Question about a 10 yr. Chinese visa

[lara68]

1 1/2 years ago we got a 10 year Chinese Visa for a land/cruise trip to China. We are planning to go on an Asian celebrity cruise in January that has 2 days pre-cruise in Hong Kong and 2 days post-cruise in an hotel in Shanghai. When we applied for this visa we had to provide an "invitation letter" from our tour company that also included our flights and hotels.. Do we have to reapply for a visa for China to include our new hotels, flights, etc, or goes this Visa include future trips during this time period, without further details??? Thanks so much, the China Visa process is somewhat difficult and we want to make sure we have it right!

[cruisingtheword]

No, my understanding is that once you receive the 10 year visa (which we also have), it is good for multiple entries into China without any further documentation required. If your passport with the visa in it expires, as long as your new passport shows the exact same name and date of birth as the previous passport, the visa is still good. You just have to travel with both your old and your new passport. BTW, you don't need a visa for Hong Kong, only Shanghai. We are on the October 16th Millennium cruise from Yokohama to Hong Kong with a stop in Shanghai with exactly the visa situation I detailed above so I have researched this topic.

[lara68]

thank you so much for your quick reply! I knew we didn't need a Visa for Hong Kong, I was just afraid that with staying in an hotel, post cruise in shanghai, we might need some documentation on our Visa. Will you be staying in a hotel when you get to Shanghai or is it a port call?

[mandmred]

Does anyone know exactly which of the two cruise ports the Millennium is using in HONG Kong? We sail on 3-11-2017.

We want to get a hotel near the correct port as last time we cruised out of Hong Kong we were near the wrong port.

 

At that time it embarked At Victoria Harbor near the Walk of Fame.

Would also enjoy knowing if you have a recommendation on a hotel in Hong Kong.

Thanks

[cruisingtheword]

thank you so much for your quick reply! I knew we didn't need a Visa for Hong Kong, I was just afraid that with staying in an hotel, post cruise in shanghai, we might need some documentation on our Visa. Will you be staying in a hotel when you get to Shanghai or is it a port call?

 

We just have a port call in Shanghai so we will not be staying in a hotel. However, as long as you can show the customs agent your return air ticket if they ask for it I can't imagine you would have a problem. I was very apprehensive about how we would be treated by the customs agents in China but found them all to be serious about their jobs but very friendly and welcoming. I really doubt you will have any problems.

[loeb]

Does anyone know exactly which of the two cruise ports the Millennium is using in HONG Kong? We sail on 3-11-2017.

We want to get a hotel near the correct port as last time we cruised out of Hong Kong we were near the wrong port.

 

At that time it embarked At Victoria Harbor near the Walk of Fame.

Would also enjoy knowing if you have a recommendation on a hotel in Hong Kong.

Thanks

 

We were on the Millenium last year and we docked at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (the old airport). Kai Tak is not that far from the main area near the Star Ferry / Ocean Terminal so it won't cost that much by taxi to get there. However, it's too far to walk.

 

We stayed at the YMCA Salisbury right behind the Peninsula Hotel, about a block or two from the Star Ferry. The HO HO Bus also stops right by the hotel.

This is not your typical YMCA, do a search on trip adivsors if your interested.

[loeb]

1 1/2 years ago we got a 10 year Chinese Visa for a land/cruise trip to China. We are planning to go on an Asian celebrity cruise in January that has 2 days pre-cruise in Hong Kong and 2 days post-cruise in an hotel in Shanghai. When we applied for this visa we had to provide an "invitation letter" from our tour company that also included our flights and hotels.. Do we have to reapply for a visa for China to include our new hotels, flights, etc, or goes this Visa include future trips during this time period, without further details??? Thanks so much, the China Visa process is somewhat difficult and we want to make sure we have it right!

 

One of the advantages of getting the 10 year visa is that you do not have to get additional approvals or submit anything, just go and they will stamp your passport. This is not any different than the old multiple entry visas, I went to China several times and didn't have to do anything, just show that I had a multiple entry visa that had not expired and they stamped my passport.

[easyboy]

No, my understanding is that once you receive the 10 year visa (which we also have), it is good for multiple entries into China without any further documentation required. If your passport with the visa in it expires, as long as your new passport shows the exact same name and date of birth as the previous passport, the visa is still good. You just have to travel with both your old and your new passport. BTW, you don't need a visa for Hong Kong, only Shanghai. We are on the October 16th Millennium cruise from Yokohama to Hong Kong with a stop in Shanghai with exactly the visa situation I detailed above so I have researched this topic.

I agree. I once had a 1 year multiple entry visa secured by an agency for a packaged tour to Beijing. Within the year, returned to southern part without securing additional document.

[luv2cruise450]

If your ship docks in the Kai Tak cruise port...then the Regal Oriental Hotel is probably the closest...we have stayed there before and is quite nice. And when we were there, they had free shuttles for guests (they gave out shuttle passes when you requested them) and it would drop you off at a specific place in the downtown area and for pick up to return to the hotel.

If your ship docks at the Ocean Terminal...there are several hotels right there...or nearby like the YMCA or the Omni. In that general area...we have stayed at the Regal Kowloon and at the Kowloon Shangri La...both are lovely hotels.

Hope this helps...

[TravelMore&More]

Once you have a visa you can enter the country. Even on your first trip you could have entered China by flying rather than cruise even though that is the itinerary that you had provided when you apply.

With you current visa, you can enter as often as you wish by any mean and go pretty much everywhere in China (except Tibet). You do not need to show any kind of return ticket when you enter the country. They don't care. I have entered several times on one-way tickets.