace of mind. The rules could change again 5 times before you leave.And I wouldn't want to be arguing my case with just a printout from an internet website.....

[cdngrl]

Exactly - if there is ANY doubt in the interpretation, just get the visa! You've paid all that money for the flights, the cruise, the hotels etc - what's a few more $$$ for peace of mind. The rules could change again 5 times before you leave.And I wouldn't want to be arguing my case with just a printout from an internet website.....

 

I totally agree. it is a lot of expense and hassle but I'm looking at it as insurance that I am going to be on that ship!

[1982CruzStart]

My nephew was visiting here yesterday and told me that when he flew into Beijing last year he didn't have to have a visa to spend up to 72 hours touring around. A friend of his living in Beijing picked him up at the airport and they did some touring around and then returned him to the airport for his ongoing flight all without any problem and without a visa. I am hoping that will apply to our 1 day cruise stop in Shanghai next year. That would be great not to have to pay for a visa for just one day in China. Fortunately we have a year before our cruise so maybe it will be all clear before then.

[cdngrl]

it seems cruise passengers need the visa but air passengers do not.

maybe they never thought about folks arriving by ship.

hopefully they will be included at some point, too late for me but hopefully for others.

[Mparis184]

I read that a visa was not needed if you were going to Hong Kong. Our cruise leaves from Hong Kong and will not go into to another Chinese port. We end the cruise in Singapore.

 

Has anyone cruised out of Hong Kong and did not get a visa?

 

Marion

[Philob]

I read that a visa was not needed if you were going to Hong Kong. Our cruise leaves from Hong Kong and will not go into to another Chinese port. We end the cruise in Singapore.

 

Has anyone cruised out of Hong Kong and did not get a visa?

 

Marion

 

If you are a US Citizen/Canadian/British a visa is not required for Hong Kong or Macau.

 

Your passport will be stamped with a 30-day visa at immigration control (at the airport).

Edited September 14, 2014 by Philob

[40yearcruiser]

We were on a Princess cruise in April that had an 8 hour stop in Shanghai. Princess made it very clear that we had to have a Chinese visa even if we were not getting off the ship. It made for an expensive day, but we really had no choice. Enjoy your day in China!

[TravelMore&More]

Most nationalities do not require a visa for Hong Kong. And they do not stamp passports anymore.

[maxsevend]

I will be on a Celebrity cruise in Oct that will transit Shanghai and leave within 24 hours to a 3rd country. I got confirmation from Visacentral/China Consulate/Celebrity CS/my TA that no visa is needed if I am staying on the ship.

 

Someone mentioned that I will be denied boarding if I do not have a China visa when I board the ship in Japan. I am pretty sure that is not the case but I want to be certain so I contacted RCCL/Celebrity port agent in Japan as well as the document officer on board the Celebrity cruise ship for an official answer.

 

For my particular sailing, both the port agent and the document officer confirmed that I do not need a China visa if I am staying on the ship and I will be able to board the ship without a China visa.

 

If your sailing meets the particular transit rule (leave within 24 hours to a 3rd country) and you do not want to go ashore you can stay on the ship without a China visa.

 

Please note that the above information is only for RCCL/Celebrity/Azamara/Costa only as other cruise line (Princess/HAL etc.) may have different policy/rule in place (ie. China visa required regardless if the cruise meets the 24hours visa-free transit rule and passenger is staying on the ship).

 

Hope this help.

[Ahlo]

If your itinerary is same as mine (Nagasaki, Japan - Shanghai, China - Okinawa , Japan), I think we should need a visa even we stay on the ship because in our case Shanghai is not a transit point in this fragment of itinerary. The ship comes from and return to Japan. The 24-hr direct transit policy does not apply.