Q & A: Visa and Passports
- Are there any changes in China visa policy Because of the Olympic Games?
- What are the Methods of obtaining a China Visa?
- Do I need visa for a visit to Hong Kong?
- Do I need a visa to enter Macau as a tourist?
- How to get an invitation letter from your company for my visa application?
- How to have my visa extended?
- Online Visa Appplication
- What do I need for visa application?
- Should I apply for visa now, or should we wait until we are closer to the time of travel?
- What type of visa do I need? Should I apply for special visa when leaving and re-entering mainland China?
- What should I do if I lose my passport during my stay in china?
- What do you mean by passport photo?
- Do I need visa for China?
1.Are there any changes in China visa policy Because of the Olympic Games? - Top
There are quite a few changes in China Visa policies because of the Olympics. We collected some FAQs from Chinese embassy's websites and several travel forums. The followings are what we reedited:
(Last updated: June 30th, 2008)
Q: Can I still apply for my China Visa in Hong Kong and Macau?
A: After Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 and Macau returned to China in 1999, many foreigners choose to apply for China Visas in Hong Kong and Macau because it is much easier to apply for China Visas in the two places than in their home countries.
But the situation changed because too many foreigners are applying for China Visas in Hong Kong and Macau during the Olympics. Now, passport holders of 33 countries can not apply for China Visa in Hong Kong and Macau any more. The 33 countries are (listed alphabetically) Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Congo, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
The people who hold passports of other countries can still apply for China Visas in Hong Kong and Macau but the situation may change at any moment. We suggest our customers enquire Chinese embassies in their home countries before they go to Hong Kong or Macau to apply for China Visas.
Q. Are there any changes in applying for L Visa (Tourists Visa) and F Visa (Business Visa)?
A: L Visa (Tourists Visa) and F Visa (Business Visa) are two most popular categories of China Visas, so many tourists are eager to know policy changes in the two categories of China Visas. China Highlights listed the changes below:
- F Visas issued in China mainland can not be renewed in China mainland
F Visa issued in China mainland can not be renewed in China mainland. But if you get your F Visa in Shenzhen or Zhuhai you can still renew it in China mainland. Other F Visa holders must go to Hong Kong, Macau or their own countries to renew F Visas. - Validity of L Visa and F Visa has been reduced from 90 to 30 days
- F Visa can not be switched to L Visa or Vice Versa
Q: Which documents do I need to prepare when applying for L Visa or T Visa?
- Passport: your passport with a validity of at least 6 months. Besides, there should be a few blank pages on your passport.
- Application Form: to apply for a China Visa, you need to complete an application form. You can download the application form on the official website of China embassy in your resident county.
- Photo: a photo the same with your passport. You need to glue it on your application form.
- Round Trip Air Tickets and Hotel Reservation: the hotel reservation should include your check-in and check-out time and the round trip air tickets should include your arrival and departure time. If you want to live in your friend’s home, you need to provide your friend’s passport number or ID number. If you want to live in your family member’s home you need to your family member’s passport number or ID number. Besides, you need to prepare a certificate of kinship.
The four documents are necessary to apply for both L Visa and F Visa. Besides, when applying for an F Visa you need a Visa notification issued by an authorized Chinese unit.
Q. Can I apply for Multiple-Entry Visa now?
A: No new Multiple-Entry Visa will be issued from now on. The existing ones are valid till they expire. Only Single-Entry Visas and Double-Entry Visas are being issued now.
Visa Application Form: Download, Complete Online, print and sign it, one form per applicant;
Read FAQs About Visa Applications
2.What are the Methods of obtaining a China Visa? - Top
China Highlights recommends that you obtain your visa before leaving the country where you live.
The costs and the length of time to process a visa vary from country to country. Please check the website for the Chinese Embassy in your country to find the information applicable to you. Application forms can usually be downloaded from the web site. China Highlights Travel Service can also supply a current visa application form.
please visit the following web and click on the name of the country where you live to obtain this information,http://www.guilinchina.net/customer/get_a_visa.htm
3.Do I need visa for a visit to Hong Kong? - Top
Residents of most countries can enter Hong Kong without applying for a visa in advance and are allowed to stay for 90 days. A visa will be issued on arrival.
To check the status of your country, please vist the following page: http://www.guilinchina.net/customer/visa_free_countries.htm
4.Do I need a visa to enter Macau as a tourist? - Top
Valid Passport or Travel Entry Permit is required for one to enter
Macau Visas are required to all travelers who travel to
a) Holders of the "Hong Kong Identity Card", "Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" or "Hong Kong Reentry Permit" can stay up to one year;
b) Passport holders of France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Egypt, Greece, Holland, Finland, Austria, Hungary, Czech, Norway, Iceland, Britain, Ireland, Rumania, Estonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Tanzania, Cyprus, Lebanon, Poland, Lithuania, South Korea and Malta can stay up to 90 days;
c) Passport holders of South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Philippines, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, USA, Uruguay, Turkey, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Samoa, Seychelles, Monaco, Namibia, Israel and Kiribati can stay up to 30 days;
d) Nationals of
e) People who hold the travel documents issued by Portugal Bureau and who nationality is not
f) Holders of Diplomatic Passport or "Laissez Passer" issued by the United Nations;
g) Holders of Consulate/Diplomatic documents issued by the Macau SAR or Hong Kong SAR.
How to apply for
a)
b) A 30-day Visas also can be applied on arrival in
There are three types: Individual, Family, Group
5.How to get an invitation letter from your company for my visa application? - Top
In order to apply for a visa to our country, you may need an invitation letter from an official travel company. We will supply this letter to our clients after they confirm the tour booking by written form.
Please E-mail us the following information so that we can complete the invitation.
1. Names as the same on the passport;
2. Sex: male or female
3. Date of birth:(Example:SEP.6th, 1962)
4. Passport No:
5. Your fax number
Upon receiving your information, we will fax you your tour confirmation letter on our official stationery with our company seal.
6.How to have my visa extended? - Top
Foreigners who want to stay in China beyond the duration of their visa need to apply for an extension.
The visa extension application should be a form submitted to the Local Public Security Bureau 7 days before the expiration date of the visa.
Visitors traveling with a group on a group visa and who want to stay longer than the group should apply for an individual visa.
Visitors who want their visa to be extended should provide the following evidential materials:
1. Valid passport and visa
2. A completed application form for visa extension
3. Reason for the extension.
The length of the extension depends on the type of visa and Multiple entry visas can not be extended
You are advised not to overstay the duration of your visa or fail to apply for an extension before your visa expires as you risk being heavily fined and have your travel plans disrupted.
Please contact your travel advisor for assistance in visa extensions.
7.Online Visa Appplication - Top
Are you planning a trip to China, but have no time for the visa formalities?
No problem: Chinahighlights.com is offering a Visa-Service for US-Residents Click here to go to our Online Visa Application Center
8.What do I need for visa application? - Top
Your passport (original, not a copy), which must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel, with at least one blank visa page (amendment pages and pages with bar codes are not acceptable for visa stamping).
One completed, signed Visa Application Form for each passport, with two passport photos. China Highlights Service can supply a current visa application form.
9.Should I apply for visa now, or should we wait until we are closer to the time of travel? - Top
The Chinese visa is generally valid for 3 months from the issue date to enter China. Please apply for your visa within 3 months of entry into according to your travel itinerary, and avoid expiry of visa, or extra cost of urgent fee due to lack of application process time. Please also decide the duration of stay in China. The permitted duration of stay of Chinese visas are generally up to 30 days. If you need to stay longer, please apply to the local public security bureau in China for visa extension.
10.What type of visa do I need? Should I apply for special visa when leaving and re-entering mainland China? - Top
Single-entry China visas are usually valid for 3 months after the issue date, and will permit you to stay in China for a maximum of 30 days. This visa will allow you to travel as a tourist or conduct general business activities. Most people need only to apply for a single-entry.
You need to apply for 'double' or 'multiple'entry Visa if you need to leave and re-entering mainland China. Please keep in mind that even when you leave for Hong Kong, Macao from mainland China, you still need to have 'double' or 'multiple' entry Visa.
11.What should I do if I lose my passport during my stay in china? - Top
If you do lose your passport, call your guide or travel advisor for help and notify the local Public Security Bureau(PSB) immediately. The PSB will then issue you a proof of lost passport, with which, you need to go to the nearest embassy or consulate of your own country to apply for a new passport. To have the replacement, you will need to know all the information previously recorded and show identification and proof of citizenship. With the new passport issued, you can get a new Visa in the PSB, so you can go on your trip or re-enter your country. Please note that in some cases, a replacement may take weeks to process, and it may be valid only for a limited time. So take especial care of your passport in your journey.
12.What do you mean by passport photo? - Top
The Chinese consulate requires a photo similar to the one in your passport. They will only accept photos which are head-only, full frontal, with a white background, approximately 1-1/2. Cut-outs from personal photographs are not acceptable.
13.Do I need visa for China? - Top
All visitors traveling to mainland China, whether for business or pleasure, require a visa. No Visa is required prior to enter Hong Kong, a Visa will be issued upon arrival. If you travel beyond Hong Kong, even for a few hours, you will need a China visa to enter China.
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