Question

Asked by Helen from australia | Jul. 26, 2019 17:28

About:24-Hour Visa-Free Transit

China tourist visa for cruise ship stopover

Hi, I hope you can help me. I am booked on a MSC cruise in March, from Dubai to Japan stopping at 14 ports of call on the way including China. We dock at Nansha port from 7am to 4pm then next port is Hong Kong, then Keelung Taiwan.Do I need a tourist visa if I leave the ship to visit that area, or if I stay on the ship. I am an Australian citizen and live in Tasmania. Many thanks

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Answers (2)

Answered by Helen | Jul. 28, 2019 20:21

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Hi Zupan
Thank you so much for your reply, I very much appreciate it and what's more, fully understand every part of your answer! As I live in Tasmania I will have to fly to Melbourne to obtain a visa so will wait till January, so fingers crossed as you have mentioned by then I might not need one. Thanks once again

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Answered by ZUPAN | Jul. 27, 2019 03:45

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Helen, the only port that should be considered within your itinerary is Nansha port that is located within mainland China. All other ports are visa free for Australian citizens or you can obtain a visa on arrival like in UAE and Sri Lanka. The rules for visa free transit for Guangdong province, where Nansha is, are very clear and there is not a single option that could make you eligible for 24 hour visa free transit. To be eligible for such a visa free transit the requirement is to arrive by plane. Since you are arriving by boat, you are not eligible and you will need a Chinese visa obtained in advance to perform your visit to Nansha/Guangzhou area.

Anyway, since a new, state-of-the-art cruise terminal, definitely the most modern in China and one of the most advanced in the world is in the latest stages of construction, with the planned opening in November of this year, many relevant entities are agitating for visa free transit implementation as is the current status of the cruise terminals in Tianjin, Shanghai and Xiamen. So, wait for a while because there are huge chances that the actual visa free transit rules for Guangdong province will be amended and that you will enjoy your stay in Nansha/Guangzhou visa free.

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