Visa-free transit in Shanghai extended

Starting February 1, 2016, the visa-free transit will be extended from 3 to 6 days (144 hours).

In addition, and more relevant to the readers here, the transit was previously limited to the Shanghai airports. Now it is extended to the airports in Nanjing and Hangzhou and to trains and cruise ships.

see this article:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2016-01/26/c_1117898349.htm (Chinese)

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/Shanghai-Hangzhou-Nanjing-to-offer-sixday-visafree-transit-to-51-countries/shdaily.shtml

The reference to the port is in the Chinese link.

Travelers will also not be limited to the city of Shanghai as they can travel to the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang where these other airports are.

It remains to be seen how this will apply in practice to cruises. The TIMATIC database (the place where airlines get their information) has been updated but makes no mention of ships. Until this happens it will probably be impossible to board a plane and later join a cruise in Shanghai.

We'll have to wait for more details.

Very interesting, we are spending one day in Shanghai on our QM2 cruise in March. We have already obtained our visas at a cost of $109.50 pp.

Emails from Cunard have told us we will not be allowed to board the ship without a valid visa so we had no option. I wonder when things will change, as according to your post, we won't be needing a visa as it is just a one day port stop.

As your itinerary includes only one visit to China (Shanghai), you will be required

to obtain a Single Entry Visa whether you are staying onboard, going ashore, in

transit, embarking or disembarking. Visas for China can be valid for different

periods of time, ranging from 3 months to one year. When applying for your visas,

please ensure you check the dates in your itinerary to ensure your visa will be

valid at the time the ship is scheduled to call to China.

Irrespective of any advice obtained from the Chinese Consulate, the requirement

for a Chinese visa will be strictly enforced and you will be denied boarding if you

do not have the correct visas on embarkation.

Guess for the sake of $109.50 it is better have it than be denied boarding.!!!

Thanks for sharing this.

Keith

This is great news! We are looking at a Tokyo-Shanghai cruise in 2017 and this would allow us plenty of time in Shanghai without having to obtain a Visa.

The only apprehension i have is there is a line I read that states "not valid on direct flights to or from the USA". Im hoping that since we are arriving via a ship from other countries it will be valid.

Where did you read this? Flights from the US have always been ok to qualify for the visa-free transit. Tons of people have done this.

Im sorry, I just reread it (from TIMATIC). It says its not valid when arriving AND departing on direct flights from the US.

So since we arriving from a ship and a different country it would not apply:) Would we still need to obtain the temporary entry stamp at the port though? Still not sure on that one.

Yes, there is a difference if you say AND rather than OR. Actually it is not because it is the US, to qualify for a transit you cannot go to the same country that you came from. That would not be a transit.

However I assume that someone who is flying from the US into Shanghai to catch a cruise will not sail to the US. If you go to a third country (say Japan) then you'd be fine. However, As I said in my first comment, the current version of Timatic is silent on cruises even though it is in the regulations.

Flyertalk website has updated information on the 24, 72, and 144 hour visa free transits including a copy of Timatic as of January 30, 2016. (Use the Click here to display full wiki link) Important points to keep in mind -

"The TWOV rules apply to air travel only at this time (TWOV will reportedly be extended to cruise ship and rail passengers with the introduction of 144-hour TWOV, but as of 30 Jan 2016, there have been no reports of this and how this will operate. "

The only source to rely on is Timatic - because the airline will NOT let you board a flight to China unless your ongoing plans conform to Timatic requirements.

Read the fine print, then read it again, then constantly check for updates. This would be great news for cruising out of Shanghai - but wait for the official confirmation before assuming anything.

Agree. That's what I said already.

The other question is, will cruise companies let you board if you plan to disembark in Shanghai to catch a fly or if they only stop in Shanghai for a few days? I suspect that it may take the cruise companies quite some time before to get around to changing their policies.

Lucky you! We were in Shanghai port for only one day in 2014 and had to get a China visa. We were on Princess and were told even if not getting off the ship we had to have a visa. This is good news for the Asian cruises. Is Shanghai the only port included in the visa-free transit? Maybe with the increase in number of ships in the Asian market China decided to make their ports more attractive.

Agree. That's what I said already.

The other question is, will cruise companies let you board if you plan to disembark in Shanghai to catch a fly or if they only stop in Shanghai for a few days? I suspect that it may take the cruise companies quite some time before to get around to changing their policies.

Let you board, probably not if their policy is that you must have a valid visa when boarding.

What happens if you get to Shanghai and for some reason they won't grant you a visa? Or the ship is forced to use a port other than Shanghai where you can't get a visa? Technically you would be on Chinese territory without a visa and would be arrested and deported :eek:

LWhat happens if you get to Shanghai and for some reason they won't grant you a visa?

There are no visas on arrival in China. You either have a visa, or you are eligible for TWOV - transit without visa.

There are no visas on arrival in China. You either have a visa, or you are eligible for TWOV - transit without visa.

Actually, there are VOA in China. The most famous one being the Shenzhen visa issued at the border. There are similar ones at Zhuhai, Xiemen and in addition, the VOA is also available for travelers on international cruise ships who disembark in Haikou or Sanya.

Nothing for Shanghai though other than the "emergency" visa that can also be obtained on arrival.

I apologize. None of my China experience has been cruising but has been business, and my reading on consular websites never discussed visa on arrival.

Hi Guys,

Im looking at doing the following Itinerary - do we think this is covered by the waiver programme? So difficult to find visa information with relation to cruises.

Shanghai (Baoshan) - China

At Sea

Busan - South Korea

Fukuoka - Japan

Nagasaki - Japan

At Sea

Shanghai (Baoshan) - China

Literally flying into shanghai on day of embarkation and flying home on day of disembarkation. Would be annoying if I have to get a Visa for somewhere Im not actually gonna see!

Despite the change in rules, they won't let you board your flight unless you have a visa. you are going to China so you need a visa, don't see what's annoying about that.

Despite the change in rules, they won't let you board your flight unless you have a visa. you are going to China so you need a visa, don't see what's annoying about that.

Don't see?: wasted money for a one day port of call stop !

Nothing unusual here. Most nationalities need a visa for a transit in the USA even if only in the airport for an hour to catch another flight. At least the Chinese make your transit visa free. It is the airlines that you need to blame for not applying the visa exemption rules.

Once you land you can visit as you wish, it is your choice to go directly to the cruise.

Yeah its annoying because I would have to go through the complications of getting a visa arranged when Im only going to be in the country for a matter of hours.

American ESTA are alot simpler to apply for - and a lot cheaper!! so dont compare to Chinese Visa.

It's annoying, but it's also a known entity. Certain countries require visas for various other nationalities and it's east to check that ahead of time. You had the option to book a cruise that didn't go to China, but you didn't. So you have to comply with the rules, however annoying they might seem to you. I think it's annoying that the US is not one of the countries that can enter Vietnam without a visa, but it's not, and I chose an itinerary that stops in Vietnam, so unless Vietnam changes its rules before my cruise, a Vietnam visa I shall procure....

Yeah its annoying because I would have to go through the complications of getting a visa arranged when Im only going to be in the country for a matter of hours.

 

American ESTA are alot simpler to apply for - and a lot cheaper!! so dont compare to Chinese Visa.

ESTA is applicable to citizen of a few countries only,

Mostly European and some Asian.

It's annoying, but it's also a known entity. Certain countries require visas for various other nationalities and it's east to check that ahead of time. You had the option to book a cruise that didn't go to China, but you didn't. So you have to comply with the rules, however annoying they might seem to you. I think it's annoying that the US is not one of the countries that can enter Vietnam without a visa, but it's not, and I chose an itinerary that stops in Vietnam, so unless Vietnam changes its rules before my cruise, a Vietnam visa I shall procure....

I haven't chosen the sailing - it was just one I was looking at. And now I wont be taking the sailing as I dont have enough time to arrange the Visa (sailing is next month!). I will one day visit China as I would love to go - but when I have sufficient time to apply for visa.

I was only hoping there was a way have been a way round the visa as I wasn't staying in the country but alas - its not meant to be this time.

I wouldn't mind Vietnam at all - as the cruise liners can arrange the Visas for you and you pay on board.

Actually, there are VOA in China. The most famous one being the Shenzhen visa issued at the border.

Unless there are new rules in place VOA to Shenzhen (5-day visa) is not available to US or French citizens and most of the Middle Eastern countries.

Unless there are new rules in place VOA to Shenzhen (5-day visa) is not available to US or French citizens and most of the Middle Eastern countries.

Last time I checked the US citizens were eligible but the price was prohibitive and it was about the same as getting a regular visa (which is good for all of China and valid for 20 years).

As an update for this thread, here is a link to an official website about this extended visa-free stay: http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40&id=4421

With more details in this Q&A: http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40&id=4421