SANYA-VISA? YES or NO??????????

[glutenhab]

Has anyone visited Sanya, China as their only Chinese port (besides Hong Kong) WITHOUT a VISA?

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

You need a visa for China. Doesn't matter where in China, you need a visa.

[kuldalai]

The answer here is not clear cut :

 

* Everyone needs a Chinese Visa to visit Sanya which is part of mainland China.

 

* If it is your only port of call in mainland China and your cruise line calls there regularly then SOME cruiselines have an arrangement with the Chinese Government where a Day Pass Visa is issued on arrival via the Cruise line Purser Office with the cost being charged to the passengers on-board account .

 

* If there is more than one port of call in mainland China then everyone needs to get a multiple entry Chinese Visa prior to arriving in China.

 

So the first thing is to ask your cruise line if they get the Sanya Visas or whether the pax has to in advance .

 

Most pax do not need Visas for Tourist visits to either Hong Kong (SAR) and Taiwan .

[John Bull]

You need a visa for China. Doesn't matter where in China' date=' you need a visa.[/quote']

 

It's always dangerous to make a sweeping statement, B & C's mum. :(

The question refers specifically to Sanya.

 

Sanya is in the province of Hainan

 

Taken from

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/intro2.htm

 

"6. Visa Exemption for Visiting Hainan Province

Citizens holding the ordinary passport of the following 26 countries are exempt from visa requirements when they travel to Hainan Province as a group organised by International Travel Agencies that have been set up and registered in Hainan Province. The stay is limited to 21 days and travelers are not allowed to leave Hainan: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakstan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Thailand, USA and Ukraine. The tours organized by travel agencies of South Korea, Germany and Russia can have two members each group."

 

Plenty of other references to special provisions (visa-free, or visa-on-the-day) for Hainan, both on recent cc Asia threads and on the web. And the advice differs between websites, official, quasi-official or other.

 

CC members have posted being told different things by different officials in chinese embassies & official Chinese gov websites, and different things by different cruiselines.

 

So the only thing that's clear is that it's all unclear.

 

It's all a bit new, but ships have visited Sanya since the requirements were further relaxed last September, and the time is well-overdue for the authorities and the cruiselines to all be singing from the same hymnbook.

 

John Bull :)

[G.M.T.]

I have said it before and I will say it again, don't seek visa reuiqrements on forums, go straight to the country (you are planning to visit) website for their information.

 

Even cruise lines differ RCCI says you don't need a visa for Sanya, Costa (USA) who were the forerunner in openinhg up China say this about visiting Sanya:

 

China - A valid passport that is valid until 6 months after the scheduled return date of travel is required. A VISA is required to enter and exit China and must be obtained from Chinese Embassy or Consulate before traveling to China.

 

For the most current VISA information for China, consult the Chinese Embassy or visit:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1089.html or

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/

 

Note for Sanya, China: Guests who participate in Costa sponsored shore excursions will not require a separate VISA. If guests wish to travel independently, a VISA will be required.

 

Costa UK

 

China* - A Double or Multiple visa is compulsory for positioning/regular cruises between:

Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Tianjin

Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Shanghai

Shanghai to Hong Kong (or Singapore)

Tianjin to Hong Kong (or Singapore)

Shanghai to Tianjin

Shanghai to Shanghai

Tianjin to Tianjin

Tianjin to Shanghai

A a special visa for China will be provided on board only for itineraries from Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Hong Kong (or Singapore) stopping at Sanya. For UK passengers it is free of charge for guests participating in a Costa excursion, however it must be purchased (RMB 469) in case guests want to disembark individually. In case of embarkation and disembarkation during any planned stops in all ports** of China, a visa is required and guests will have to request it in advance from the Chinese Consulate (**The only exception is Sanya transit -see above ).

 

I never understand people who first do not travel with a passport and secondly paying 000's of what ever currency for a cruise and then start to worry about a visa (if or if not required) for a fraction of the cruise cost. Just get a visa, lay back relax and then enjoy the cruise.

 

Ron

[glutenhab]

I have said it before and I will say it again, don't seek visa reuiqrements on forums, go straight to the country (you are planning to visit) website for their information.

 

Even cruise lines differ RCCI says you don't need a visa for Sanya, Costa (USA) who were the forerunner in openinhg up China say this about visiting Sanya:

 

China - A valid passport that is valid until 6 months after the scheduled return date of travel is required. A VISA is required to enter and exit China and must be obtained from Chinese Embassy or Consulate before traveling to China.

 

For the most current VISA information for China, consult the Chinese Embassy or visit:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1089.html or

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/

 

Note for Sanya, China: Guests who participate in Costa sponsored shore excursions will not require a separate VISA. If guests wish to travel independently, a VISA will be required.

 

Costa UK

 

China* - A Double or Multiple visa is compulsory for positioning/regular cruises between:

Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Tianjin

Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Shanghai

Shanghai to Hong Kong (or Singapore)

Tianjin to Hong Kong (or Singapore)

Shanghai to Tianjin

Shanghai to Shanghai

Tianjin to Tianjin

Tianjin to Shanghai

A a special visa for China will be provided on board only for itineraries from Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Hong Kong (or Singapore) stopping at Sanya. For UK passengers it is free of charge for guests participating in a Costa excursion, however it must be purchased (RMB 469) in case guests want to disembark individually. In case of embarkation and disembarkation during any planned stops in all ports** of China, a visa is required and guests will have to request it in advance from the Chinese Consulate (**The only exception is Sanya transit -see above ).

 

I never understand people who first do not travel with a passport and secondly paying 000's of what ever currency for a cruise and then start to worry about a visa (if or if not required) for a fraction of the cruise cost. Just get a visa, lay back relax and then enjoy the cruise.

 

Ron

 

Answers from the websites are unclear & the cost ($350 for the 2 of us for an 8 hours port visit) is not insignificant.

Nobody, & I mean nobody (we have read dozens of threads on this), can give a simple yes or no answer to this question.

Our cruise is 5 months away & we have passports!

[Host Caroline]

Because there is another thread that you first started with the same question I am closing this thread... for future reference it's easier to post further questions on the same topic in an existing thread so you don't have answers all over the place!:)