Thanks for your kind advice. Since I posted the airline (China Eastern) informed me and I quote.

"You do need a transit visa when you arrive at China

by showing your valid ticket for the rest of your flights to Chinese immigration officer"

However yours is good advice and I will err on the side of caution & get a visa.

I am more concerned with using up another 2 passport pages than with cost. Canadian passports don't have too many pages

Thanks again

>> with stops in Shanghai & Kunming (both ways) <<

In which case you will need a **multi-entry** Chinese visa as you'll be entering the PRC twice. As Geo says, the visa waiver program only applies if you are both arriving and departing on an international flight from Shanghai. That won't be the case in your situation.

Ooo, yes... both ways, that will be a 2 visit tourist visa. I hope that funky routing is cheap.

The dual entry visa only takes up one page. I always opt to spend the extra 10-20 dollars and get a 48 page passport. Even so, I rarely last the 4 years six months of their validity. It won't matter much when they go to ten year duration next year, at least for me.

Self-centered trivia... my passport is a year old. If I had opted for the 24 pager, I'd only have 4 pages remaining. What's more, neither the US nor Canada stamps it anymore.

Geo - you should naturalize to the US, if only to experience the logic of the US passport!

After taking the pledge in 2008 I immediately applied for the passport and looked for the 48 page option. Not there. You can only get a 24 page passport, but if you max it out you can get additional pages added.

Well my 24 pages lasted 3yr10mth, so for another $154 (rush job) I applied for the extra pages. At this point I was offered either an additional 24 pages or 48, for the same price. So I now have a re-stitched (plus a bit of sellotape) and very thick 72 page passport! :)

John,

As Geo says, you can get a two entry visa on one page. The visa has a field with "Number of Entries - X". If you plan to visit China again within the next 12 months, I'd go for the genuine multi entry visa ("unlimited" entries within a year). Though you may need to renew your passport for that.

Edit time expired:

John - that should have read .... "you plan to visit China again within the next 12 months, I'd go for the genuine multi entry visa ("unlimited" entries within a year). Though you may need to renew your passport for that" ..... so you have enough room/pages for the additional entry and exit stamps. :)

Have a look at this thread which discusses the same subject towards the end - tripadvisor.co.uk/…45617986 and this thread on Flyertalk - flyertalk.com/forum/other-asian-australian-s…

The airline's advice appears to be correct but you may just want to clarify with the Chinese embassy to confirm.

I checked both the links out & it is a similar situation to mine and is consistent with what the Eastern China Airlines representative told me.

Thank you

John-I am in the same situation as you were last year. I will be traveling with China Eastern from USA TO India via Shanghai and Kunmig. Since Shanghai to Kunmig is domestic -so I have received mixed answers whether or not China transit VISA is needed. Can you or someone who has traveled with 2 stop/double stop transit in China , Please tell your experience with Chinese VISA? Was Chinese Visa needed for double transit? Please help as I will traveling soon with my family...Thanks in advance.