Flying to Hong Kong through China Question
 

So I'm planning on going to Hong Kong for a week. My question is would I need a Visa if i'm flying through Shanghai? I'm a Canadian citizen and traveling as a tourist. I'm posting here since this section gets a lot of traffic and I kinda need to know soon.
Thanks in advance.

i'm thinking if that you can go to hongkong, you should be able to get to shanghai...

I might have not stated my question clearly enough.

I am a Canadian citizen and I am planning on flying to Hong Kong. I am required to transfer from one plane to another in Shanghai. Would I need to apply for a Visa (of any sort) given my situation?

No, you don't need a VISA if you are transferring plane to plane in Shanghai to your final destination HK

^ what he said.

And also, the Travel forum is actually quite "lively" and there are some seasoned travelers that go through that forum :)

You're going through the Shanghai airport in transit, so no you shouldn't need a visa.

no need for a visa

But you sure you don't want to stop by Shanghai for the Expo and/or food?

yah u dont need to go through customs while transfering flights in Shanghai... unlike places like Germany/Italy.. they made me go out and in again. it was so stupid.

but i suggest you to get a Visa anyway. i think u should see Shenzhen while u're in Hong Kong.

^he's there for a week, HK has more than a week's stuff to offer.

and No, you don't need a visa for the transfer, althought HK technically requires you to have a return flight for your 90 auto HK travel visa to work.

unless you plan on staying in Shanghai and work/study there, you wont need a visa...

but if your an AMERICAN, thats a different story.. j/k!!!! JUST KIDDING

That's an airline policy, not a HK policy

And ignore "ferrariEnzo" he is wrong. Everyone needs a visa to get into China, even if it's just for a day. If you don't leave the airport though, you won't need one.

No you do not need a visa if you're just connecting flights.

One time I had to layover for a night in Shanghai from HK. We were shuttled to a hotel about 15mins away from the Shanghai airport. Still didn't require a visa...but when we checked into the hotel, the front desk needed to hang onto our passports until the next day when we checked out. Which I found sort of odd, but again....we were in China.

Are you flying China Eastern Air?

This is common practice in many countries, including much of Europe.

Bumping old thread, flying with Air China International through Beijing. Transferring between both flights there and back through Beijing. Shouldn't make a difference, should it?

And another question,
if i'm transferring in Beijing, will I need to pick up my bags or will they be taken to the next plane? I know in some instances you need to collect your baggage when connecting.

When you check in at YVR they'll tell you if you need to pick up your bags but I doubt you will because most likely they'll be tagged all the way to HKG.

Thanks for that. I didn't know Air China flights were so cheap nice.

Anyone have any experiences?

I used to fly Air China all the time when I flew directly to Beijing, but lately I've been going to HK so I've been flying Cathay Pacific directly.

Air China now is much better than a few years ago, they have newer planes now (for most Van-Beijing). Only downside is the food.. they're not great. Actually, it's terrible. Entertainment system is catching up too, but still not as updated as Cathay Pacific.
But I guess you're getting what you paid for at the cheaper price.