It is the sole responsibility of the Guest to identify and obtain all required travel documents for the entire cruise vacation and have them available when necessary. Please check with your travel agent, government agency, Embassy or Consulate to ensure that you have all the proper documentation to board the ship and enter each of the countries on your cruise. Guests without proper traveling documentation will be denied boarding. Travel restrictions for each destination country may vary according to a Guest’s citizenship. No refunds will be given to individuals who fail to bring proper documentation.
Planning to sail with us soon? Click here to find out more about our enhanced Health & Safety measures and our new, even safer onboard experience.
Please note that there may be special requirements for departures starting from August 2020 onboard MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica. Click here for more information.
Planning to sail with us soon? Click here to find out more about our enhanced Health & Safety measures and our new, even safer onboard experience.
Electronic Visa
- An electronic visa must be issued for people to disembark in Ain Sukhna port in the 3 nights trip. With the exception of Egyptian nationality travelers, who will not be allowed to disembark in Ain Sukhna port
- To issue an electronic visa and inquire about the nationalities available for issuance, Visit the below link:
Passengers must hold valid passport with 6 months residual validity. Please check with any South African Embassy/Consulate if Visa prior to arrival needed according to your nationality
If you are travelling from/to South Africa with children under 18 years of age, please note that new regulations have recently been introduced. For details, please refer to the following website: South Africa Home Affairs
For each child, parents must carry an unabridged birth certificate (English/bilingual) issued by an authorised office or agency.
Please contact your nearest South African Embassy or Consulate to have your certificate(s) validated for travel.
Please note that these regulations apply to travellers from all nationalities, including South African passport holders.
Please refer to your cruise itinerary. For cruises completely within Schengen area, valid passport or ID card required for European Community passengers. All other passenger’s nationalities are required passport and/or Single Entry Schengen Visa.
For cruises including one or more non Schengen ports, passport and Multiple Entry Visa required unless differently sequenced. Please refer our Contact Center for further information
St Petersburg, Sochi: Passengers in transit can participate to MSC organized tours and receive entry permission without applying for Russian Visa.
From 1st October 2019, some cruise passengers visiting St Petersburg (Russia) can do so with an e-visa, available for some nationalities only, to be obtained before the cruise. Please refer to the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for all information including eligible nationalities, timings and procedures to obtain the e-visa. Alternatively, the current procedure remains in place: all MSC Guests visiting St Petersburg with an MSC excursion do not need a visa, and benefit from the usual advantages of all MSC Excursions (direct assistance while on excursion, insurance, priority disembarkation, etc). Our offices are available to answer any doubt you may have or provide additional information if needed.
All in-transit cruise passengers will get visa upon arrival (V.O.A.) to Qatar for a stay no longer than 24 hrs. Any passenger who wish to debark or stay longer than 24 hours in Qatar , they should follow the visa obtaining procedures applicable to this country .
No discrimination will be raised in case of Israeli Visa or stamp evident on any nationality passport for previous visits. For your guidance, please visit official Qatar Government website
All in-transit cruise passengers will get visa upon arrival to Oman and landing card for a period of not more than 24 hrs. If any passenger who wish to debark or stay longer than 24 hours in Oman, should follow the visa obtaining procedures applicable to Oman.
Kindly note that Israel and Bangladesh passport holders are not allowed to enter or to stay aboard vessel during the Omani call. No discrimination will be raised in case of Israeli Visa or stamp evident on any nationality passport for previous visits. For your guidance, please note official Oman Government website
All passengers travelling to Mozambique must hold a fully valid passport, the expiry date of which should be at least 6 months after the return date.
In addition, all passengers, except SADC (Southern African Development Community) passport holders who are exempt, can visit Mozambique either with a pre-issued Visa (that can be requested to any Mozambique Embassy/Consulate; please expect minimum 5 working days to obtain) or by purchasing a VISA for Mozambique on board the ship, from Mozambican Immigration Officers.
The cost of such VISA is USD 50.00 per person (adults and children). The ship will collect the cost directly from passengers, dispatching all needed paperworks directly with Local Immigration Authorities.
From Jan 7th 2019, the Japanese government has introduced an International Tourist Tax of 1.000 JPY which will be applied to all passengers leaving the country by sea or air and who are headed to another country. The amount of 1000 JPY will be collected on board of our ships calling at Japanese ports and converted in US dollars using the exchange rate of the date of the departure. Invoice will be issued on board during your cruise. The information will also be included in the booking confirmation and in the e-ticket.
Exemptions: crew members, children under 2 years of age, guests going back to Japan due to adverse weather conditions or for reasons of force majeure.
Travelling to Greenland is subject to specific Visa and Passport Requirements. Make sure you bring appropriate documents on board:
– A passport with at least 3 months residual validity is mandatorily required by local immigration authorities to embark the ship.
– Depending on your country, a valid visa to be allowed to disembark the ship in Greenland’s ports.
For the list of Countries with Visa Requirement and Visa-free Countries click here.
Please note that any missing information or documentation may result in denied boarding or, in case of missing Visa when required, denied disembarkation in Greenland. Please note that any Visa should be arranged autonomously before the cruise.
For any additional information regarding document and visas, we strongly suggest you to consult the relevant authorities.
Click here for additional information.
Passengers in transit can receive entry Visa upon arrival; for some nationalities Visa costs are charged ; restrictions applying to some nationalities whose entry is charged. Please refer to our Contact Center should you need further information.
– Ireland
European Community passengers can use own passport or valid equivalent document. Please consult our contact center should you require further information.
Passengers from other countries are required to check their eligibility about Irish Short Stay Transit Visa Waiver Programme : please refer to website www.inis.gov.ie
In absence of visa prior to embarkation, visit in transit or stay onboard ship during an Irish port of call without going ashore is not authorized and guests have to disembark the previous port
– United Kingdom
European Community passengers can use own passport or valid equivalent document. French ID cards with automatic extension are considered valid only inside the EU , in case of cruise calling other than EU ports, passport or new ID card required. Please consult our contact center should you require further information.
Passengers from other countries are kindly required to verify with UKBA (United Kingdom Border Agency) if eligible to travel in transit under the Visa Waiver Program or if need to be provided of UK Visa prior to embarkation. In absence of visa prior to embarkation, visit in transit or stay onboard ship during a UK port of call without going ashore is not authorized and guests have to disembark the previous port.
The concession of Visa upon arrival for the selected nationalities is valid only in case of transit within 24 hours. In case of two or more consecutive UK ports, Visa prior to embarkation is mandatorily required.
For minors travelling to these countries, please consider that the “Birth Certificate with travel abroad authentication” and the “Identity Certificate for children” are no longer considered valid. Children under 15 years of age must therefore: – possess their own passport, or – possess another valid identity document for travelling abroad.
The information provided is up-to-date at the time of going to print; for the latest information and all other questions regarding travel documents and visas, please consult your travel agent and/or the relevant authorities (embassies, consulates or other local authorities).
– Egypt (Suez Canal)
Please, click here to know about the VISA, Travel Insurance and Important Information needed for Cuba itineraries.
European passengers can transit with ID card.
Non European passengers who are not subject to Schengen visa rules can transit just with own passport. All other non-European passengers with valid Schengen visas are admitted in the concerned countries even without a specific local visa.
European passengers can travel with own passport. Please refer to our Contact center in case of additional or specific information.
Non European passengers who are not subject to Schengen visa rules can transit just with own passport. All other non-European passengers with valid Schengen visas are admitted in the concerned countries even without a specific local visa.
All in-transit cruise passengers will get visa upon arrival to Bahrain and landing card for a stay no longer than 24 hrs. Any passenger who wish to debark or stay longer than 24 hours in Bahrain should follow the visa obtaining procedures applicable to this country .
No discrimination will be raised in case of Israeli Visa or stamp evident on any nationality passport for previous visits. For your guidance, please visit the official Bahrain Government website
