China Visa & Shanghai Airport to Terminal

[Purples]

We are looking at a cruise from Shanghai - would have two days before and leave the same day at the end - going to Japan - the visa info is very confusing and wonder if we (NZ) need a visa or would be eligible for the visa free?

Also what would be the best way to get from the Airport to the cruise terminal - haven't looked at hotels yet!

Thanks in advance

 

 

[The_Big_M]

I'm not sure if NZ has the 7 day transit without visa waiver? If so, it depends on your travel arrangements, including the cruise. You can't visit other Chinese cities, and also need to be in an international city straight before and straight after the visits to Shanghai i.e. literally transit.

 

You said you were planning two days before, so wouldn't be going straight from airport to cruise terminal?

[MicCanberra]

Check out what the government advises for travel at - https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/

[Aussie FF]

You will need a multiple entry Visa, because you are going out and coming back.

The 144 hour Visa Exemption doesn't apply in this case.

We got ours last week.

We have done the 144 hour Visa exemption when we cruised from Shanghai to Sydney.

The down side was the hour wait to get through the process at the airport.:(

 

[Purples]

Thankyou - appreciate your replies

[Aus Traveller]

I am not sure that you would need to get a tourist visa. The 144 visa exemption applies if you arrive in Shanghai (airport or cruise terminal) and stay within the Shanghai area. A Chinese visa is fairly expensive and a bother to get. Check further to see whether you need one. Please don't take my word for it. 😊

[cheznandy]

21 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am not sure that you would need to get a tourist visa. The 144 visa exemption applies if you arrive in Shanghai (airport or cruise terminal) and stay within the Shanghai area. A Chinese visa is fairly expensive and a bother to get. Check further to see whether you need one. Please don't take my word for it. 😊

Yes, I believe the China 144 hours Visa Waiver can be used no matter how many times you go in and out as long as the criteria is met.

So if the OP's last stop on the cruise was say Japan, then Shanghai disembark, then fly to Australia it meets the criteria??

If the OP's last port of call was Beijing then that type of Visa waiver cannot be applied.

As long as countries a, b and c are different and all other criteria is met.

Travel agents and Airlines will not give advice regarding Visas, most will tell you to buy a Visa to cover themselves.

 

A good easy to understand site

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/visa-application/144-hour-visa-free.htm

Edited July 12, 2019 by cheznandy

[brett_and_ciel]

We literally just did this last week!

Be prepared to feel panicked and interrogated, and there will likely be a language barrier ... BUT it is all fine really!  People do this all the time - Immigration are used to cruisers, however the airlines were more cautious which took some time.

 

We sailed Spectrum of the Seas [Shanghai > Japan > Shanghai], and are from Sydney. We had a 24-hour transit visa on the way in, and the 72/144-hour on the way out. Souls like you  should be eligible for the transit visas at each end too.

 

Here is our experience and advice - hope it helps but everyone's experience is different, and we're not experts or official advisers obviously!

 

GETTING THERE...

• When you get to the (NZ) airport and check-in - let the airline know your plans and they can put a note on your passport record. They may be cool, or they may be confused/unexperienced!
• When you arrive in Shanghai, go to the 'Transit' area [its right at the far end] ... and basically do as your told [fill in a specific arrival document, line up, scan fingerprints, answer questions, show all your confirmation docs, etc] - you will be processed individually.
• Make a note of where in your passport the visa is - because your hotel will need to see it, and so will the cruise when you check-in

 

COMING HOME...

• When you get off the ship at the end of your fabulous cruise, follow the directions to the 'Foreigners' line and through immigration
• I'm not 100% sure as we didn't fly the same day - but I imagine you'll get a 24-hour transit visa which will let you out of the port into Shanghai [and to the airport] - again, note where your visa stamp / sticker is!
• The cruise offers transfer buses from the ship to airport [ours had a city-tour + airport or hotel drop off], or there are taxi's galore

 

GENERAL TIPS...

• Make sure you have multiple copies of your passport and your official itineraries/confirmation for the cruise and all flights [at least 3 copies of each per person]. Also print off any resources about the transit-visa's as reference.
• I would also have addresses of everywhere you're going in English and Chinese, as taxi-drivers don't speak much English. Hotel concierge can help. We sailed from "Baoshan" - but it's most often called Wusongkou Cruise International Terminal (上海吴淞口国际邮轮港) 
• Travel with CASH - in Shanghai, taxi's only take cash, and nowhere seems to offer credit card facilities except the hotel and some larger stores - it's cash or the locals use QR-codes / mobile-payments!
• Enjoy your holiday! It will be frenetic and loud and chaos, but that's the fun!

[MicCanberra]

great info.