Non Aussie Melbournian needing New Caledonia Visa

[Karljohn]

I will call them mate.

 

Thanks

 

Hi there.

 

We are in the same situation. I am an Aussie Citizen from Adelaide and my wife still holds a Philippine passport (She's a permanent Aussie resident).

 

We would like to do a 9 day cruise in mid-July (via P&O) to New Caledonia (Isle of Pines, Mare, Lifou and Noumea).

 

Does my wife still need to apply a visa in Sydney? We will be staying for 6 hours per port.

 

Help anyone???

[thied]

Hi there.

 

We are in the same situation. I am an Aussie Citizen from Adelaide and my wife still holds a Philippine passport (She's a permanent Aussie resident).

 

We would like to do a 9 day cruise in mid-July (via P&O) to New Caledonia (Isle of Pines, Mare, Lifou and Noumea).

 

Does my wife still need to apply a visa in Sydney? We will be staying for 6 hours per port.

 

Help anyone???

yes she will a re entry vise back in to Australia, if you are in dought please ring the goverment body that handles this.

[Karljohn]

yes she will a re entry vise back in to Australia, if you are in dought please ring the goverment body that handles this.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

She holds a permanent Aussie resident visa. She can stay in Australia indefinately. Going back to Australia from overseas should not be a problem. We went to the USA last year and a re-entry visa wasnt required.

 

Does she need a visa to New Caledonia for the cruise?

[thied]

Thanks for the reply.

 

She holds a permanent Aussie resident visa. She can stay in Australia indefinately. Going back to Australia from overseas should not be a problem. We went to the USA last year and a re-entry visa wasnt required.

 

Does she need a visa to New Caledonia for the cruise?

in that case I would say no but I would check just to be safe.

[Karljohn]

in that case I would say no but I would check just to be safe.

 

There seems to be no way to get in touch with the French Consular embassy in Sydney as the will not reply to emails and phone calls.

 

Help anyone?

[thied]

There seems to be no way to get in touch with the French Consular embassy in Sydney as the will not reply to emails and phone calls.

 

Help anyone?

may be melbourne or Brisbane or try Noumea

 

I do have a friend that is germen spelt it wrong but what the hay,

 

he did not need a vise to go to noumea but needed one to get back into Australia, but things and rules change all the time so best you check i would.

[Aus Traveller]

There seems to be no way to get in touch with the French Consular embassy in Sydney as the will not reply to emails and phone calls.

 

Help anyone?

I suggest you re-read post number 18 on this thread. :D I feel this is better advice than some of the other posts where someone is guessing.:) If the operator you speak to at the cruise line isn't sure, I suggest you ask to speak to a supervisor.

[Karljohn]

I suggest you re-read post number 18 on this thread. :D I feel this is better advice than some of the other posts where someone is guessing.:) If the operator you speak to at the cruise line isn't sure, I suggest you ask to speak to a supervisor.

 

I called P&O and was told to get in touch with the French Embassy. Was told that their admins instruction was to ask people to contact the embassy. That they have been heavily fined before for ?breaching rules.

 

I then called the French Consular office in Melbourne and was informed that we need to go to Sydney to apply for a visa.

[Aus Traveller]

Sorry to do a 'cut and paste. I do not know if you will need a visa or whether the 'in transit' rules will apply. If you need a visa it is risky to try to check in for your cruise without it.

 

The situation varies depending on which passport a visitor is using and it is irrelevant to post that a German citizen didn't need a visa. In this case it is South Africa and the French authorities really make you jump through hoops to get a visa.

 

This information below is from the New Caledonia website for people living in Australia and travelling on a South African passport. You probably already have this information. :D:D

 

It says you have to attend in person with the following -

 

a. Original, signed South Africa passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity.

 

b Passport-type photographs: 2

 

c Itinerary. Copy of round trip tickets or itinerary.

 

 

d Health Insurance. Letter on company letterhead from Health Insurance Company indicating the coverage plan for the applicant, specifically stating that the applicant will be covered while traveling internationally and indicating the validity of this coverage (with a minimum medical coverage of US$ 50,000).

 

 

e Foreign Exchange or Credit Card copy. Applicant must provide Foreign Exchange or Credit Card copy

 

 

f Bank Statement. Copies of bank statements from the past 6 months.

 

 

g Employment Letter. A letter from your employer/school (on business letterhead, with contact details), stating that a leave of absence has been granted and that you will be returning to your current job. If you are self-employed, include a copy of your business license and tax return. If you are retired please submit proof of your retirement fund.

 

 

h Pay Stubs. Copies of 3 most recent pay stubs.

 

 

i Hotel Reservations. Copy of the Hotel Reservations, OR

 

 

j Personal Invitation. If visiting friends or family, you must provide letter of invitation with the contact information of the host and visitor, purpose and duration of the visit, confirmation of accommodation including the address, signature and date. You will also need to provide proof of the host's status in New Caledonia ie. copy of their New Caledonia passport's information page, or, if they are not a citizen of New Caledonia, copies of their New Caledonia residence permit and their national passport's information pages.

 

 

k Personal Letter. A personal letter from the applicant addressed to the Embassy of New Caledonia, explaining the purpose of the trip, dates of travel, cities to be visited, and place of accommodation.

 

A lot of the above items obviously aren't relevant when travelling on a cruiseship.

 

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[Wyuna1]

may be melbourne or Brisbane or try Noumea

 

I do have a friend that is germen spelt it wrong but what the hay,

 

he did not need a vise to go to noumea but needed one to get back into Australia, but things and rules change all the time so best you check i would.

You are a legend in your own mind, to be able to misspell so many words in context with a previous thread is certainly a unique talent. So unique in fact it would be best not to be shared by any of us mere mortals that are obviously not on the same planet as you.

[DT1304]

Thanks Aus Traveller.

 

Yes, I had that info. I have also checked and because I am travelling on a SA passport I DO need a visa. I do not need a re-entry visa into Australia as I already have a PR visa for Australia.

 

I am still hoping that I will have obtained my Australian passport by the time I cruise, as that will save me a lot of cash, time and stress.

[DT1304]

As for the request from the member with a Phillipines passport, New Caledonia tourist visa is required for citizens

of Philippines.

 

This however DOES NOT take into account the issue of a in transit visa s described by some other members above.

 

You mention that you are travelling on P & O which is the line that the poster was referring to with regards an in transit visa. I will be on Royal Carib, and if my Australian passport is not through in time, I will not be risking anything, and will be getting the tourist visa.

[Pushka]

I think that you need to ignore those who dont really know about passengers travelling on South African passports and contact the Embassy yourself.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Aus Traveller]

Thanks Aus Traveller.

 

Yes, I had that info. I have also checked and because I am travelling on a SA passport I DO need a visa. I do not need a re-entry visa into Australia as I already have a PR visa for Australia.

 

I am still hoping that I will have obtained my Australian passport by the time I cruise, as that will save me a lot of cash, time and stress.

I sincerely hope you do get your Aussie passport in time.:) You probably already know that you can pay extra and have an express service for the issue of a passport, but of course you need to wait for your advice from South Africa (as you mentioned). If you live in Melbourne, I think you can lodge the application at the Passport Office and pick it up personally, saving even more time. Best of luck.

[Karljohn]

As for the request from the member with a Phillipines passport, New Caledonia tourist visa is required for citizens

of Philippines.

 

This however DOES NOT take into account the issue of a in transit visa s described by some other members above.

 

You mention that you are travelling on P & O which is the line that the poster was referring to with regards an in transit visa. I will be on Royal Carib, and if my Australian passport is not through in time, I will not be risking anything, and will be getting the tourist visa.

 

Thanks DT.

 

I did some research today:

 

I first called P&O this morning and was directed by the consultant to get in touch with the French embassy as they cannot give advice re: visa. I asked them about the in transit visa and the person insisted that it is only for Aus and NZ nationals. Apparently all consultants were advised by their supervisors not to answer any visa enquiries as they have been heavily fined before.

 

I then called the French Consulate in Melbourne and was advised that my wife do need to fly to Sydney to apply for a visa.

 

Lastly, i called the "Tourism New Caledonia" office in Noumea. The staff informed me that my wife will not need a visa but he changed his answer immediately when I told him about what the French consulate in Melbourne said. He said that my wife needs to get a visa. I am confused.

 

I do hope that you can get your Aussie passport before you sail. I hope you can attend a citizenship ceremony asap once you received the outcome of your application/test. Citizenship ceremonies usually happens every 3 to 6 months per council. One of the requirements for an Aussie passport is a citizenship certificate.

[Karljohn]

Thanks DT.

 

I did some research today:

 

I first called P&O this morning and was directed by the consultant to get in touch with the French embassy as they cannot give advice re: visa. I asked them about the in transit visa and the person insisted that it is only for Aus and NZ nationals. Apparently all consultants were advised by their supervisors not to answer any visa enquiries as they have been heavily fined before.

 

I then called the French Consulate in Melbourne and was advised that my wife do need to fly to Sydney to apply for a visa.

 

Lastly, i called the "Tourism New Caledonia" office in Noumea. The staff informed me that my wife will not need a visa but he changed his answer immediately when I told him about what the French consulate in Melbourne said. He said that my wife needs to get a visa. I am confused.

 

I do hope that you can get your Aussie passport before you sail. I hope you can attend a citizenship ceremony asap once you received the outcome of your application/test. Citizenship ceremonies usually happens every 3 to 6 months per council. One of the requirements for an Aussie passport is a citizenship certificate.

 

Any advice from our fellow forumers? Cheers.

[wired00]

I've been struggling with this very problem today. a few months back my wife and I booked tickets to the new Caledonia cruise. My wife only holds a philippines passport although has a Permanent Residency in australia.

 

with only 7 days left till our ship sails I started realising that we needed a visa for her.

 

over 3 hours researching and calling :

- visalink.com.au told me a visa is needed and that i should email or fax french consulate for getting a visa (it will take at least 2 weeks). I have emailed them...

- i called p & o twice and both times was told they will not give out visa information and should call visalink.

- customs australia told me to call IMMI

- IMMI hotline told me they can't help

- french consulate very rudely told me to check the website etc etc

 

at this point we were left with two options:

1) I go on the cruise and we spend our 5 year wedding anniversary apart and we lose out on her ticket

2) We both lose out on tickets and spend more money somewhere else for our special night.

 

I then found this forum...

 

I called back P & O and was very straight forward. I explained we simply don't have time left for a visa. I explained my displeasure with P & O at never once mentioning of the necessity of a visa or australian passport (and no mention in any terms or conditions) and that I'd heard of a "Transit Visa" was there anything that can be done?

 

I was told to please hold...The support staff came back after a few minutes and advised there was indeed a "Transit Visa" and we are fine with no visa in new caledonia if leaving within 24 hours. Hallelujah.

 

Based on the fact we have simply no choice we'll be rocking upto the port in Sydney and seeing how we go boarding. We have nothing to lose as there's no refund at this 11'th hour...

 

I hope that little anecdote may help someone else in the future. hours of perseverance can sometimes result in success i guess...

[diy dave]

I've been struggling with this very problem today. a few months back my wife and I booked tickets to the new Caledonia cruise. My wife only holds a philippines passport although has a Permanent Residency in australia.

 

with only 7 days left till our ship sails I started realising that we needed a visa for her.

 

over 3 hours researching and calling :

- visalink.com.au told me a visa is needed and that i should email or fax french consulate for getting a visa (it will take at least 2 weeks). I have emailed them...

- i called p & o twice and both times was told they will not give out visa information and should call visalink.

- customs australia told me to call IMMI

- IMMI hotline told me they can't help

- french consulate very rudely told me to check the website etc etc

 

at this point we were left with two options:

1) I go on the cruise and we spend our 5 year wedding anniversary apart and we lose out on her ticket

2) We both lose out on tickets and spend more money somewhere else for our special night.

 

I then found this forum...

 

I called back P & O and was very straight forward. I explained we simply don't have time left for a visa. I explained my displeasure with P & O at never once mentioning of the necessity of a visa or australian passport (and no mention in any terms or conditions) and that I'd heard of a "Transit Visa" was there anything that can be done?

 

I was told to please hold...The support staff came back after a few minutes and advised there was indeed a "Transit Visa" and we are fine with no visa in new caledonia if leaving within 24 hours. Hallelujah.

 

Based on the fact we have simply no choice we'll be rocking upto the port in Sydney and seeing how we go boarding. We have nothing to lose as there's no refund at this 11'th hour...

 

I hope that little anecdote may help someone else in the future. hours of perseverance can sometimes result in success i guess...

That's fine, just make sure your wife's re-entry visa to get back into Australia is up to date.

[Pushka]

That's fine, just make sure your wife's re-entry visa to get back into Australia is up to date.

 

It's amazing the number of people who don't realise this requirement.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Aus Traveller]

Wired00 - Good news. Have a great cruise and enjoy your anniversary. I suggest you mention to your cabin steward that it is your anniversary and he/she will put balloons on your door and a congratulatory notice. Mention it to your dining room steward and they will present you with a small cake and have a group of waiters sing to you. If you want to do both these things, maybe keep it as a surprise for your wife.

 

Have a great cruise. :)

[wired00]

Wired00 - Good news. Have a great cruise and enjoy your anniversary. I suggest you mention to your cabin steward that it is your anniversary and he/she will put balloons on your door and a congratulatory notice. Mention it to your dining room steward and they will present you with a small cake and have a group of waiters sing to you. If you want to do both these things, maybe keep it as a surprise for your wife.

 

Have a great cruise. :)

 

Cheers, yeah I already mentioned the special occasion to the lady when booking . see what happens :)

 

Regarding the return visa, thanks for mentioning. I'll get her to call IMMI but as far as I remember she is on a multi leave/entry visa. from their website:

 

"Resident Return visas allow permanent residents of Australia to re-enter Australia as often as they want during the validity of the visa. RRVs are valid for travel for up to five years or three months from the date of grant.

 

Permanent residents should obtain an RRV before leaving Australia to avoid travel delays and the need to obtain an RRV through an overseas office of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (the department).

 

Australian citizens are not eligible for an RRV."

 

but i'll look into it before we leave

[Aus Traveller]

Cheers, yeah I already mentioned the special occasion to the lady when booking . see what happens :)

I doubt very very much that any mention of a special occasion will be attached to your booking. I suggest you follow it through on the ship with a mention to your cabin steward and dining room waiter (probably the day before so they won't forget).

 

I'm sure you will make it a special occasion for your wife. :)

[wired00]

I doubt very very much that any mention of a special occasion will be attached to your booking. I suggest you follow it through on the ship with a mention to your cabin steward and dining room waiter (probably the day before so they won't forget).

 

I'm sure you will make it a special occasion for your wife. :)

 

Cheers I'll make sure I do that :)

[Karljohn]

Thats good news Wired.

 

P&O was hopeless when i asked them about the transit visa. I called them 3x about this and i got the same reply-that i need to contact the French Embassy! They wont even give me their main office's email address!

 

I cancelled our trip (we havent paid any deposit yet) and decided to cruise April next year. My wife will have an Aussie passport then. I am not going on a P&O cruise anymore. Never.

 

A week later, i received a reply from New Caledonia tourism office in Noumea and they confirmed that a visa is not necessary.

[DT1304]

From my personal point of view, and based on the time lines I have seen from various people on various forums, it looks like I will in fact have obtained my Aussie passport by the time I leave, so all will be good.