| Visa questions | |
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| Feb 12, 2007 03:52 |   |
 | I will be coming in April for my first visit to China, and would like to stay 2 to 3 months, but I am a bit confused about what I have read about the Chinese Visa. Right now I am just waiting for my passport to come and researching the visa issue. Some sites I read say the visa allows you to stay in China for 30 days only--others say the visa allows you to stay 90 days. Will I need to do anything special if I want to stay in China beyond 30 days? Or is it just necessary to specify the length of your stay on the visa application, and it will be approved, so long as it is 90 days or under? Thanks a lot for your help. |
| Feb 12, 2007 05:08 | #1 |
| You are most likely applying for a L tourist visa in which case you will need to supply an itinerary (not necessary to follow strictly but an outline of you basic plan) with arrival and departure dates. You should have no trouble being issued with a 90 tourist visa and all you are required to do on that is be registered each night with the PSB (Public Security Bureau) This is usually taken care of on your behalf by hotels/hostels etc. If you plan to spend any length of time in private accommodation perhaps with friends then you are responsible for reporting to the closest local police station. Hope that helps to clarify things for you. Enjoy your stay |
| Feb 12, 2007 08:22 | #2 |
| I would suggest you get your visa through a travel agent as they know the local visa office and the way it works. I normally buy my airline ticket through a Chinese travel agent as there is a big Chinese community in Sydney and these agents have an up to date knowledge of the way the local visa section works. The fee is usually quite low. If you have any difficulty getting a 3 month visa, you should be able to renew it in China at a major PSB office, or else you head for Hong Kong (or Macau) and using an agent you can usually get a 3 month visa. I have not heard of needing to give an itinerary before, but I don't doubt Jabaroo's experience on this. I guess it is probably just an example of how each visa section may apply the rules a bit differently, |
| Feb 12, 2007 16:25 | #3 |
| I am in a smaller city and there is no Chinese travel agent here. I would have to go the Los Angeles to see one--and that is some ways away. On the other hand, I have come across many web services which say they can get you a Chinese Visa. Anybody had a good experience with any of these? |
| Feb 12, 2007 23:15 | #4 |
| When I apply for a visa from within my own country I alway post mine directly to the Chinese Embassy in our national capital. You may have several cities in the US which handle visa applications. Google the 'Chinese Embassy' and find out the requirements and post them all off. As a tourist you are expected to supply an itinerary although I am sure this will loosen up. Work, study and business visas have different requirements. |
| Feb 13, 2007 00:41 | #5 |
| As you did not have much identifying information on your profile page of your post, it was difficult to determine initially what was your country of origin, until your later post which seems to indicate that you are in the USA ?? It is difficult for members to provide precise advice without knowledge of this important point of information. The PR China Consulates in the US, will no longer accept mail-in visa applications. The applicant should apply personally to the visa office, or entrust a visa service agent to submit the application on his/her behalf. No appointment is necessary. The time you could actually stay in China, or "duration of stay after entry" is usually 30 days. However, a maximum of 90-day duration of stay is available upon request. To get a 60 or 90 day duration of stay, you must write down such number on the Chinese Visa Application Form (Q1). If you do not specify the number of days on this form, you will be allowed only 30 days. Please be reminded that the Chinese Consulate has the final say on the number of days you receive for your visa regardless of your request. Also, the Chinese Consulate has recently extended the validity of a [single entry] visa from 3 months to 6 months, which allows you to send in your application much earlier than before. The Visa Service Agency I have used previously, many times, with no problems, fast service and great communications, is China Visa Service Center. Their web site is: www.mychinavisa.com/ They are Chinese American owned/operated agency and they have a great working relationship with the local PRC Consulate that they deal with. Standard fee schedule is for a four working day turnaround, which should be more than adequate for your travel plans. Expidited orders cost more. Hope this helps !! |
| Feb 14, 2007 18:32 | #6 |
| Thanks to everybody who replied. Thanks for the more detailed information about Vis and agencies, Roger. I will try the agency you recommend, unless I can find a travel agent who can arrange both ticket and visa. I wonder why they seem to want to limit one's stay to 30 days. The way they say "please be reminded that the Chinese Consulate has the final say on the number of days you receive for yoru visa regardless of your request" sounds so strict. I hope that is a mere formal statement and that in reality they are more accomodating. I would hate to get my plane ticket with a departure date for two months only to find out aftewards I was only granted a 30 day visa! |
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