Chinese Visitor Visa

[bjb1957]

Has anyone been on a Celebrity (or any other) cruise that visits China? I know the new transit visa has been extended to include Shanghai port and I don't want to go through the hassle of getting a Chinese visa if I don't need one. The new visa started January 2016. Anyone?

[cruisingtheword]

This is discussed a lot on the Asia ports of call cc boards. From what I can tell, if your cruise involves arriving in a Chinese port from one country and departing that Chinese port to continue on to a 3rd country, you are not required to purchase a visa for China ahead of time if your stay is less than 72 hours. However, in the case of the cruise we are going on (Celebrity Millennium in October 2016), we will arrive in Shanghai after being at one port in Japan and will go to a different port in Japan after Shanghai, so we will need a visa (fortunately we already have our Chinese visas as we were in China on a trip in 2015). We learned then that a 10 year multiple entry visa for China costs the same as a one-time Chinese visa so we are prepared. Also, from what I've read, a visa is required even if you do not get off the ship.

[sandyss]

If you are on the September 18th cruise, you "should not" need a Chinese Visa if you are leaving for a 3rd country from Shanghai within 6 days, since the prior port is in South Korea. BUT, if Celebrity requires a visa before they allow us to board the Millennium, we will not have a choice. We will need to get a Chinese Visa ahead.

 

I have been in contact with the Captain's Club about this issue since March 1. The first representative that I talked with did not get back to me and did not return my follow-up phone calls. I then talked with a great rep, Jenna, who is working on this issue for us. She calls me back daily with a progress report. Hopefully, Celebrity will change their policy and allow us to take advantage of the new 144 Hour Visa-Free Transit.

 

It has been reported on the Princess Board, that Princess has notified their passengers of this new policy, which went into effect on January 30.

 

The url for this new policy from the Shanghai Immigration website is:

 

http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40&id=4421

[az_tchr]

Sandy - The rule is simple - Celebrity has posted that there is no 144 hour Visa. They cite the Embassy website that has not been updated in 14 months. The Embassy website is outdated and you are correct. Hope you get it fixed. It is confusing since several Celebrity cruises go to China from Japan and return to Japan and thus the 144 hour exemption does not apply.

[sandyss]

Sandy - The rule is simple - Celebrity has posted that there is no 144 hour Visa. They cite the Embassy website that has not been updated in 14 months. The Embassy website is outdated and you are correct. Hope you get it fixed. It is confusing since several Celebrity cruises go to China from Japan and return to Japan and thus the 144 hour exemption does not apply.

 

I tried sending an email to the Chinese Embassy in DC. It didn't go through - "mailbox full". I then tried calling them. They do not answer the phone.

 

I did send an email to the Chinese Visa Office in San Francisco, and got the following reply.:

"According to your link, if you are holding the passport from the listed 51 countries, you are eligible for the transit visa exemption. For official confirmation, please check with the Shanghai General Station of Immigration or your travel agent."

 

I did pass this email to Jenna. I also sent her a link to the phone numbers of the Shanghai General Station of Immigration, suggesting that Celebrity have a Mandarin-speaking employee contact the Immigration people in Shanghai.

[bjb1957]

I have also tried contacting the Chinese Consulate in Toronto. No luck there. I also spoke to a company that sells visa and they said that they would ask at the Consulate the next time they took passports in for processing. This is done on a weekely basis...on a Friday. When I called the visa person back she wasn't avialable, it seems like they have offices in Toronto, Montreal and perhaps other places in Canada. Each person I spoke to said they would follow up but of course they are in the visa business so I didn't hold my breath. I am hoping that Celebrity will come to notice the new visa rule and post that if we are in transit (I fly to Canada from Shanghai on the same day we arrive in port) that we don't need the visa. I visited China for a month in 2013 and it was a big headache getting the 30 day visitor visa that was required (at the same $100 price) that we need now. This reminds me of a Princess cruise that we took that stated that we needed a yellow fever vaccination since we were going to Devil's Island. We got the shot at a great expense and of course a risk of side effects and then Princess back tracked and said we didn't need it. Fingers crossed for a positive decision from Celebrity.

[loeb]

When we had questions last year about a visa for China when visiting Shanghai for one day, the only port in China we visited (the port before Shanghai was Nagasaki and the port after Okinawa) I contacted the Documentation Officer on the Millennium. He provided an answer and a copy of an email from the port agent in Shanghai. You might see if you can contact the Documentation Officer on the ship you are sailing on.

 

I contacted the local China embassy, but they provided the standard answer (which was not correct in our situation). It appears that the Port Agent in Shanghai is the one that interrupts the regulations and can answer the question about needing a visa.

 

We ended up getting a China Visa since it's now good for 10 years for US citizens and we might visit China again.

 

Hope this helps.

[NantahalaCruiser]

When we had questions last year about a visa for China when visiting Shanghai for one day, the only port in China we visited (the port before Shanghai was Nagasaki and the port after Okinawa) I contacted the Documentation Officer on the Millennium. He provided an answer and a copy of an email from the port agent in Shanghai. You might see if you can contact the Documentation Officer on the ship you are sailing on.

 

I contacted the local China embassy, but they provided the standard answer (which was not correct in our situation). It appears that the Port Agent in Shanghai is the one that interrupts the regulations and can answer the question about needing a visa.

 

We ended up getting a China Visa since it's now good for 10 years for US citizens and we might visit China again.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Yes, we have the same itinerary this October and will not be able to take advantage of the 144 hour transit visa because of the 3rd country constraint.

 

I saw an article by a Chinese travel agent that also used a similar example of flying from the US to China and then onto Guam - since Guam is a US territory the 3rd country rule would not allow the use of the transit visa.

 

Larry

[sandyss]

When we had questions last year about a visa for China when visiting Shanghai for one day, the only port in China we visited (the port before Shanghai was Nagasaki and the port after Okinawa) I contacted the Documentation Officer on the Millennium. He provided an answer and a copy of an email from the port agent in Shanghai. You might see if you can contact the Documentation Officer on the ship you are sailing on.

/QUOTE]

 

Hi loeb.

 

Thanks for the information. How did you contact the Documentation Officer on the Millennium? Do you have any contact information for him/her?

 

Thanks.

[loeb]

Sandy

 

I'm not sure if I'm suppose to or allowed to provide the contact information on the forum. Please email me ryano5301 at gmail dot com

 

As an alternative, you might contact either someone at the Captain's Club or the Celebrity General number to get the email address of the documentation officer.

[loeb]

Yes, we have the same itinerary this October and will not be able to take advantage of the 144 hour transit visa because of the 3rd country constraint.

 

I saw an article by a Chinese travel agent that also used a similar example of flying from the US to China and then onto Guam - since Guam is a US territory the 3rd country rule would not allow the use of the transit visa.

 

Larry

 

If you want to get off the ship and the transit exception doesn't apply then you will have to get a China Visa. Since your time is Shanghai is so short and if your not planning to visit China again, then getting the Visa is very expensive and can be a hassle to get. (if you want advice on getting the visa by going to a China Embassy, check Yelp. There are several good step by step instructions on getting the Visa from the Los Angeles Embassy, I assume that there are instructions for other locations). Also note that unlike St. Petersburg or Hainan Island, Celebrity or local tour operators cannot get you a visa exception if you are on an excursion. They will not let you off the ship without a China Visa.

 

Some on our cruise decided to stay on the ship in Shanghai and were not required to get a China Visa (this was the question I asked the Documentation Officer.) We had heard that they would not let you on the ship in Yokohama if you didn't have a China Visa which was not correct. When we boarded, they didn't ask or check if we had a China Visa.

[Celebrity Cruises]

Peoples Republic of China - The information below is only applicable to U.S. and Canadian citizens. All other guests should review the visa requirements for each country on their sailing itinerary with their Embassy/Consulate or a Visa service of their choice.

 

Guests from most countries, including US and Canadian citizens require a visa to enter China, unless noted otherwise below. Visa is required and must be obtained before leaving home.*

*U.S. and Canadian citizens do not require a visa for Sanya, Hong Kong or Taiwan. All other ports in China will require a Chinese visa.

 

Guests entering China via a seaport without a Chinese Visa must leave the country within 24 hours of entry from the first Chinese port. A seaport does not qualify for the 72 hour in transit allowance as this only applies to Airport entry.

 

Embassy website: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/

[sandyss]

Peoples Republic of China - The information below is only applicable to U.S. and Canadian citizens. All other guests should review the visa requirements for each country on their sailing itinerary with their Embassy/Consulate or a Visa service of their choice.

 

Guests from most countries, including US and Canadian citizens require a visa to enter China, unless noted otherwise below. Visa is required and must be obtained before leaving home.*

*U.S. and Canadian citizens do not require a visa for Sanya, Hong Kong or Taiwan. All other ports in China will require a Chinese visa.

 

Guests entering China via a seaport without a Chinese Visa must leave the country within 24 hours of entry from the first Chinese port. A seaport does not qualify for the 72 hour in transit allowance as this only applies to Airport entry.

 

Embassy website: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/

 

 

With all due respect, your information is outdated. There is a new 144-Hour Visa Free Transit Policy that applies to those of us on the September 18 cruise.

 

I received a confirmation of that information from the Millennium Documentation Officer today. He had contacted the Port Agent in Shanghai, who said that this Visa-Free Transit Policy would apply to our cruise, as long as we were in Shanghai and departed Shanghai for a 3rd country within the 144 Hour period.

 

Jenna at the Captain's Club is also working on this issue. Please get in contact with her.

[rubens]

Peoples Republic of China - The information below is only applicable to U.S. and Canadian citizens. All other guests should review the visa requirements for each country on their sailing itinerary with their Embassy/Consulate or a Visa service of their choice.

 

Guests from most countries, including US and Canadian citizens require a visa to enter China, unless noted otherwise below. Visa is required and must be obtained before leaving home.*

*U.S. and Canadian citizens do not require a visa for Sanya, Hong Kong or Taiwan. All other ports in China will require a Chinese visa.

 

Guests entering China via a seaport without a Chinese Visa must leave the country within 24 hours of entry from the first Chinese port. A seaport does not qualify for the 72 hour in transit allowance as this only applies to Airport entry.

 

Embassy website: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/

 

Dear Celebrity,

Please check this Chinese link an read carefully:

 

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-transit-144hour.htm

[sandyss]

The Official Announcement from the Shanghai Immigration Office is at: http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/listPageEn.aspx?lx=40&id=4421

[WNcruiser]

So would that apply if the cruise ENDS in Shanghai?? We are currently booked on the October 5, 2017 Tokyo-Shanghai.

 

The previous port is South Korea and we would be flying home directly from Shanghai. Luckily I have lots of time to figure this out!:)

[sandyss]

So would that apply if the cruise ENDS in Shanghai?? We are currently booked on the October 5, 2017 Tokyo-Shanghai.

 

The previous port is South Korea and we would be flying home directly from Shanghai. Luckily I have lots of time to figure this out!:)

 

My understanding is that it would apply to our cruise, September 18, and to yours. The prior port must be in a country other than China and after spending up to 144 hours in Shanghai, leave for a 3rd country. Our cruise also has the prior port stop in South Korea before continuing on to Shanghai. We will stay in Shanghai for 2 days before returning home to the USA.

 

The url that I cited indicates that we meet all of the criteria.

 

Now, we have to make sure that Celebrity is on board (pun intended) with this new policy, and doesn't insist that we have visas in our passports before allowing us to board in Yokohama.

[marylander2]

We spent about an hour and a half on the phone with our travel agent and Celebrity rep - the issue is cleared, TWOV new extension for 144 hours does apply to Shanghai cruise terminal pax who are coming from another port (not in China) and disembarking in Shanghai, leaving within 144 h window to the third territory.

 

We are on Millie sailing from Sep 18 to 29 TYO-SHA, coming from Busan (S. Korea), staying in Shanghai for 3 days and leaving China to Singapore. No visa required - confirmed by both travel agent and Celebrity.

 

I am actually surprised that they did not send the explanation around. I guess this is to avoid miscommunication. Many folks would ASSUME that they are good to go using transit without visa (TWOV) rule, while they still would need it...

[sandyss]

We spent about an hour and a half on the phone with our travel agent and Celebrity rep - the issue is cleared, TWOV new extension for 144 hours does apply to Shanghai cruise terminal pax who are coming from another port (not in China) and disembarking in Shanghai, leaving within 144 h window to the third territory.

 

We are on Millie sailing from Sep 18 to 29 TYO-SHA, coming from Busan (S. Korea), staying in Shanghai for 3 days and leaving China to Singapore. No visa required - confirmed by both travel agent and Celebrity.

 

I am actually surprised that they did not send the explanation around. I guess this is to avoid miscommunication. Many folks would ASSUME that they are good to go using transit without visa (TWOV) rule, while they still would need it...

Celebrity "should" send this information to all of the passengers on our cruise, but seems reluctant to do so. Since this cruise ends in Shanghai, and the prior port is in South Korea, most passengers on our cruise who are flying home from Shanghai should qualify for the TWOV. Those of us on Cruise Critic have been sharing this information for months, but there may be lots of unhappy passengers who are unaware of this new policy, and purchase unnecessary Visas. Celebrity's Website still refers people to Visa Central, and that website still says that a Visa for China is required.

 

It should be easy for Celebrity to send a copy of this 144 Hour TWOV to all passengers, listing the various requirements in order to satisfy the TWOV. If passengers have questions, they could call Celebrity.