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China Tourist Visa For Us Citizens – We will be heading to China in a few weeks! This will be our first trip to China and also our first time getting a travel visa. Fortunately, we were successful in our first attempt at obtaining Chinese visas, but based on my research prior to applying, it seems that others were not so lucky. This post may be a little dry, but I hope my research and experience will help other United States passport holders make the application process smoother and less time consuming, as multiple attempts can cost extra money that no one wants to use. The application form and official instructions can be found on the website of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States.
The new form for obtaining a visa to China came into force on September 1, 2013. This is a four page form that must be filled out completely. As of this date, application forms cannot be handwritten. Answers must be written in all capital letters and the appropriate boxes must be checked. Write N/A or NONE if certain items are not applicable as stated in the instructions. However, I read about one person whose application was partially rejected because he wrote NONE instead of N/A, so we used N/A instead.
China Tourist Visa For Us Citizens
There are two ways to apply for a Chinese visa. You can visit the embassy that has consular jurisdiction where you live. This requires two trips, the first for the application and supporting documents, and the second for obtaining the visa and documents. The second way to get a visa is to use a visa service, which is what we did. It is not possible to apply for a China visa by post.
How To Write A Chinese Invitation Letter
There are several documents that must be submitted with your completed application: (1) It must be valid for at least six months and contain at least one blank visa page (the back three confirmation pages cannot be used). to meet this requirement), (2) a photocopy of the passport information page and the photo page, (3) one passport photo taken within the last six months (no glasses can be worn), which must be attached by tape or other means. application, (4) proof of residence (as the embassy website says, this is only for applicants applying in a country of non-citizenship, but the service we used asked for copies of our driver’s license or a copy of our non-phone utilities). , 5 In our case, because we booked a travel package with smarTours, we received an invitation letter along with our Air China reservation details.
A tourist visa is an L visa. A standard tourist visa is a single entry visa valid for 90 days from the date of issue. Therefore, it is recommended to apply for a Chinese visa 50 days before departure. However, as shown in the picture below, our visa is valid for six months from the date of issue at the discretion of the embassy. Other options include two entries within three to six months of the date of issue, multiple entries within six months of the issue date, and multiple entries within one year of the issue date.
The application form is self-explanatory. However, there were some things that were not clear at all. Clause 1.3 “Other Names” requires any maiden name or other nicknames. Clause 1.9 “Local ID/Citizenship Number” is for your driver’s license number. 1.13 “Place of issue” does not mean the country to which the passport is issued, but rather the authority, which in my case is the US State Department. 1.15 There are several options for “Current Occupation”. But some choices can be challenging. The best choices are businessman, company employee (my choice), industrial/agricultural worker, self-employed (Romeo’s choice) or retired. 1.17 For “Employer/School”, you can enter your address if you are retired or unemployed. Clause 1.23 asks for immediate (immediate) family members. Romeo has one more immediate family member than is allowed, so we’ve included an additional family member in point 3.7. Separate paper can also be used. Clause 2.6 “Itinerary in China” asks for the addresses you will be in chronological order and dates. For each address, include the first date and the full address, including the district if applicable. Entry into Tibet or other similar places may complicate the visa process. Point 2.8 “Caller Information in China” is the one that really turns me around. We purchased the vacation package through smarTours, but according to the documents, our ground transportation in China will be provided by China Supreme Travel and our invitation letter is China Travel Travel. After calling our visa service company and smarTours, I decided to enter China Supreme Travel information. In the field of applicant relations, I entered TOUR OPERATOR.
There are several visa service companies that will obtain a Chinese visa for you. If you don’t live near a Chinese embassy, this is the easiest option. I have read mixed reviews of many visa service companies, including the one we use. Many use Travisa. My first choice is China Visa Service Center. However, smarTours works with CIBTvisas and has reduced prices with them, and since they are used to taking care of smarTours customers, I thought they would provide the best service. I was very satisfied with their service. I hated being without a passport. Not having your passport can be dangerous, even if you have no plans to travel abroad. What I like about CIBTvisas is that they have an online tracking service so you can access their system anytime to see where your visa application is. Gives you a sense of control over a procedure you don’t have control over.
Isolated Set Of Visa Passport Stamp For Travel To Canada Or Usa, Uk Or China, Venezuela
I sent all our documents to CIBTvisas via FedEx Priority overnight. The next day I received an email saying they had received the package. I went into their system the other day and found that they sent it to the embassy the day after they received it. They also estimated that we would get our visas from the embassy in three working days. Sure enough, our documents were picked up from the embassy on the expected date and sent to us via FedEx the same day. The entire process in my hands took seven calendar days from the time I sent the package. CIBTvisas will charge a rush fee if the material is required in 15 working days or less. The Chinese consulate fee is $140. CIBTvisas charges $50 for smarTours customers, but their regular rate is $99, which is higher than the norm. There is also a 4.9% processing fee. One thing I don’t like about CIBTvisas is how much they charge for FedEx. They charge $44.10 to return your documents via FedEx Priority. It is at least twice as many. With the attachment package they provided a FedEx shipping label to ship our documents which cost $34.50. I sent the documents using my account and it cost less than $22. But being able to check the status at any time and the smoothness and speed of the process was invaluable.
Luckily we have our visas and will soon be flying to China and spending time in Beijing and Shanghai, and I’ll share our adventures with you on the blog when we get back.
Kathryn Belarmino and Romeo Belarmino are the authors of Travel the World, a sophisticated blog for the everyday. They work part-time travel jobs, but take every opportunity they can to travel the world during their limited time off. There is good news for travelers who wish to return to China for tourism purposes as the relevant embassies/consulates and visa offices around the world have started accepting applications for tourist visas.
China has stopped issuing tourist visas since March 2020, marking the start of the pandemic, and previously issued tourist visas are now considered invalid.
Which Visa Do I Need To Live And Work In China?
Travelers traveling to China for official business, study, or meeting/reunion with family can already apply for a visa. However, the resumption of tourist visa issuance is a new development which started yesterday from March 15, 2023.
To facilitate foreigners visiting China from March 15, 2023
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