Celebrity and China Visa

[notjaded]

I've see various posts debating whether or not Celebrity will board a passenger without them having a China visa when the ship visits China (not Hong Kong). Some have opined that without a visa, one will simply not disembark in China.

 

Got a voice message from Celebrity today: No one will be allowed to board the ship unless they have a visa for China.

[Aussieflyer]

That makes sense as when I was on QM2 from Brisbane to HongKong with a port stop in Shanghai, on check in, they were very particular about the visa and had it checked. It seems all visas were being double checked by the supervisor to make sure they were correct. I can imagine that cruise lines would be pretty standard in the way they deal with this issue.

There was a bit of talk on the Cunard board as to whether the limited on arrival visa could be provided but it seems that this is only for arrivals to the main airports not by ship.

[dirtgirl]

Get the Visa. Do not even attempt to board without a Visa for China, if they are saying that you need one. Even if you don't get off the ship - you need one!

[Xport]

Everyone--even if not otherwise going ashore--needed to clear Chinese Immigration in person with passport/visa in hand... There was a very strict accounting relative to the ship's manifest...

 

Clearly, the requirement and the clearance processes are taken very seriously...

[Lady Chew]

Everyone--even if not otherwise going ashore--needed to clear Chinese Immigration in person with passport/visa in hand... There was a very strict accounting relative to the ship's manifest...

 

Clearly, the requirement and the clearance processes are taken very seriously...

 

Oh yes, indeed they are!! We visited China on another cruise two years ago, 2 ports + Hong Kong, and we went through clearance each time. And they went very carefully through passports, scrutinized our faces ...but they were very efficient about it and very polite! And the terminals were clean & modern ...

[Pushka]

And didn't they take forever to clear the ship Aussieflyer! We were in that exit queue for ages. :p. And this was after having had Chinese immigration board the ship from the port five days earlier in Malaysia to process all the visas.

 

If you don't get the visa beforehand I'd suggest you won't be allowed on the ship.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Pushka

[maxsevend]

For Celebrity "No one will be allow to board unless they have a visa for China" is not entirely true. It depends on the itinerary. If the ship only visit a Chinese port and depart within 24hours to a different country, China has a 24 hours visa-free transit policy (new since July 2013) that allow you to remain on the ship visa free.

 

I will be on a Celebrity cruise that sail from Tokyo to Hong Kong visiting Shanghai for less then 24 hours to a 3rd country. I have received written confirmation from documentation officers on board that Celebrity cruise ship and I was told I'll be able to board the ship without a China visa in Tokyo.

 

Other cruise line (Princess/HAL etc.) may have different policy regarding China visa I believe they require one regardless if you are staying on board the ship or not or even if the sailing meet the 24hours visa-free transit policy.

[Pushka]

For Celebrity "No one will be allow to board unless they have a visa for China" is not entirely true. It depends on the itinerary. If the ship only visit a Chinese port and depart within 24hours to a different country, China has a 24 hours visa-free transit policy (new since July 2013) that allow you to remain on the ship visa free.

 

I will be on a Celebrity cruise that sail from Tokyo to Hong Kong visiting Shanghai for less then 24 hours to a 3rd country. I have received written confirmation from documentation officers on board that Celebrity cruise ship and I was told I'll be able to board the ship without a China visa in Tokyo.

 

Other cruise line (Princess/HAL etc.) may have different policy regarding China visa I believe they require one regardless if you are staying on board the ship or not or even if the sailing meet the 24hours visa-free transit policy.

 

 

This isn't true for our cruise (Queen Mary 2 - Cunard). This was our experience last March. We were only in Shanghai for 12 hours and we had to get a visa. No other Chinese ports in the itinerary that required a visa. I believe it wasn't a Cunard policy but Chinese Immigration.

[notjaded]

For Celebrity "No one will be allow to board unless they have a visa for China" is not entirely true. It depends on the itinerary. If the ship only visit a Chinese port and depart within 24hours to a different country, China has a 24 hours visa-free transit policy (new since July 2013) that allow you to remain on the ship visa free.

 

I will be on a Celebrity cruise that sail from Tokyo to Hong Kong visiting Shanghai for less then 24 hours to a 3rd country. I have received written confirmation from documentation officers on board that Celebrity cruise ship and I was told I'll be able to board the ship without a China visa in Tokyo.

 

Other cruise line (Princess/HAL etc.) may have different policy regarding China visa I believe they require one regardless if you are staying on board the ship or not or even if the sailing meet the 24hours visa-free transit policy.

 

For Max, a Canadian, here is some information for you:

 

http://visaservicescanada.ca/countries/china.php

 

It will be very sad if anyone takes your advice and is left in Tokyo because of it. If your documentation officer is still employed, I am sure he will be reprimanded as they sail off without you. Get the visa and join the party.

 

Please note that the 24-hour visa-free policy is for airport transfers, not ships coming into port. These policies are universally enforced by the Chinese government, with the cruise lines facing huge fines if they do not comply.

Edited September 28, 2014 by notjaded
Added link

[Pushka]

Yes. The waiver is only for flights. The waiver for cruises has not been implemented.

 

The Chinese Immigration contingent who boarded in Malaysia was quite large. I'd say around 6 officials. I realised I have a photo of their boat as it was a tender port.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2014 by Pushka

[loeb]

For Celebrity "No one will be allow to board unless they have a visa for China" is not entirely true. It depends on the itinerary. If the ship only visit a Chinese port and depart within 24hours to a different country, China has a 24 hours visa-free transit policy (new since July 2013) that allow you to remain on the ship visa free.

 

I will be on a Celebrity cruise that sail from Tokyo to Hong Kong visiting Shanghai for less then 24 hours to a 3rd country. I have received written confirmation from documentation officers on board that Celebrity cruise ship and I was told I'll be able to board the ship without a China visa in Tokyo.

 

Other cruise line (Princess/HAL etc.) may have different policy regarding China visa I believe they require one regardless if you are staying on board the ship or not or even if the sailing meet the 24hours visa-free transit policy.

 

 

The following is a copy of an email to the Los Angeles PRC Consulate office. You need a PRC Visa even if you do not get off the ship.

 

 

from me to the Consulate:

 

 

Thank you for your previous response to the question. I understand that the regulations may have changed.

 

We are going on a cruise starting in Japan (Yokohama, Kyoto, Nagasaki), and then stopping in Shanghai and then Okinawa. We will be in Shanghai from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm on November 2, 2015, less than 24 hours.

 

I was given information from the NY Consulate at the following site

 

http://www.nyconsulate.prchina.org/e...wentryexitlaw/

 

See article 22, section 3. In summary it states

 

Article 22 Under any of the following circumstances, foreigners may be exempt from applying for visas:

 

(1) So exempted based on the visa exemption agreements signed by the Chinese government with the governments of other countries;

 

(2) Hold valid foreigners’ residence permits;

 

(3) Hold connected passenger tickets and are in transit to a third country or region by an international aircraft, ship or train via China, will stay for not more than 24 hours in China without leaving the port of entry, or will stay in the specific zones approved by the State Council within the prescribed time limit; or......

 

 

Question:

If we stay on the ship during our visit to Shanghai, do we need a visa?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Response

 

Chinese Consulate in L.A.Visa and Passport Office

 

Sep 9

 

to me

 

If you travel by cruise, a visa is still needed.

 

 

Best regards,

 

 

中华人民共和国驻洛杉矶总领事馆证件组

 

Visa and Passport Office

 

Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles

 

Add: 3rd Floor, 500 shatto place Los Angeles ,CA,90020

Tel: 213-201-1765

Fax: 213-380-0372

 

 

Office Hour: 9:00-14:00, Monday to Friday (Holidays excluded)

[maxsevend]

When I contacted Celebrity regarding China visa they told me to contact Visacentral or China Consulate/Embassy directly and follow their advice/recommendation.

 

The following are the replies I got from China Consulate and visacentral (CIBT) in Canada when I asked them regarding China visa for my cruise. I would suggest you contact your local China consulate / Visacentral /CIBT directly if you still have question/concern.

 

Hope this help

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

1) Reply from China Consulate (Calgary)

 

From: 卡尔加里 <chinaconsul_cal_ca@mfa.gov.cn>

To: ___

Sent: Friday, August 1, 2014 6:37 PM

Subject: Re: Do I need a visa for transiting Shanghai by ship (船舶过境免签) ?

 

If less than 24 hours, and you stay at the port of Shanghai which means inside the controlled area and without entering through the border service, you can transit without visa, in your case, you may stay on the ship.

 

--

Visa Section, Chinese Consulate in Calgary

1011 6 AVE, S.W. Calgary T2P 0W1 AB, Canada

Tel:403-264-3322 Fax:403-264-6656

Website: calgary.china-consulate.org/chn/lsfw/

http://www.visaforchina.org/YYC_EN/

 

 

 

2) Reply from visacentral/CIBT

 

From: CIBT Canada Customer Service <customerservice@cibtvisas.ca>

To: ___

Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 1:13 PM

Subject: RE: Celebrity guest: Visa requirement for China (transit via ship < 24 hours)

Dear ____,

 

Thank you for this inquiry.

 

We have gone to the Toronto China consulate and they have confirmed that if you plan to step off of the cruise ship at any point even in transit then you require a tourist visa before departure. If you plan to stay on the cruise ship and not enter into china then you do not need a visa.

 

If you have any further questions, you may contact our National Customer Service Center at 1-888 665 9956 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST. Or at customerservice@cibtvisas.ca.

 

We value you as one of our customers.

 

Thank you for choosing CIBT.

 

Sincerely,

 

CIBTvisas Customer Service

Visa and Customer Service Specialist

CIBT Global Visa and Passport Professionals

Australia – Austria *– Belgium – Brazil – Canada – France - Germany – The Netherlands – Singapore – Spain – Switzerland – UK – USA

 

 

From: [mailto:___]

Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 8:56 AM

To: CIBT Canada Customer Service

Subject: Celebrity guest: Visa requirement for China (transit via ship < 24 hours)

 

Hi,

I am interested in a booking a celebrity cruise Oct 26, 2014 that will transit a Chinese port (Shanghai) for less than 24 hours and leaving for Japan.

 

Celebrity advise me to contact your company for visa requirement.

 

I am trying to get clarification from your company if I need a China visa or not.

 

From your Visa requirement page: http://visacentral.ca/requirements.php, I entered the info for Connecting/Transit and your page said no visa is required for transit

 

Transit Regulations

There is no visa required if staying less than 24 hours. You must hold a confirmed airline ticket on to your next destination. Leaving the airport transit area is not permitted. These conditions are subject to change, you must confirm the transit regulations with your airline carrier prior to traveling.

 

The transit information for China in your page only list air travel but the latest exit/entry law from China since last July 2013 has indicated that the transit rule applies to not just air but also ship and train travel.

 

Info on the new exit and entry law from Chinese Consulate New York:

http://www.nyconsulate.prchina.org/e...wentryexitlaw/

Search for article 22 section (3)

 

Info from Chinese Embassy:

 

http://ph.china-embassy.org/eng/lsfw/visas/t960523.htm

Do I need a visa?

No visa is required if you belong to the following categories:

"2.Hold connected passenger tickets and are in transit to a third country or region by an international aircraft, ship or train via China, will stay for not more than 24 hours in China without leaving the port of entry."

 

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/emba...sa/transit.htm

 

Visa Free Transit

1. 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.

 

Can you please advise.

 

 

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[cruisead]

You WILL need a visa, and if your cruise stops in multiple cities in China, you will need a multiple entry visa.

 

I see a previous poster says they received a response from an agency in China, and that may be all well and good, but just like civil servants in all countries, the left hand doesn't know what the right one is doing. There are so many "what ifs" in this whole visa business, that it's not worth it to go trotting out there only to have someone ask to see your visa, not have one, and then be refused boarding. All it takes is ONE single individual to see that you don't have a visa to ruin your trip. Heck, even a Celebrity employee who checks documentation could see you don't have a visa and deny boarding.

 

I just don't understand why anyone balks at getting something as important as a visa. Why do people even question something as important as this? Just get the visa and have peace of mind. And besides, who travels all the way to China just to sit in a terminal, just because you don't want to get a visa? We've been to China a few times and getting a visa was never a question.

Edited September 29, 2014 by cruisead

[Pushka]

I just don't understand why anyone balks at getting something as important as a visa. Why do people even question something as important as this? Just get the visa and have peace of mind. And besides, who travels all the way to China just to sit in a terminal, just because you don't want to get a visa? We've been to China a few times and getting a visa was never a question.

 

It's a very similar question to the Passport one.

 

The outlook to the terminal in Shanghai is pretty ordinary. And yes, we were told by Visa Central that we most definitely needed a Visa for this port stop. And it was very expensive too - sadly we were fogged out of Shanghai entry canal and our 15 hour stay was reduced to around 9 hours. Many tours had to be cancelled.