Slightly odd question. I’m trying to travel to Shanghai. From what I can see on Qantas’ website, economy from SYD → PVG is ~$4500 and isn’t available until end of October.
So I have come up with this travel plan: SYD → AKL → PVG. Business class throughout, it’ll be $3400. The only catch is that I have to book the flight SYD → AKL via Qantas myself, and then another flight from AKL → PVG myself on Air New Zealand. This means I have to do a self-transfer in Auckland, but also mean that I can travel on whatever date that I want.
Am I missing something here? Apart from it being slightly annoying and the tests required to get into New Zealand, is there anything that I should be mindful of?
China doesn’t allow transits at the moment, it’s enforced by all its overseas embassies consulates issuing a “Green QR Code” to those who are allowed to board, which will ask you for residency proof in the departure country. Chinese airlines are still flying to Aus at the moment, there’s China Eastern, Southern, XiamenAir.
Travelled late 2021-22 to China, happy to answer anything else if you need.
Hey mate thanks for the info. I’m finding it really difficult to find information about travelling to China so if you wouldn’t mind me asking a few more questions.
So i actually have lived in New Zealand and I believe I still have a NZ bank account. If I use the bank statement as residency proof do you think that might be sufficient?
Also for transit, is it that there’s no international transit, but I can travel to Shanghai from Canberra via Sydney?
The Auckland Consulate’s website asks for either a NZ residence permit or visa as residency proof. Unless you’ve gone through the formal applications for NZ residency (which most Australians don’t need) it’s hard to convince them to issue you a Green Code.
Another snippet from the requirements:
For nationals of third countries whose ordinary place of residence is not New Zealand, or New Zealand citizens who live outside of New Zealand, or Chinese citizens who hold valid New Zealand resident visa but New Zealand is not the ordinary place of residence or any nationals whose ordinary place of residence is New Zealand but recently travel to a third country/region. Please provide evidence that you have been staying in New Zealand continuously for more than 3 months (at the time when requesting for the health code). Proof of evidence can be a legislative letter or travel movement records issued by Immigration New Zealand or New Zealand Customs.
My interpretation is, if you can’t satisfy the above resident/visa requirement, you would have to be in NZ for 3 months before applying.
For domestic transit, that’s allowed.
Pre departure test requirements change at short notice, you can find it on each embassy’s website (click the English button at the top) The blood antibody test trips up a lot of people with recent COVID recovery.
Also, unless you have a valid foreigner residence permit or recent visa (issued during the pandemic), you might not satisfy the China’s immigration rules in additional to health requirements.
This is honestly so stupid. Thank you for the clarification.
Flying Qantas business class to Shanghai from Sydney is like 16k, whereas air New Zealand business class from Auckland to Shanghai is 2k. At this rate I might even consider going to New Zealand and staying in a hotel for 3 months. Might even be cheaper that way.
I’ll dig deeper into the consulate websites. Thank you again