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Visa Information for the People's Republic of China (PRC, Mainland China)
Important: China's visa terms and conditions changed effective 12 Nov 2014 as far as duration, and 1 July 2013 for requirements and procedures. Do not rely on information posted prior to that date.
Note new FT thread regarding up to ten year visa duration: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...ov-2014-a.html
The PRC allows certain foreigners to transit China without a visa if they will be exiting the country within 24, 72 or 144 hours provided various other conditions are met. Please see the separate China 24, 72, and 144 hour Transit Without Visa ("TWOV") rules master thread and Wikipost for detailed rules and discussion.
The best source of current visa and travel document requirements is IATA'S TIMATIC, as that is what the airlines rely upon to determine whether they will permit you to fly. Star Alliance provides a free, easy-to-use TIMATIC tool to help you identify your exact requirements based on nationality, residency and specific itinerary. The SkyTeam alliance website contains a link which also allows you free use of TIMATIC, including good printouts of the information.
Note that posts made prior to 1 July 2013 have been archived, but are still available for reference at China Visa / Visas Master Thread (ARCHIVED). The old FAQ: Visa-Free Transit / TWOV thread is also closed but available for reference.
China Forum Ambassadors: moondog----------anacapamalibu----------jiejie----------mnredfox
Visa Information for the People's Republic of China (PRC, Mainland China)
Main source: Visa Page - Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America (external website)
Important: China's visa terms and conditions changed effective 12 Nov 2014 as far as duration, and 1 July 2013 for requirements and procedures. Do not rely on information posted prior to that date.
Note new FT thread regarding up to ten year visa duration: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...ov-2014-a.html
The PRC allows certain foreigners to transit China without a visa if they will be exiting the country within 24, 72 or 144 hours provided various other conditions are met. Please see the separate China 24, 72, and 144 hour Transit Without Visa ("TWOV") rules master thread and Wikipost for detailed rules and discussion.
The best source of current visa and travel document requirements is IATA'S TIMATIC, as that is what the airlines rely upon to determine whether they will permit you to fly. Star Alliance provides a free, easy-to-use TIMATIC tool to help you identify your exact requirements based on nationality, residency and specific itinerary. The SkyTeam alliance website contains a link which also allows you free use of TIMATIC, including good printouts of the information.
Note that posts made prior to 1 July 2013 have been archived, but are still available for reference at China Visa / Visas Master Thread (ARCHIVED). The old FAQ: Visa-Free Transit / TWOV thread is also closed but available for reference.
China Forum Ambassadors: moondog----------anacapamalibu----------jiejie----------mnredfox
China Visa / Visas Master Thread (all you need to know)
#1981
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,107
Apart from simple connections (which I advise against in China), I am hard pressed to envision any scenarios in which people with visas wouldn't want to --at least attempt to-- use them for entry/exit.
#1982
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Programs: United MileagePlus Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite, Hilton Honors Gold
Posts: 52
Just adding a data point on obtaining a tourist L visa (10 year, 60 day entry). I went in person to the SF consulate on Friday the 11th, arriving at around 7:45am, when security let me in around 9:05am, I got ticket 17. Had all of my papers/copies/itinerary in order, so was relatively quick (spent less than 5 mins at the window). The only thing that threw me, was the person working the window asked me to write a sentence about what exactly I do. Wasn't on the list of things to bring, but I brought a 'self generated' employer letter stating where I worked and she took that letter and asked if I had a similar letter for my GF too, which I did and gave her (I also applied for a visa for her too, since I wasn't about to stand in line again, when she actually travels with me next). Note neither me or the GF work in the media business so who knows. I left the consulate around 10:15am at which point the line was huge). I went to pick up the visa yesterday the 17th, the day it was set to be ready (consulate was closed on the 14th). I arrived at 1:55pm and was able to pick up the visas and leave around 2:05pm. Overall relatively painless if you come prepared, for better or worse its like a DMV experience.
And like Pogaf, my visa didn't have my photo.
And like Pogaf, my visa didn't have my photo.
#1984
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,107
What version are you looking at? The "other" option has appeared on all PRC visa application forms I've seen for the past ~15 years.
#1985
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,406
http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/lsz...1570742708.pdf seems to be the most recent version, though I admittedly only spent 20 seconds searching (so I could have missed something newer).
What version are you looking at? The "other" option has appeared on all PRC visa application forms I've seen for the past ~15 years.
What version are you looking at? The "other" option has appeared on all PRC visa application forms I've seen for the past ~15 years.
I'll admit I didn't read much of this thread.
#1986
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,107
#1987
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 197
They also report that this was not the case prior to 2008, but it became much stricter then.
#1988
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 197
My visa says "Enter before 09NOV2019", and gives 30 days.
I don't plan on staying anywhere close to 30 days, but I would like to enter on the morning of 9 November. I am finding conflicting answers at various websites about whether "Enter before 09NOV2019" means "Enter on 8 Nov 2019 or earlier" (that is what I would have thought "enter before" means), or "Enter on 9 Nov 2019 or earlier".
I could fly to Hong Kong, and try to cross into Shenzhen, on that day - if my visa is not valid on that day, I would then apply for one of these port visas at Lo Wu (or can you get them when taking the HK airport ferry to Shekou, or at the high-speed rail station at West Kowloon?). That would be somewhat limiting, because I would have to stay in Shenzhen, and I would like the option to visit Guangzhou. It would also be nice to have the option to fly into Shenzhen or Guangzhou instead of Hong Kong if the flights work out better. But it wouldn't ruin the trip if I have to get a port visa and stay in Shenzhen, assuming you can do this on a Saturday.
#1989
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: SFO
Posts: 181
http://losangeles.chineseconsulate.o...0381274902.pdf
Tip: don't pick up your visa during lunch hour, which adds 45 min to what should be a short process.
#1993
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 197
#1994
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 197
I think it might be the only time (out of several dozen, probably less than one hundred) entries when mainland immigration has ever asked me a question. That includes quite a few entries when I would have had the same Turkish entry stamp in the passport. Many of these entries would have been from Hong Kong to Shenzen, by foot or by ferry, but there have certainly been a few dozen air entries as well.
#1995
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
Here's what the U.S. civil time authority has to say:
Is midnight the end of a day or the beginning of a day?
When someone refers to "midnight tonight" or "midnight last night" the reference of time is obvious. However, if a date/time is referred to as "at midnight on Friday, October 20th" the intention could be either midnight the beginning of the day or midnight at the end of the day.
To avoid ambiguity, specification of an event as occurring on a particular day at 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. is a good idea, especially legal documents such as contracts and insurance policies. Another option would be to use 24-hour clock, using the designation of 0000 to refer to midnight at the beginning of a given day (or date) and 2400 to designate the end of a given day (or date).
When someone refers to "midnight tonight" or "midnight last night" the reference of time is obvious. However, if a date/time is referred to as "at midnight on Friday, October 20th" the intention could be either midnight the beginning of the day or midnight at the end of the day.
To avoid ambiguity, specification of an event as occurring on a particular day at 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. is a good idea, especially legal documents such as contracts and insurance policies. Another option would be to use 24-hour clock, using the designation of 0000 to refer to midnight at the beginning of a given day (or date) and 2400 to designate the end of a given day (or date).
Anyway, I thought it was a legitimate question in this visa context -- thank you for clarifying.