Question

Asked by Jillean Easton from australia | Oct. 08, 2019 17:34

About:240-Hour Visa-Free Transit

144 Hour Visa Free or 24 Hour Visa Free

Just wondering if you could help and steer me in the right direction. Cruise line states: A Chinese visa is not required for most guests if participating on an organized shore excursion in Shanghai. Guests who wish to sightsee on their own outside of a shore excursion must obtain a single-entry Chinese visa prior to the voyage. Guests participating in independent shore excursions should contact their tour operator to see if a visa may be obtained on their behalf. Guests who wish to stay aboard in Shanghai will not require a visa.
We will be a group of 14 (mostly Australian, 1 Canadian) travelling on a cruise from Brisbane. We arrive in Hong Kong at 7:00 14/07/2020 and depart 23:00 the same day. We then arrive in Shanghai at 7:00 on the 17/07/2020 and depart 23:00 the same day, then arrive in Busan, South Korea at 7:00 on the 19/7/2020.

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Answers (2)

Answered by Jillean Easton | Oct. 10, 2019 18:45

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Thank you for your reply and clarification. My apologies with the confusion, but was just trying to state what the cruise line has advised us on our visa obligations for Shanghai.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Oct. 10, 2019 15:52

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Jillean, I could not properly understand your question because you have mentioned here two different things. The first thing are short shore cruises in Shanghai area. The second thing is your cruise route.

As far as your second question is concerned, I can confirm that you and your entire group are definitely eligible for 24 hour visa free transit in Shanghai area. The reasons for that is your itinerary:

Hong Kong - Shanghai - Busan

That is perfectly eligible and your total transit time in Shanghai that will be less than 24 hours. In reality, Australians and Canadians would be eligible even for 144 hour visa free transit in case of your stop in Shanghai longer than 24 hours.

So, I can conclude that the first thing has confused you and I can just tell you that those short shore excursions have nothing to do with your general eligibility as far as your core route is concerned because your cruise does not belong among that group of shore cruises. It is quite different thing if you intend to take those short shore cruises. Then some other rules, as stated above in your post, apply.

I can see one other detail that you were wrongly informed. It is written that if you stay aboard, that you do not need a visa. In reality, you will apply, upon your arrival in Shanghai just for temporary entry permit and you will be allowed to explore the city absolutely visa free. It appears that cruise companies have lately lost their compasses and have started to offer quite the contradictory information and suggestions.

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