The US raised its price from 140 to 185. China is now only charging 140.

Apologies if this has been asked - I have looked but I'm a bit tired after the festivities!

I need to apply for my L visa to visit China but my itinerary looks like this:

• Enter China via Shanghai from London
• On the day we enter Shanghai, leave to Hong Kong (different airline)
• 4 days later, return to Shanghai and stay there for 1 week
• Travel to Beijing for 5 days before leaving back to London

My understanding is that I can TWOV on entering Shanghai the first time to get to HK then use my visa upon my return. However, the application form is confusing me - do I need to declare this brief trip to HK (Hong Kong Island is an option on the city dropdown)? If I leave the days I'm not in China blank on my application form, will I just need to show the visa centre my flights/hotel in Hong Kong and not put this on the form? I would rather just get a double/multi entry visa to avoid the TWOV but if I can use that, I will!

Thanks for your help, never applied for any visas before so I'm a newb : - )

Seems complicated. Do you think you won't get a multi-entry L visa for some reason?

Depends how complex you wish to make it. The trip I am currently on is kind of a similar situation. A nested trip to Taiwan within a larger/main trip to the mainland. Making things even better, there's an election soon in Taiwan :rolleyes:

When I applied months ago, I had only made my reservations from EU to Mainland China, and sketched out an approximate itinerary. I had not booked my flight from PEK to Taiwan; at the visa centre there were a few hotel nights missing ('"that's not enough nights, where are the other ones ?") . I explained, I had family in Taiwan and I would be staying with them. They wrote that down on their notes but asked no details about that part of the trip.

Technically, my first few days in Pékin could be considered en transit to Taiwan, as I was only there for 2 and a half days but I chose to enter on my visa. This short duration seems to have raised some eyebrows when I was exiting to Taiwan, they made a few phone calls and had a discussion amongst themselves. Eventually I was let go without much further questioning. Was a little unsettling for me, though.

If I were you, I would have documents of your flights to and from HKG and hôtels available, but only submit them if requested to. Thus utilise the Transit without visa for the first part of your trip.
Generally they will issue multiple entry visas for most foreign passport holders though.

I would present a super simple trip #1 (e.g. straight up round trip with a single hotel reservation) on the visa application, but avoid prepaying for anything, and also convey the intention of going to China multiple times (to hedge against the possibility of being awarded a fixed number of entries). After you have the visa, you can focus on replacing the simple itinerary with what you actually want.

Tourist Visa (L-Visa) Application Documents to be Simplified_Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America

Tourist Visa (L-Visa) Application Documents to be Simplified
2023/12/29 12:00
To further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, starting from January 1, 2024, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the United States will simplify application documents required for tourist visa (L-visa). Tourist visa applicants within the United States will no longer be required to submit round-trip air ticket booking record, proof of hotel reservation, itinerary or invitation letter. Since visa applications are processed on a case-by-case basis, please refer to the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the United States for specifics.

Yes! I was just getting ready to apply! Guess I’ll wait a few more days as I don’t want to book something until I get the visa stuff sorted here in the US.

Can we assume that the interview requirement is also being retired? IMO, that is a MUCH bigger hurdle than making dummy plane/hotel reservations.

Along with not mailing back passports. (Less a problem before when agency fees were somewhat reasonable.)

Having spent some time now here, I can see why. Given the incertain times, the locals just aren't spending like in the good times. Still travelling, yes, but I don't see much consumption or buying beyond lodging and cheap restaurants. Hands mostly empty in the centre commercials and mostly just wishful looking at stores, hardly any queues at the cash desks.

To be fair, most of us from Europe are in a similar situation (I've personally bought almost nothing excess) but I suspect given restrained domestic spending, the gov't really is starting to feel the need for some foreign tourism income, hence the récent but rapid loosening of rules. But just my 0,02€.

China still requires finger print with visa application, you'd still need to visit in person for that.
This is one of those bureaucratic measures (reduced visa fee is another) that looks good to their superiors but actually doesn't move the needle at attracting foreign visitors.

There is no interview requirement if you apply from within the USA. In other countries you must attend in person to give your fingerprints.

The USA is a big exception to the fingerprint collection. There is no fingerprint collection at all if you apply from within the USA.

Are they still making applicants show up at consulates in person? (I don't care whether or not they ask questions or do their flavor of the day biometrics; the inconvenience of blocking off a few days in DC is the heart of the issue.)