CN country scene

Visa-Free Cruise Tourist Group

ChinaShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

A foreign tourist group of at least two, organised and received by a China-registered travel agency, may enter visa-free by cruise ship at the 13 listed cruise-port cities.

See recorded sources
  • II regional mechanism
    II. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling by Cruise Ships. Any foreign tourist group consisting of two or more individuals, which is organized and received by a travel agency registered in China, may enter China without a visa by a cruise ship via one of the cruise ports in the following 13 cities: Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Dalian (Liaoning Province), Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), Haikou (Hainan Province), Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province), Qingdao (Shandong Province), Sanya (Hainan Province), Shanghai, Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Tianjin, Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province) and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province). All eligible foreign tourist groups shall continue their journey to the following scheduled ports and depart China with the same cruise ship as scheduled. The tourists concerned may stay in the Beijing and 11 coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government (namely Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang) for a maximum of 15 days.

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

This route covers an organised cruise tourist journey, with the group continuing to the scheduled Chinese ports and departing on the same cruise ship.

See recorded sources
  • II regional mechanism
    II. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling by Cruise Ships. Any foreign tourist group consisting of two or more individuals, which is organized and received by a travel agency registered in China, may enter China without a visa by a cruise ship via one of the cruise ports in the following 13 cities: Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Dalian (Liaoning Province), Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), Haikou (Hainan Province), Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province), Qingdao (Shandong Province), Sanya (Hainan Province), Shanghai, Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Tianjin, Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province) and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province). All eligible foreign tourist groups shall continue their journey to the following scheduled ports and depart China with the same cruise ship as scheduled. The tourists concerned may stay in the Beijing and 11 coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government (namely Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang) for a maximum of 15 days.

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

The stay is up to 15 days in Beijing and the 11 named coastal provincial-level areas: Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin and Zhejiang. Counting starts at midnight after the entry day. Applicable bilateral or unilateral exemption rules take precedence where their conditions are met.

See recorded sources
  • II regional mechanism
    II. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling by Cruise Ships. Any foreign tourist group consisting of two or more individuals, which is organized and received by a travel agency registered in China, may enter China without a visa by a cruise ship via one of the cruise ports in the following 13 cities: Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Dalian (Liaoning Province), Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), Haikou (Hainan Province), Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province), Qingdao (Shandong Province), Sanya (Hainan Province), Shanghai, Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Tianjin, Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province) and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province). All eligible foreign tourist groups shall continue their journey to the following scheduled ports and depart China with the same cruise ship as scheduled. The tourists concerned may stay in the Beijing and 11 coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government (namely Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang) for a maximum of 15 days.
  • Final counting paragraph
    The stay period specified in any of the aforementioned policies is calculated from 0:00 on the day after the day of entry. For the individuals who meet the requirements specified in the bilateral visa exemption agreements and the unilateral visa exemption policies of China, the relevant regulations shall prevail.

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

The qualifying group, China-registered agency and cruise itinerary must satisfy the policy. Entry-port cities are Beihai, Dalian, Guangzhou, Haikou, Lianyungang, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen and Zhoushan. Non-hotel accommodation must be registered with local police within 24 hours.

See recorded sources
  • II regional mechanism
    II. Visa-Free Entry Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Traveling by Cruise Ships. Any foreign tourist group consisting of two or more individuals, which is organized and received by a travel agency registered in China, may enter China without a visa by a cruise ship via one of the cruise ports in the following 13 cities: Beihai (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Dalian (Liaoning Province), Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), Haikou (Hainan Province), Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province), Qingdao (Shandong Province), Sanya (Hainan Province), Shanghai, Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Tianjin, Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province) and Zhoushan (Zhejiang Province). All eligible foreign tourist groups shall continue their journey to the following scheduled ports and depart China with the same cruise ship as scheduled. The tourists concerned may stay in the Beijing and 11 coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government (namely Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang) for a maximum of 15 days.
  • Article 39(2)
    外国人在旅馆以外的其他住所居住或者住宿的,应当在入住后二十四小时内由本人或者留宿人,向居住地的公安机关办理登记。

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

No individual visa or permit is obtained: a foreign tourist group of two or more people, organised and received by a travel agency registered in China, may enter visa-free by cruise ship at one of the 13 listed cruise-port cities. The group must continue to the scheduled ports and depart China on the same cruise ship. The policy text states no individual extension or change route.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The NIA regional visa-free policy text describes no individual extension or change route for this group scheme; it requires entry and exit as part of the group.
  • The NIA stay-permit guide (fba655cd4a095d56) allows stay permits for visa-free entrants generally, but no official text reconciles that with this scheme's group entry/exit condition; not applied here.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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