What happens when visa-free access to China expires in December?

October 31, 2025 — 5:00am

We are cruising from Singapore to Hong Kong, disembarking on January 3, 2026. The travellers have a mix of passports, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. We plan to visit Shenzhen from Hong Kong for a few days, returning to Hong Kong but the Chinese 30-day visa free travel exemption expires on December 31, 2025. Any tips on applying for a tourist visa for a side trip to Shenzhen from Hong Kong?
B. Lee, Newcastle, NSW

Since visa-free trial period which allows stays of up to 30 days for Australian and New Zealand passport holders to enter China expires December 31, 2025, these passport holders will need to apply for a normal Chinese tourist visa (L-type) in advance of their China side-trip (unless of course the trial is extended or made permanent before then).

However as of July 17, 2025, China and Malaysia signed a mutual visa-exemption agreement that allows ordinary Malaysian passport holders to enter/exit/transit China without a visa for up to 30 days per visit. You will want to check that at the entry point into mainland China the immigration officials are aware of this agreement.

When you leave your cruise in Hong Kong, you’ll be entering Hong Kong SAR and then crossing into mainland China via one of the border checkpoints such as Lo Wu or Huanggang. All travellers need to have at least six months validity on their passports beyond the date when they plan to exit China, and blank pages. Keep travel documentation at the ready including cruise disembarkation papers, hotel bookings, Shenzhen visit itinerary and a return ticket to Hong Kong. Upon returning from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, you exit mainland China and then re-enter Hong Kong as a separate trip. That should be fine, but make sure you hold valid Hong Kong entry documents.

We’re planning a trip from Barcelona to Lisbon over 12-13 days next May. We hope to see most of Valencia, Madrid, Granada, Cordoba, Ronda and Seville using trains. We only want to spend two days in Barcelona. We’re meeting family in Lisbon with perhaps a flight from Seville to Lisbon. Is this doable?
J. Lafferty, Pyrmont, NSW

That’s an ambitious itinerary involving about 2000 kilometres of travel, with at least five train segments and one short flight. On paper, it’s possible, but it leaves little breathing space and risks turning into a train-hotel shuffle. In your shoes I’d leave out Valencia and probably Ronda in favour of overnight stays at Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Seville before your flight to Lisbon. Apart from Barcelona, that gives you at least three nights in each of these cities, and possibly four nights in Madrid and Seville. Cordoba is charming but rather than an overnight stay there, you might base yourselves in Granada and make a day trip to Cordoba – the fastest trains take about 90 minutes. Definitely fly from Seville to Lisbon, TAP Air Portugal has daily non-stop flights.

We are a couple travelling to Canada with our adult daughter and have five nights on
Vancouver Island. We would rather not stay in Victoria. Can you give me some suggestions for our itinerary? We will be driving and haven’t visited this area before.
J. Flowers, Manly, NSW

Nanaimo would be my first base. Located on Vancouver Island’s east coast 100 kilometres north of Victoria, wrapped around a pretty harbour and protected by a necklace of islands, Nanaimo is easily accessible since this is the main ferry port from Vancouver’s two terminals at Departure Bay and Duke Point. The sea kayaking is excellent and there are hiking and mountain biking trails nearby. Nanaimo blends the great outdoors with the finer things in life, including a lively food scene and craft breweries.

One of the city’s essential experiences is the ferry trip across the harbour to the Dinghy Dock Floating Marine Pub on Protection Island, where you can dine on grilled salmon at one of the outside tables, serenaded by the slap of rigging from the yachts alongside. From here, drive north as far as Telegraph Cove, a tiny scallop-shell-shaped harbour ringed by weatherboard houses and buildings built when this was a bustling sawmill and cannery. When their lumberjack days ceased, the houses, factories and the old bathhouse were converted to provide atmospheric accommodation in various configurations.

A prime experience is the half-day Stubbs Island Whale Watching tour. Just offshore, the calm, protected waters of Johnstone Strait and the Blackfish Archipelago are the most accessible and predictable location to see orcas. When the vessel is close to a whale pod, the captain will deploy a hydrophone over the side and broadcast the whales “talking”, with an unearthly vocabulary of high-pitched squeaks, whistles and moans.

In the past, we have taken an insurance policy through a travel insurance company. With our last trip we also took additional cover for an existing health condition. We have booked airfares and are currently relying on the cover from our credit card, how soon before our departure date would we need to take out medical cover?
D. and S. Glynn, Inverleigh, Vic

If the health cover provided by your credit card insurer is not adequate for your needs, then a separate medical insurance policy is a safe way to go. Buy that extra medical cover now. The best time to buy travel insurance is the same day you book your travels. Any travel insurance policy worth the price should include trip cancellation and trip disruption cover. A lot can go wrong between the time you book your trip and the time you board the flight, and by purchasing travel insurance with your first booking, you’re covered for any unforeseen events. If you wait weeks or months after paying deposits, and illness, injury, airline collapse, family emergency or natural disaster interrupts your travel plans, you could lose anything you’ve paid if you aren’t insured.

You can read more about the benefits and drawbacks of free credit card travel insurance here.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances

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