No China Visa for UK Passport holder?

[Nylsor]

We are on the Beijing to Bangkok cruise departing October 6th 2008. We live in the UK and the invoice we have received from our TA states the following:

Mrs R J K..... British Citizens Passport held No Visa required

Mr M J K ..... Irish Passport held May require visa

 

Does any UK passport holder know if this information is correct? To what does this relate? China? Vietnam? Japan? All of them or just some? May save me phone calls to the relative embassies. Our TA said she wasn't sure and to call the embassies. Just thought someone on the CC board might know.

[joll]

We did the Sapphire Princess Cruise Bangkok to Beijing in October 2007. As Australians, the only visas we needed were for Vietnam and China. Talking to our table mates from the UK and the USA, they also needed these visas. The Vietnamese visas were allocated on board and we were charged $6 or $7 US on our shipboard account. The Chinese visas had to be arranged through the Chinese Embassy in Australia. If you are visiting Shanghai and Beijing, you will need double or multi entry visas. Also keep in mind, your travel route to and from Asia as we heard of some Americans who flew to Bangkok via Beijing and this counted as an entry. As they only had a dual entry visa, they weren't able to get off the ship in Shanghai, as they needed the remaining entry for disembarkation.

[Nylsor]

Thanks, joll. Think I'll phone the Chinese Embassy here in London to clarify what exactly is required. As my DH has an Irish passport it complicates things a bit. Maybe the Chinese government will relax things in the light of the number of internationals visiting the country for the Olympics.

[camNaud]

The best place for current advice on Visa requirements for UK Passport holders is...

 

the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Website - Travel Advice Section

 

see link below

 

http://www.fco.gov.uk/

 

China...

 

Visas

 

British nationals require visas to enter Mainland China, but not Hong Kong. Visas cannot be obtained on arrival except at Hainan Island.