I'm going to book a cruise Shanghai (to Brisbane) and will spend just two days there before ship departs, read if less than 3 days I don't need a Visa is that correct?.
China Visa short stop
Foxtail on 07/12/2018 - 16:24
Comments
Yes, under these circumstances and entitled of getting 144 hr visa
http://www.china-briefing.com/news/transit-visa-exemptions-c…foreign travelers are only eligible when traveling through China between two different countries
If OP is going from Aus -> China -> Aus, doesn't seem to meet the "through China between two different countries" requirement. Which port after leaving Shanghai does the cruise ship call at first?
if going from aus - china - aus only then highanddry sounds right as not travelling through China and can't be exempt.
Simple solution, don't book a direct flight. Transit through Singapore or somewhere like that. Do read up on the requirements, different cities may have different rules. Also check the itinerary, are there any other Chinese stops? For example, if it starts in Shanghai and then goes to Beijing…you (probably) need a visa.
Edit: Quick edit before someone responds, locking me out. What matters is that you enter and leave from the same Chinese city (sometimes it's an area of multiple cities, different cities have different rules), and that you arrive from a different country than you depart for.
So, if the first stop on your cruise is Singapore, then do NOT transit through Singapore on the way! They don't care about where your trip starts or ends, they care about the very last place you were before you entered China, and the very next place you're going to (doesn't matter if you get off the ship, it matters that it's a port stop and you could get off).
It doesn't sound like you're eligible for a transit visa
No