144-hour rule AGAIN!

[JackPipe]

So, I have been reading a lot about the Shanghai 144-hour TWOV rule on this forum but never seemed to get a solid answer from those that actually experienced it first hand.  After reading posts with situations similar to mine, I just don't know if it all worked out.    Note that it's Dec 12 and my trip is on Dec 21 so I think it's too late to get a 10-year visa at this point.  

 

So here goes...

 

My itinerary: 

- USA flight to Shanghai on Dec 21, 2018 with a stop over in Hong Kong.  At the Shanghai airport I pick up a 144-hour TWOV.

- Stay in Shanghai 3 nights.

- Then on Dec 24, a 5 night cruise from Shanghai with two stops are in Japan.

- Then return to Shanghai by cruise ship on Dec 29.

- The fly back to USA on Dec 29 with a 4-day stop over in Hong Kong.  

 

Does the 144 hour exemption work under these circumstances?

 

The total time is 8 nights which is way more than the 144-hour Visa covers, however 5 of those nights are spent on a cruise ship.  Is the cruise ship considered a closed loop and therefore counted as part of the 144-hour visa or is the 144-hour visa only counted for those hours that I am actually in the Shanghai?    

 

If no one has direct experience with this, who would be the best one to call, the airline, the Chinese embassy? 

[Flatbush Flyer]

18 minutes ago, JackPipe said:

So, I have been reading a lot about the Shanghai 144-hour TWOV rule on this forum but never seemed to get a solid answer from those that actually experienced it first hand.  After reading posts with situations similar to mine, I just don't know if it all worked out.    Note that it's Dec 12 and my trip is on Dec 21 so I think it's too late to get a 10-year visa at this point.  

 

So here goes...

 

My itinerary: 

- USA flight to Shanghai on Dec 21, 2018 with a stop over in Hong Kong.  At the Shanghai airport I pick up a 144-hour TWOV.

- Stay in Shanghai 3 nights.

- Then on Dec 24, a 5 night cruise from Shanghai with two stops are in Japan.

- Then return to Shanghai by cruise ship on Dec 29.

- The fly back to USA on Dec 29 with a 4-day stop over in Hong Kong.  

 

Does the 144 hour exemption work under these circumstances?

 

The total time is 8 nights which is way more than the 144-hour Visa covers, however 5 of those nights are spent on a cruise ship.  Is the cruise ship considered a closed loop and therefore counted as part of the 144-hour visa or is the 144-hour visa only counted for those hours that I am actually in the Shanghai?    

 

If no one has direct experience with this, who would be the best one to call, the airline, the Chinese embassy? 

If you've got a large Chinese consulate in your city, you may be able to get a regular visa in a day or two. 

That said, the 144 TWOV is generally meant for the specific city in an uninterrupted visit. Leaving/returning to Shanghai doesn't meet that test.

www.forbes.com/sites/johnnyjet/2018/03/01/transit-china-without-a-visa-twov/amp/

[champagne123]

......

 

Edited December 11, 2018 by champagne123

[Philob]

Chinese visas generally take 3-4 working days to process.  The closest to Boston is the consulate in New York City.  Check their website as they may have a rush service.  You'll have to take two trips, one to drop off and one to pick up as they don't accept mail-ins.

[SRF]

You would need two different 144-hour visas.

 

Also, where is your flight from Shanghai?  Direct to US or via Japan?

 

To qualify for the 144-hour deal, you have to come from country A, to China, and depart China to country B.  If you go A to China to A, you do not qualify.

 

But I do have to ask, why did you wait so late to do this???????

[JackPipe]

USA to Hong Kong (layover)

then to Shanghai (3 nights)

then cruise to Japan (5 nights)

then Shanghai to Hong Kong (3 nights)

then Hong Kong to USA

 

Some posters suggest that my Shanghai itinerary qualifies for a single 144-hour TWOV since the cruise is not counted as part of the 144 hour time period.  Others do not.  I spent one hour on the phone trying to get the China Consulate to answer but the queue was too long.  I’m also going to call the airline to see if they can answer this.  

 

This was a last minute trip booked on the phone with Royal Caribbean.  They assured me I could use a TWOV but never got into the details.  

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

20 minutes ago, JackPipe said:

USA to Hong Kong (layover)

then to Shanghai (3 nights)

then cruise to Japan (5 nights)

then Shanghai to Hong Kong (3 nights)

then Hong Kong to USA

 

Some posters suggest that my Shanghai itinerary qualifies for a single 144-hour TWOV since the cruise is not counted as part of the 144 hour time period.  Others do not.  I spent one hour on the phone trying to get the China Consulate to answer but the queue was too long.  I’m also going to call the airline to see if they can answer this.  

 

This was a last minute trip booked on the phone with Royal Caribbean.  They assured me I could use a TWOV but never got into the details.  

 

 

Did you read the Forbes article?  It says exactly what you'll hear at the consulate.

It's a "transit" visa. It allows you to spend X hours in Shanghai in one continuous period. The minute you leave Shanghai on the way to another country (by plane, ship, on foot or in a flying saucer), the visa is done.

You might be able to get a second transit visa for your return (Japan to US with transit visa for Hong Kong on arrival there). 

Don't know if there are restrictions on multiple transit visas. But, other than a regular multi-entry Chinese visa, which is what you should have gotten, I see no other way other than one transit visa for each direction.

AND, the last thing you want to do is to try to explain to PRC authorities that some phone rep in the middle of a USA cornfield told you that your breaking their law is OK. 

[SRF]

Also, if one visa sufficed for the entire time, you could not get one, as you are going Hong Kong to China to Hong Kong.

 

If you get two, you are going Hong Kong to China to Japan on one.  Then Japan to China to Hong Kong on the second one.

[Betty in Cozumel]

10 hours ago, SRF said:

Also, if one visa sufficed for the entire time, you could not get one, as you are going Hong Kong to China to Hong Kong.

 

If you get two, you are going Hong Kong to China to Japan on one.  Then Japan to China to Hong Kong on the second one.

 

My understanding is that SRF has got it correct.

[Miaminice]

1) the 144 hr visa exemption applies in both cases - at the beginning and at the end of your cruise.
In both cases you travel from country A  to Shanghai (B) and leave to country C (Japan/Hong Kong).
Since you are leaving Shanghai to Japan, returning to Shanghai is considered a second immigration (starting the 144 hours again). Hong Kong is considered a different country in terms of the visa regulation.

2) calling it a visa makes it confusing for some. It is not a visa (nor is it a visa on arrival), it is a visa excemption regulation or transit rule. 
All you get after presenting the necessary documents (like flight tickets or cruise itinerary/confirmation) is a transit sticker in your passport. It is not to be confused with the "real" china visa.

See more details here: 

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Miaminice

[PCWalton1]

As stated it is not a visa, it is a visa free transit. You should be able to travel visa free as me meeting the criteria each time you are there. 

 

 

[Roo]

As of today or a few days ago, China has changed the rules/form for a Visa for their country.  I am wondering if this is only happening for Canadians?!  Please let me know if you are just now applying (as recently as a week ago, it was the 'old' form?!) and which country you are in.

 

The form is now more cumbersome and they now want fingerprints.  Also, we have to present ourselves at the official centre (thankfully we live in Toronto, one of the only 5 centres in Canada they have just announced).  What do people do in small centres?

 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Nancy

 

 

[Betty in Cozumel]

4 hours ago, Roo said:

As of today or a few days ago, China has changed the rules/form for a Visa for their country.  I am wondering if this is only happening for Canadians?!  Please let me know if you are just now applying (as recently as a week ago, it was the 'old' form?!) and which country you are in.

 

The form is now more cumbersome and they now want fingerprints.  Also, we have to present ourselves at the official centre (thankfully we live in Toronto, one of the only 5 centres in Canada they have just announced).  What do people do in small centres?

 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Nancy

 

 

 

Changes were effective November 27th.