China Visa

Our cruise ends in Shanghai next month. We have U.S. passports. Do we need a tourist visa if we stay on for two nights in order to do some shopping and visit Shanghai Disney? I have a hotel already booked. Arrive 4/16 and fly home on 4/18. I have gotten different answers on this.

What sources have you contacted? Have you joined the roll call for your cruise? What are your fellow cruisers doing? EM

I would contact a visa service.

Keith

What you probably want is a TWOV. Transit China without Visa. It comes in different time amounts of 24, 48 etc hours up to I think 144 hours depending on what city/region you’re visiting. Shanghai is one of the places it is available.

The rules have recently changed, so you’ll want to gather the most up to date info.

A ten year Visa is $160 if you decide to go that route.

What you probably want is a TWOV. Transit China without Visa. It comes in different time amounts of 24, 48 etc hours up to I think 144 hours depending on what city/region you’re visiting. Shanghai is one of the places it is available.

 

 

 

The rules have recently changed, so you’ll want to gather the most up to date info.

 

 

 

A ten year Visa is $160 if you decide to go that route.

OP:

Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles,

443 Shatto Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Same day service for extra fee

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A few years ago we spent two nights in Beijing pre-cruise and were required to obtain a tourist visa. Getting the visa required a trip to the Chinese embassy in San Francisco and about $120 (as I recall). We didn't use a visa service. As I say, this was a few years ago and requirements might have changed. However, I would be surprised if a visa were no longer required. I suggest you go to the web site for the Chinese Embassy for factual and up-to-date information.

Best to check the Chinese Embassy, but I think much depends on whether or not Shanghai is your only stop in China. The transit without visa exemption requires an ABC sequence of stops. Out of city A ( not a Chinese port), into Shanghai (and not leaving the Shanghai area while there), then out of Shanghai to a 3 rd city ( outside of China and not back to city A).

OP:

Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles,

443 Shatto Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Same day service for extra fee

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

This place is a mad house with long waits...best to use a private visa company here in the Los Angeles area as there are many to choose from just Google....well worth the few $$'s extra.

Our cruise ends in Shanghai next month. We have U.S. passports. Do we need a tourist visa if we stay on for two nights in order to do some shopping and visit Shanghai Disney? I have a hotel already booked. Arrive 4/16 and fly home on 4/18. I have gotten different answers on this.

On your cruise, the port of call immediately prior to your arrival in Shanghai is Xiamen, China. Since the transit visa waivers require you to arrive in Shanghai from a different country, you would not qualify for the visa waiver and will most probably need to obtain a visa. I would advise you to get right on it since you only have a little over two weeks before you will leave for Tokyo. Have a wonderful cruise.

The transit visa (done upon entry) may be an option, but it depends on where your last port is prior to Shanghai and where your first flight goes to.

The China special visa requires that you enter China from one country, and then depart through another one. So if your last stop is Japan, and your flight out it to Japan, you cannot use this.

That said, I did one of these visas at the airport in Shanghai last Dec (changed flights), and it was a VERY long wait in line as ONE person was processing them.

If you have time (I did not), get a regular visa.

The transit visa (done upon entry) may be an option, but it depends on where your last port is prior to Shanghai and where your first flight goes to.

 

The China special visa requires that you enter China from one country, and then depart through another one. So if your last stop is Japan, and your flight out it to Japan, you cannot use this.

 

That said, I did one of these visas at the airport in Shanghai last Dec (changed flights), and it was a VERY long wait in line as ONE person was processing them.

 

If you have time (I did not), get a regular visa.

Obviously, you did not read my immediately above posting!

I was adding info and also for others that read these threads that are on a different cruise.

But yes, since they stop first in another port in China, they will need a normal visa.

I would contact a visa service.

 

Keith

Best answer yet. None of us on CC are really Visa experts. If we give you information that we think is right but turns out to be wrong, you may be in trouble.

DON