PEK and PVG/ SHA transits under 72 hours no Visa required

[markis10]

Actually this has been the rule at PVG for quite awhile now. PEK is the latest city in PRC where this is permitted.

Not quite, it went from 48 hours to 72 on the 1st.

http://travel.cnn.com/Shanghai-joins-Beijing-visa-free-travel-864436

 

[reductionist]

Yeah, transit without visa has been possible at PVG for a while, it's just the 72hrs bit that is new.

My original point still stands though. IME not all of the immigration staff there know/understand the rules.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Yeah, transit without visa has been possible at PVG for a while, it's just the 72hrs bit that is new.

My original point still stands though. IME not all of the immigration staff there know/understand the rules.

I heard of a family that were flying into PVG transiting for 24 hours before departing on a cruise & despite checking 3 times with the Chinese Consul in Australia that flying into PVG then departing on a cruise ship within 24 hours was okay, they were almost denied entry into China which would have meant being put back on the a/c they arrived on for the return journey.

They ended up getting issued with some kind of temporary visa on arrival.

For the record I wouldn't even consider transiting China without a visa just in case. There's just too much red tape should the flight go u/s .

 

[tuapekastar]

I heard of a family that were flying into PVG transiting for 24 hours before departing on a cruise & despite checking 3 times with the Chinese Consul in Australia that flying into PVG then departing on a cruise ship within 24 hours was okay, they were almost denied entry into China which would have meant being put back on the a/c they arrived on for the return journey.

They ended up getting issued with some kind of temporary visa on arrival.

For the record I wouldn't even consider transiting China without a visa just in case. There's just too much red tape should the flight go u/s .

When this change was first reported a few months ago I was happy for my Mum who is sailing HKG-PVG-CNS-SYD on the Queen Mary in Feb this year, but then realised it seems to be specifically for airports.

She will be getting a visa, PITA that it is!

 

[reductionist]

For the record I wouldn't even consider transiting China without a visa just in case. There's just too much red tape should the flight go u/s .

I actually agree with this and even went to the trouble of getting a double entry visa for my last visit where both stays were under 48hrs.

 

[I hate Alan]

72 hr visa free stay in Shanghai and Bejing

Anybody know more about this? just wondering whats a "third country visa" ? i need to go there for 3 nights (70 hrs) trying to avoid the BS of getting a Visa as i have NZ next week and the US two weeks later.

"As of January 1, 2013, Beijing and Shanghai
will start a 72-hour visa-free stay policy for citizens of 45countries if the
tourists are holding third country visas and relevant air tickets. They can
apply for a transit without visa(TWOV) in Beijing(at Beijing
Capital International Airport)and Shanghai(at Shanghai Hongqiao International
Airport or Pudong International Airport).These countries are as
follows:

Austria; The Republic of Malta; Ukraine;
Belgium; The Netherlands; The United States of America; The Czech Republic;
Poland; Canada; Denmark; Portugal; Brazil; Estonia; The Republic of Slovakia;
Mexico; Finland; The Republic of Slovenia; Argentina; France; Spain;
Chile; Germany; Sweden; Australia; Greece; Switzerland; New
Zealand; Hungary; Russia; The Republic of Korea; Iceland; The UK; Japan; Italy;
The Republic of Ireland; Singapore; Latvia; Cyprus; Brunei; The Republic of
Lithuania; Bulgaria; The United Arab Emirates; Luxembourg; Romania;
Qatar.

For more information on the 72-hour visa free
for transit in Beijing and Shanghai, please visit the official website:
www.mps.gov.cn
Or, please call the border check unit in Beijing at 86-10-56095400, and the
border check unit in Shanghai at 86-21-51105100."




The 72-hour visa free for transit in Beijing and Shanghai-Visa Instruction

 

[trooper]

Re: 72 hr visa free stay in Shanghai and Bejing

It is a transit concession... so you must be flying out to a third country... not back to point of origin....

Thats my understanding anyway...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: 72 hr visa free stay in Shanghai and Bejing

Thanks for posting. This sounds like good news for my old mum, who is taking a cruise HKG-PVG-CNS-SYD (or something approximating that) with 2 days in PVG, in February.

as you later state - the TWOV only applies to air travel.

however - I know some cruise ships organise special visas (a group thing) for passengers who touch China during their travel. Is that an option available for your mother's cruise?

No need to check in with police if staying in hotel.

correct. The hotel completes the registration process for you. Even if staying privately, there is only the requirement to register with police within 24 hours. So if anyone was on a two day one night transit there probably isn't the need to register.

They ended up getting issued with some kind of temporary visa on arrival.

For the record I wouldn't even consider transiting China without a visa just in case. There's just too much red tape should the flight go u/s .

while the TWOV is 72 hours, allowances are made in the event you become sick or if your flight is delayed. No need to worry about red tape. Chinese immigration is fast, efficient and entirely practical and sensible.

It is a transit concession... so you must be flying out to a third country... not back to point of origin....

Thats my understanding anyway...

Correct - you must transit to a third country. (for the avoidance of doubt, Hong Kong and Macau are considered third countries.)

 

[moa999]

Re: 72 hr visa free stay in Shanghai and Bejing

Interestingly checking some random dates SYD-PVG-HKG-SYD with QF/MU is only $50 more than SYD-PVG-SYD with QF all the way.
But generally these fares will be more.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

Wonder if there are any good status runs from PEK or PVG? I know JAL and CX fly from PEK at least so this might be worth investigating. And I've flown CX from PVG so there must be something worth looking at.

i have never seen anything close to a worthwhile MR from China. KA/CX fares a very high, and the cheaper ones that you can sometimes get for like a weekend away in HKG or BKK are often non mileage earning for QF.

JL fares ex Shanghai (for example) to Japan are extraordinarily high for the length of the flight. I haven't seen anything under about AUD650-700+ return for the route. MU is generally the cheapest at around AUD350.

Ex ICN/TPE or MNL are all good for MRs and no visa requirements.

 

[I hate Alan]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

I can certainly recommend PVG... Just a ride on the maglev makes the trip worth it IMHO... (A 433 km/h train... nuff said...)
Plus I still think the bund sightseeing tunnel is about the strangest / most coolest thing I have ever seen...




My Chinese visa was only one page (inc stamps), but it was a full page sticker...
The most annoying part of the process was being without my passport for a few days whilst they processed things...

PP real estate and time are both issues for me, as I have less than a week in Aust before each trip (NZ this week, US next then China) my only option is an express visa which cost $300!!!!

So at this stage my fligth is SYD to PVG (pudong?)QF direct less than 72 hrs in shanghai (arrive Mon night, leave Thurs midday) on a fligth back to SYD transiting through HKG (2 hrs) with that eticket in hand can I avoid a visa?

 

[markis10]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

PP real estate and time are both issues for me, as I have less than a week in Aust before each trip (NZ this week, US next then China) my only option is an express visa which cost $300!!!!

So at this stage my fligth is SYD to PVG (pudong?)QF direct less than 72 hrs in shanghai (arrive Mon night, leave Thurs midday) on a fligth back to SYD transiting through HKG (2 hrs) with that eticket in hand can I avoid a visa?

No, it needs to be a third country that you are going to, a SAR is not in that definition, you won't be allowed to board.

 

[I hate Alan]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

No, it needs to be a third country that you are going to, a SAR is not in that definition, you won't be allowed to board.

Thanks again Markis. Lucky me I get to go to the visa shop twice next week!

 

[markis10]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

Have you looked at options of getting the visa while travelling before the trip, it may well be possible to do an overnight application overseas?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

No, it needs to be a third country that you are going to, a SAR is not in that definition, you won't be allowed to board.

if you see my earlier post - Hong Kong and macau are considered third countries. (however I'm just wondering if the transit rather than stop in HKG makes a difference)

a routing SFO-NRT-PVG-SFO is perfectly legal for TVOW for example. As would be HKG-PVG-ICN.

 

[markis10]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

if you see my earlier post - Hong Kong and macau are considered third countries. (however I'm just wondering if the transit rather than stop in HKG makes a difference)

a routing SFO-NRT-PVG-SFO is perfectly legal for TVOW for example. As would be HKG-PVG-ICN.

I had heard of issues on arrival for that sort of trip, in the case of the transit at HKG, if its a round trip ticket it does not qualify as this is made very clear, stopover would be different I expect.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

I had heard of issues on arrival for that sort of trip, in the case of the transit at HKG, if its a round trip ticket it does not qualify as this is made very clear, stopover would be different I expect.

Indeed... SYD-HKG-PVG-HKG-SYD is NOT eligible for TWOV but SYD-PVG-HKG-SYD IS eligible for TWOV.

the 2nd tickets avoids the HKG-PVG-HKG 'round-trip' sectors which are not allowed.

 

[Foreigner]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

Am considering trip from SYD to Europe via PEK with overnight stay. On return, via USA, transit in PEK. Hope these will fall within the rules.

 

[Limewood]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

While in Hong Kong thinking of going to Canton Fair for the day do I need a visa for Guangzhou?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: 72hr visa-free transit in Beijing and Shanghai from 1/1/2013

Am considering trip from SYD to Europe via PEK with overnight stay. On return, via USA, transit in PEK. Hope these will fall within the rules.

provided you have an eligible passport (Australian is included) then those are valid for TWOV. you need to have an onward flight to a third country.