Shanghai is one of the largest and most frequently visited cities in the PRC by foreigners. It is not only a renowned tourist destination, but also a world-class business center, where many business deals are concluded every day. Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhstanis and citizens of other CIS countries wishing to visit this metropolis in 2021 will need a visa to Shanghai.
Why do foreigners come to Shanghai
Shanghai is one of the most Europeanized Chinese cities. It is loved by connoisseurs of shopping abroad: on the local streets there are a large number of expensive boutiques, as well as cheap markets where you can buy things skillfully forged under the brand.
Tourists tend to visit Shanghai to see the most famous sights: the Catholic Basilica of Sheshan, Buddhist temples of Longhuasa and the Jade Buddha, Shanghai Grand Theater, Shanghai Museum, go on excursions to memorial complexes dedicated to world famous Chinese personalities (among them - political figures Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Yat-sen, writer Lu Xin, and others).
A large number of Russian emigrants live on the territory of Shanghai, who since 1930 have made up the city's largest foreign diaspora. There are many businessmen from Russia, as well as students who study at the Shanghai University of Foreign Languages and other prestigious higher educational institutions.
When a visa is not needed
Many travelers are interested in whether it is possible to get to Shanghai without a visa and in what cases. In 2021, citizens of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus and 42 other countries will be able to stay in Shanghai for no more than 72 hours (3 days) during a transit transfer at Pudong or Hongqiao airports.
The visa-free regime is valid only in cases when the passenger:
- travels exclusively by air;
- makes only one change in the territory of China (this can be confirmed with air tickets);
- arrives at one of the above Shanghai airports and departs from it;
- departs from Shanghai to a third country, and does not return to the state from which he arrived.
Proof of transit must be presented at the airport. They are a visa and a ticket (in English) to a third country.
Visa-free transit provides travelers with the right to freely move around Shanghai for 72 hours. But leaving this city is strictly prohibited. The transit time countdown starts from the first minute of the day (00.01), which follows the day of arrival. The same rules apply at the airports of Beijing and Guangzhou.
Russians, Ukrainians and citizens of 43 other countries arriving in China through the Shanghai Hongqiao airport, from 00.01 on the day following the day of arrival, are allowed to stay in Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces for 144 hours without a visa.
Visa upon arrival
You can go to China without first obtaining an entry permit - you can get a visa upon arrival at a Chinese airport. In particular, this can be done in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, as well as in the administrative region of Hong Kong and in the Hainan province.
Shanghai visa on arrival can be issued for two or more people traveling together. It opens for the flight dates indicated in the tickets, but for no more than 30 consecutive days. Such a visa is tourist and single entry.
What types of visas to Shanghai exist
The categories of visas that are provided for in China are presented in the table below:
| Type of visa | Purpose |
|---|---|
| WITH | Issued to aircraft crew members |
| D | Issued by those wishing to obtain the status of residents of the PRC |
| G | Shanghai transit visa, which is issued upon arrival at the airport and with which you can travel within China. |
| F | It is necessary for persons who have arrived to receive education through student exchange programs. |
| J | Drawn up by journalists |
| L | Tourist visa. It can be single (for 30 days) and double - provides for a corridor of 180 days, but the duration of each stay should not exceed 30 days. |
| M | Business visa to Shanghai, required for those arriving for business negotiations. It happens: single entry: visiting corridor - 90 days, stay 30/60 days; double: visit corridor - 180 days, the duration of each visit - 30/60 days; multiple: visit corridor - 180 days, each visit - 30/60 days. |
| NS | Study long-term visa |
| Q | Necessary for foreigners wishing to reunite with relatives living in China. |
| R | Issued to citizens of other countries with skills that are valuable in the PRC. |
| S | Visitor visa |
| Z | Work Visa |
For single entry visas, there is a possibility of extension. To this end, a foreigner should contact the Shanghai Migration Center at least 7 days before the expiration of the visa.
Shanghai Visa Rules
To independently obtain a permit to enter China, in particular Shanghai, you must contact the Chinese Embassy in Moscow (Minsk, Kiev or another capital city, depending on which country the applicant is a citizen of) or one of the General Consulates of the People's Republic of China in the Russian Federation located in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk, Irkutsk.
You can also submit documents to a specialized visa center - an institution that has an official permission from the embassy to receive and process documents.
What documents will be needed
The package of official papers that must be provided to the employee of the embassy / consulate / visa center consists of:
- a passport that must remain valid for at least 6 months from the expected date of entry into China (you must have the original and a copy in stock);
- a completed application form with the applicant's personal data;
- a color photograph taken on a white background, 35 × 45 mm in size;
- civil passport (original and copy);
- certificates from the place of work;
- round trip tickets;
- hotel booking confirmation;
- medical insurance;
- pension certificate (for pensioners);
- birth certificates (for underage travelers);
- a notary-certified mother's / father's permission to take the child out, if the minor is traveling with only one of the parents;
- certificates from the bank about the current state of the personal account.
The list of required documents will depend on the type of visa being issued and the category of the traveler. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify this point in advance with the embassy.
Group visa
The opening of a group visa to Shanghai is possible for at least 5 people who are traveling:
- on the same flight;
- to the same cities;
- in the same period of time.
A prerequisite for applying for a group visa is such actions as purchasing health insurance and booking a hotel in Shanghai. Passport control at the airport is carried out in accordance with the visa-free list, which includes all members of the group.
Duration of visa processing to Shanghai and price
Normal registration takes 5 working days (the time is counted from the date of submission of documents). You can apply for an urgent visa to Shanghai. In this case, it will be ready in 2 working days.
There is another option - emergency registration, which is carried out within 24 hours.
The price of a single individual visa to Shanghai (tourist, business and transit) is 3,300 rubles (50 US dollars), the cost of a double entry is 6,600 rubles (100 US dollars), and a multiple entry is 9,900 rubles (150 US dollars).
Answering the question about how much a visa to Shanghai, issued urgently, costs, it should be indicated that in addition to the above consular fee, you will have to pay another 2,000 rubles ($ 30). The cost of an emergency registration is 4,600 rubles ($ 70) more.
Summing up
Citizens of the Russian Federation planning to visit Shanghai should take care of preliminary visa processing. The answer to the question of whether Russians need a visa to Shanghai in 2021 is, in most cases, positive. The only exceptions are transit passengers who travel to third countries with a transfer at Shanghai airports.
Also, an individual visa is not required for groups of travelers of 5 or more people. A group visa is opened for them.
