144 hour =No Chinese Visa

[NantahalaCruiser]

Hi happy2roam

 

We have not got a Visa for 16th October cruise and do not intend to get one.

Have confirmation from Celebrity that we will not be denied boarding and from Shanghai Immigration Authority that one is not required if we do leave the ship.

 

There is so much conflicting information our there that who knows which way is up. I do not doubt your statement regarding requirements if you are staying on board. However, for those wishing to use the 144-hour waver to tour Shanghai, the following quote from an article on the Shanghai Immigration website states quite clearly that it cannot be used for our cruise:

 

Interpretation of 144-hour Visa-exemption Transit Policy

 

02-02-2016

 

To support the construction of Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center, sanctioned by the State Council, Shanghai is to adopt a 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy (hereinafter shortened as ‘the policy’) concerning certain countries at certain domestic ports of entry. As the responsible exit-entry inspection authority to carry out this facilitative policy, the General Station of Shanghai Immigration Inspection would like to avail of the opportunity to answer some popular questions regarding it.

 

13.Q: If I, an Australian citizen, plan to travel from Sydney to Shanghai and then back to Melbourne by air, can I apply for 144-hour visa-exemption transit?

 

A: The policy requires that a foreign passenger book his / her onward air / vessel / train tickets with confirmed seat in advance and leave China within 144 hours for a third country or region, and therefore it is our suggestion that you change your flight ticket to Melbourne to one bound for a third country or region such as Hong Kong, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, and return to Melbourne afterwards. Such an arrangement will enable you to meet the requirements for 144-hour visa-exemption transit.

 

 

Our October 16th cruise has the same lack of a return to a 3rd country: just returning back to a different part of Japan rather than returning to a different part of Australia.

Edited August 30, 2016 by NantahalaCruiser

[kwar]

Who did you speak with at Celebrity? Higher up then an agent.

 

How about Shanghai Imm. did you call them or email them??

 

Appreciate your help..

 

Kwar

 

Sent an email to the Shanghai US Consulate and got back an answer saying NO US citizens going from Korea to Shanghai to japan on cruise ship do not need a Visa, email is http:/shanghai.usconsulate.gov

 

We are not getting a visa for this stop in Shanghai.

 

Kwar

[newport dave]

Sent an email to the Shanghai US Consulate and got back an answer saying NO US citizens going from Korea to Shanghai to japan on cruise ship do not need a Visa, email is http:/shanghai.usconsulate.gov

 

We are not getting a visa for this stop in Shanghai.

 

Kwar

You're transiting to a THIRD country after you leave China, so don't need a visa. Whereas the 16th Oct cruise is going back to Japan after Shanghai so need a visa in accordance with the 144hr exemption.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Edited August 30, 2016 by newport dave

[Canada17]

You're transiting to a THIRD country after you leave China, so don't need a visa. Whereas the 16th Oct cruise is going back to Japan after Shanghai so need a visa in accordance with the 144hr exemption.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

Hi Newport Dave, still can't believe how many people miss the "third country" requirement! Been informed on posts on the Oct 16 roll call, that Millie cruise edocs for Oct 16 Tokyo-HK clearly notes the requirement for a China Visa. Haven't been able to download our edocs yet, but like you said previously, they are probably doing it in some sort of alphabetical order.

[The_Big_M]

Hi Newport Dave, still can't believe how many people miss the "third country" requirement!

 

Or just refuse to believe it. Some were adamant that it includes going back to the first country and hurled abuse if you didn't agree.

[emileg]

Or just refuse to believe it. Some were adamant that it includes going back to the first country and hurled abuse if you didn't agree.

I, like you, am mindful when I read abusive posts, where people make ad hominem attacks instead of discussing the issue, a strict violation of Cruise Critic rules and etiquette. After reading your comment, I reread every single post on this thread. The only post I could find that might have been interpreted as even slightly personal was in post 7 when the poster questioned the person said they could have just as easily brought a birth certificate for children going to the Caribbean. So, I am not quite sure in which posts people "hurled abuse."

Edited August 31, 2016 by emileg

[rhblake]

I am guessing that you will have a difficult job convincing some non-employee clerk in a foreign country that you should be allowed to board the ship if their instructions from Celebrity are you must have a Visa. I still don't get it, why would anyone chance not boarding over a couple of hundred dollars for a Visa.

[sandyss]

I am guessing that you will have a difficult job convincing some non-employee clerk in a foreign country that you should be allowed to board the ship if their instructions from Celebrity are you must have a Visa. I still don't get it, why would anyone chance not boarding over a couple of hundred dollars for a Visa.

 

When the exemption from the need for a visa is clear. For those of us on the September 18th cruise who are disembarking in Shanghai, and flying to a 3rd country within the 144 hour window, there is no need to go to the trouble and expense of getting an unnecessary visa. Many of us have emails from the Millennium Documentation Officer and from Celebrity stating that we do not need visas.

[Canada17]

When the exemption from the need for a visa is clear. For those of us on the September 18th cruise who are disembarking in Shanghai, and flying to a 3rd country within the 144 hour window, there is no need to go to the trouble and expense of getting an unnecessary visa. Many of us have emails from the Millennium Documentation Officer and from Celebrity stating that we do not need visas.

 

Hi Sandy;

 

While everyone is posting about their "millie cruise", there are different itineraries. For you "millie cruise" on Sept 18, you are absolutely correct because your itinerary meets the 144 hour visa exemption rules. Please look at Newport Dave's post #53 above. For our "millie cruise" on Oct 16, the rules of the 144 hour visa exemption are not met, because we go cruise into Shanghai from Nagasaki (Japan) then cruise out to Okinawa (Japan), so we don't leave Shanghai for a third country. So if our cruise ended in Shanghai and we flew home to Canada within 144 hours, we would not need a visa. Or if our cruise left Shanghai and went to Taiwan or Korea as the next stop, we would not need a visa.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Canada17
sorry should read "for a third country"

[sandyss]

Hi Sandy;

 

While everyone is posting about their "millie cruise", there are different itineraries. For you "millie cruise" on Sept 18, you are absolutely correct because your itinerary meets the 144 hour visa exemption rules. Please look at Newport Dave's post #53 above. For our "millie cruise" on Oct 16, the rules of the 144 hour visa exemption are not met, because we go cruise into Shanghai from Nagasaki (Japan) then cruise out to Okinawa (Japan), so we don't leave Shanghai for a third country. So if our cruise ended in Shanghai and we flew home to Canada within 144 hours, we would not need a visa. Or if our cruise left Shanghai and went to Taiwan or Korea as the next stop, we would not need a visa.

 

Exactly. The September 18th cruise meets the requirements for MOST of the passengers. But the October 16th does not meet the 3rd country requirement for ANY of the passengers. If on the October 16th cruise, get a visa!!

[The_Big_M]

I reread every single post on this thread. The only post I could find that might have been interpreted as even slightly personal was in post 7 when the poster questioned the person said they could have just as easily brought a birth certificate for children going to the Caribbean. So, I am not quite sure in which posts people "hurled abuse."

 

I wasn't referring to this thread. This topic has cropped up a few times. Most posters are on the same page now though.

 

I do hope there is a flexible response possible, since not everyone uses CC, and there may well be people not realising a visa is required for the day visit. For example, on the cruises visiting the US as their final destination, Celebrity let people organise their visit authority onboard. Of course, each country is different so that's not necessarily an option here.

[Teenyween]

Hi Teeyween,

 

I take it from your post that you are not getting a visa? We also are leaving Tokyo on the 16th October cruising with Celebritie and are in 2 minds do we or don't we ??? We are looking at NOT getting one will we be the only ones.

 

 

Happy2roam

 

Despite email from Clebrity, have now decided to get visas since seeing latest Visa Central statement that cruisers entering and leaving Shanghai on the same ship are not covered by 144 hour exemption. Will make virtue of necessity by visiting China again in next two years.

[kwar]

Despite email from Clebrity, have now decided to get visas since seeing latest Visa Central statement that cruisers entering and leaving Shanghai on the same ship are not covered by 144 hour exemption. Will make virtue of necessity by visiting China again in next two years.

 

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

This is for US Citizens

Dear Rita

Thank you for contacting Shanghai US Consulate.

*Effective February 2016, US citizens can transfer without visa in China through any of the following ports of entry, if they meet specific requirements: Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, [bShanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, ]Shanghai Railway Station, Nanjing Lukou International Airport, or Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport.

 

Requirements include:

1. Show a valid international travel document

2. Show an onward air / vessel / train ticket to a third country (a country other than China or the country the traveler just left)

3. The confirmed departure date is within 144 hours of arrival,

4. Must remain within the administrative precincts of Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province.

 

For more details or questions, please check the public website of Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection http://sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40&id=4414 or call their hotline at 0086-21-51105100.

American Citizen Services (ACS) unit (SZ)

Consular Section / U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai

1038 West Nanjing Rd - Westgate Mall 8th floor

梅龙镇广场8楼 (Méi’lóng’zhèn guǎngchǎng)

http://shanghai.usconsulate.gov | http://travel.state.gov

TRAVEL SAFE – enroll in STEP to receive security and emergency messages from the embassy/consulate.

 

Thus from this , - we are not getting one...........

Edited September 9, 2016 by kwar
for us citizens

[Iamcruzin]

I wouldn't even wonder about getting a visa...I'd just do it. If I'm spending the kind of coin one is probably spending for a trip that includes China, I'm not taking a chance on an problem.

 

Its why, when we started cruising in earnest with our kids 8 years ago, we got passports. Spent over $400 for four passports to go on a closed loop cruise to the Caribbean. Didn't really need them; I know we could have just used our birth certificates, but better safe than sorry.

 

We did the same thing when our kids were young. We never traveled where you needed to have them but I always tell my wife you never know when you are going to have to flee the country. Not only was it expensive but we both had to take a day off from work to be there since our kids were minors. I'm happy I made the small investment. It made it a lot easier for them to renew it on their own when they needed it at 18. If I was traveling to a place were there was a chance I needed a visa I would just get one. To me time is money and I wouldn't be wasting it calling the cruise line or writing letters to government officials.

[HokiePoq]

Thankfully, my husband and I visited China in March 2015 and purchased 10 year, multiple entry visas which actually were the same price as single entry visas. The visa application form was not clear about this, but fortunately the visa service we used here in Atlanta reviewed our form and changed our request to the 10 year, multiple entry visa. Therefore, we do not have to worry about our day in Shanghai on our Oct. 16 cruise because our visas are still valid. Actually my husband has had to renew his passport since our trip to China but I verified with the Chinese government that as long as his name and birthdate are the same in both documents, he can carry both his old passport with the Chinese visa and his new passport and it will still be honored. I'm saying this because if you decide it is worth it to get the visa, be sure and request the 10 year visa - $140 IS expensive for one day in Shanghai, but hopefully over the next 10 years you will have another opportunity to visit China. It was a wonderful trip, the history and culture are fascinating and the Chinese people were wonderful. I assure you, your $140 will be well worth it, if you are able to make it back to China in the next 10 years.

 

Thank you for this information. My passport will have to be renewed before the visa expires. I was going to copy it and get my friend who reads Chinese to translate it, but now I know, from this thread, that the 2025 on the visa is the expiration date since I got it in 2015.

Edited September 9, 2016 by HokiePoq

[Canada17]

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

This is for US Citizens

Dear Rita

Thank you for contacting Shanghai US Consulate.

*Effective February 2016, US citizens can transfer without visa in China through any of the following ports of entry, if they meet specific requirements: Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, [bShanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, ]Shanghai Railway Station, Nanjing Lukou International Airport, or Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport.

 

Requirements include:

1. Show a valid international travel document

2. Show an onward air / vessel / train ticket to a third country (a country other than China or the country the traveler just left)

3. The confirmed departure date is within 144 hours of arrival,

4. Must remain within the administrative precincts of Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province.

 

For more details or questions, please check the public website of Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection http://sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40&id=4414 or call their hotline at 0086-21-51105100.

American Citizen Services (ACS) unit (SZ)

Consular Section / U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai

1038 West Nanjing Rd - Westgate Mall 8th floor

梅龙镇广场8楼 (Méi’lóng’zhèn guǎngchǎng)

http://shanghai.usconsulate.gov | http://travel.state.gov

TRAVEL SAFE – enroll in STEP to receive security and emergency messages from the embassy/consulate.

 

Thus from this , - we are not getting one...........

 

Just make sure you meet requirement #2. That's the one that governs for passengers on the Millennium October 16, 2016 cruise out of Yokohama. Because of that third country requirement, we are not Visa exempt as we do not leave to a 3rd country after Shanghai.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Not to have worried. Worked great for us. All we had to show was copy of ongoing flight to third country. Guest services on Millennium was well informed about requirements.

[diesel1973]

Just returned from China last week. Remember reading article in China newspaper that China was going to let visitors visit Shanghai for 144 hrs. with no need of visa. Passport is still req. Reason for this was the influx of cruisers. If I remember correctly this was to take effect sometime in Oct. 2016. By the way, don't miss this town!

[diesel1973]

Just returned from China last week. Remember reading article in China newspaper that China was going to let visitors visit Shanghai for 144 hrs. with no need of visa. Passport is still req. Reason for this was the influx of cruisers. If I remember correctly this was to take effect sometime in Oct. 2016. By the way, don't miss this town especially at night!

[sandyss]

Our cruise ended in Shanghai last week. We used the 144 Hour Visa-Free Transit.

 

BUT

 

The Chinese Immigration Authorities made life difficult for those of us traveling without a Visa AND for passengers traveling with Visas.

 

There were over 100 passengers who had their departure from the Millennium delayed, including us. The Chinese authorities insisted on a face to face interview with us, before stamping our passports.

 

We were all asked "repeatedly" for copies of our flight information and hotel information. We had to repeatedly give copies of this information to Guest Relations (they were caught in the middle with the immigration authorities). We received phone calls from Guest Relations at 8:30pm and at 11:30pm on the night before debarkation requesting the same information again and again. They came to our cabin to get and make copies of this same information at those times. In total we submitted this duplicate information 5 times.

 

In addition, there was a message on our phone (left in the middle of the night) telling us that we had to meet with the Chinese Immigration authorities in person at 10:00am.

 

This happened to over 100 people on our cruise. Some of us were using the 144 hour visa-free transit option. Others had obtained visas. In some cases, only one person in a family had their passports held up by the Chinese Immigration authorities.

 

Needless to say, our debarkation was delayed. We (traveling without a visa) and the 2 people that we were traveling with (both traveling with visas) were delayed until after 11:00am. We barely made it to our hotel by 1:00pm for our tour of Shanghai.

 

Needless to say, it was a very stressful start to our day in Shanghai. Luckily our tour of Shanghai was wonderful.

[late2cruisin]

OMG, Sandy, sorry to hear you had to go through this. I remember we were discussing this whole visa thing (we sat next to you at the "elegant tea") and we were both well-prepared... or so we thought. We had to submit our flight info 3 times and got a late night call from Guest Relations, but they finally sorted it out. I had no idea that anyone had to meet face-to-face with the Chinese officials, let alone 100 people. I wonder if anyone missed their flight because of this... Anyway, glad you enjoyed Shanghai!

[sandyss]

Glad to hear that you weren't detained. I was wondering.

 

People with early flights were put at the front of the line. When we did bring our passports to the immigration authorities to get them stamped, it went very quickly - with the same questions - when are you leaving China and where are you staying. They didn't even look at the paperwork that we had submitted 5 times. Why they detained such a large group of passengers is anybody's guess. But that's China!

 

By the way, we could not access Facebook in China. The same is probably true for other social media sites.

[late2cruisin]

Yup, no Facebook, no Google (and no Expedia, for some reason...must be related to one of the others that China has a vendetta against). But that's China for you! :D

[bigbenboys]

We are cruising on Millennium Jan 14, 2017 ending in Shanghai. We then will be staying at Shanghai Disney for 6 nights. We have filled out the visa forms for China. Yesterday I looked more in to the 144 hour visa for Shanghai. Today I have decided to get the full 10 year visa. I'm sure in the next 10 years we will be back in China.

[nicecruiser]

When the exemption from the need for a visa is clear. For those of us on the September 18th cruise who are disembarking in Shanghai, and flying to a 3rd country within the 144 hour window, there is no need to go to the trouble and expense of getting an unnecessary visa. Many of us have emails from the Millennium Documentation Officer and from Celebrity stating that we do not need visas.

 

Hi,

Kindly share the email address for Millennium Documentation Officer - I want to contact him and get confirmation in writing that we do not need Chine visa - we are on Milly for Jan 14, 2017 cruise. Our path is USA- Hong Kong - South Korea - Shanghai for 2 days. Thanks a lot.