Passports
Important: You must have a valid passport to travel on this voyage. Passport must be valid for 6 months beyond your planned trip dates. For the most up-to-date visa information, all guests including non-US citizens and green card holders should seek advice from their respective embassy, consulate or Travel Agent to determine which documents are needed prior to departure.
US Passport: For current processing times, visit https://vikingcruises.com/passport-processing-times.
Visas
China: U.S. & Canadian citizens need a visa for entry to China and can be obtained through the China Online Visa Application (COVA). Please note that an in-person visa appointment may be required by China and must be scheduled with your local embassy or consulate.
- You must have Acrobat Reader to complete the China application online.
- On the application, answer each question accurately. Questions marked (*) are mandatory. You must answer all the mandatory questions on the page before proceeding to the next step.
- You will need to send your signed Passport book (not a copy), two professional, color passport-style photos that have been taken within the last 6 months; your ears and forehead must be visible; and it must be taken against an all-white background and printed on high quality photo paper. ""Homemade"" non-professional photos will not be accepted by China.
- U.S. citizens must use their ten-year passport for the China visa process; second valid (four-year) passports cannot be used for Chinese visa. Your passport must: be valid for six months beyond the final date of your trip, and contain at least two blank “visa” pages for the visa stamp (the amendment and endorsement pages in the back cannot be used for visa placement). Your passport cannot show any signs of wear, be torn, separated or frayed.
- Do not staple, tape or glue your photos to the visa application. You must provide a copy of your driver’s license or government-issued ID with a current address for proof of residency. Your driver’s license must be valid at the time of application (not expired) and, if you have a P.O. Box for your address, you will need to provide a utility bill (water, gas, electricity) in each applicant's name. Phone and cable bills or bank statements are not accepted.
- If you are a U.S. Green Card holder, send a legible copy of the front of your green card to show proof of legal status in the U.S. If your driver's license is from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado or Michigan - your Green Card must be notarized. If your driver's license is from Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Southern California or anywhere in the Pacific islands, you must send the original Green Card.
- You must send a copy of your flight itinerary showing the details of every leg of your trip from the U.S. to China and the return to the U.S. Each applicant's name must be on the itinerary, and the itinerary must be from the company or booking engine (eg: Expedia, American Airlines, Delta, etc.) on which you booked. Self-prepared or emailed flight itineraries are not accepted. You must provide copies of your hotel confirmation from each hotel booked, and you must provide a copy of your cruise itinerary showing the ports and the dates of each call. Self-prepared, typed, or emailed itineraries are not accepted.
- If your travel includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Macao, ensure these destinations are listed as follows: Taiwan, China; Hong Kong, China; Macao, China.
- Sign the visa application in two places (declaration page and last page). Submit one completed online printed and signed application form per person. To submit online, visit https://cova.mfa.gov.cn.
- If your passport has evidence of travel to Turkey, Iraq or Iran, you must include a personal, signed statement giving details of your travel (the dates of your stay in the country, and the reason for travelling), and you must provide copies of the flight itinerary and hotel reservations. Previous travel to these countries will result in China visa processing delays.
- If you have traveled to China in the past, you must provide previously issued China visa(s) along with a copy of the passport data page on which the visa was issued.
- If you are a former People's of Republic National or were born in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau, or were adopted from China, visit the government website at https://cova.mfa.gov.cn for requirements.
Please use the following information for our China Travel Agency partner when completing your application:
- Name of China Travel Agency: TUI China Travel Co., Ltd.
- Travel Agency License Number: L-BJ-WZ00008
Canadian citizens: Effective January 1, 2019, all Canadian passport holders (ages 14-70) are required to apply in person at a designated Service Center in Canada. To submit an online application and to schedule an appointment for a personal interview and fingerprinting, visit the official website of the Chinese Visa Application Service Center at www.visaforchina.org.
For all other nationalities/citizenships, visit https://cova.mfa.gov.cn for visa requirements to visit China.
Note: Viking is not responsible for obtaining visas nor for advising guests of passport, visa or other immigration requirements, so be sure to verify what is needed for your travels. You may be denied boarding or entry to some countries if you have not obtained the correct visas or documents prior to departure. Viking cannot provide any refunds for unused portions of your cruise/hotel stay or cost to change travel plans should you have missing or incomplete documents.
If you are a U.S. citizen and require visa or passport assistance, please consider Viking’s partner GenVisa, https://www.genvisa.com/viking/. GenVisa service fees will apply. Please note that, for China itineraries, GenVisa can only assist guests of the United States. All other nationalities must use the China government website noted above and must contact their local consulate.
PREPARATION FOR TRAVEL: Physical Fitness & Accessibility for China
While generally our activities/voyages are not physically demanding, due to the inherent challenges in China with ship and airport access, as well as excursion terrain in this region, these voyages are not recommended for guests who require mobility assistance or who rely on any sort of walker, wheelchairs, or motorized scooters.
As outlined in our Terms & Conditions, guests are requested to advise Viking in writing of any physical, mobility, emotional or mental condition which may require accommodation during the journey.
