Jun 4, 2013, 2:02 pm
Last edit by: mnbp
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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Note that posts made prior to 1 July 2013 have been archived, but are still available for reference at China Visa / Visas Master Thread (ARCHIVED).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
(lower right wiki corner).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)
Sep 23, 2018, 2:14 am
#1771
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: RBK
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 128
I think you may have misconstrued some things. First of all, I have not heard of ordinary Canadians using ordinary passports to use any method other than standard paper application, submitted now via the China Visa Application Centres (or alternate agents). The only online visa application facility that I know of for Canadians is for Official Passports/Official business only. So, at this time I don't think Canadian applicants have any special access to different or easier methods than do US ones. But if there are any of you Canadians out there that have been able to get a visa using online method, please out yourselves and confirm.
Second, I believe I have also seen a travel blog (sorry, name/link escapes me) that made this claim of online Chinese visa application for US citizens. I remember that the company referenced was www.ivisa.com because the blog claim piqued my interest and I visited the ivisa site to take a look. I found it to be baloney. The company has you fill out an application form online and send it to them, then they look it over, pdf it, and FedEx it to you for your signature and return to them. Then they get it to the Chinese Consulate and have it processed. In other words, the same thing that you could do yourself. Moreover, a look at the business address of the ivisa company shows it as somebody's apartment in South Florida....nowhere close to a Chinese Consulate. I found the entire thing sketchy, and this is the only company I've seen that makes a claim that "online" application is possible for Chinese visas. Well, I guess if that's how you define online processing. But again, if anybody has found an alternative method for online application that somebody claims to have worked, I'm open to being educated.
I know of no nationality that is able to obtain a Chinese visa through online processing as most of us define the term, at least not for ordinary citizens using standard passports.
Second, I believe I have also seen a travel blog (sorry, name/link escapes me) that made this claim of online Chinese visa application for US citizens. I remember that the company referenced was www.ivisa.com because the blog claim piqued my interest and I visited the ivisa site to take a look. I found it to be baloney. The company has you fill out an application form online and send it to them, then they look it over, pdf it, and FedEx it to you for your signature and return to them. Then they get it to the Chinese Consulate and have it processed. In other words, the same thing that you could do yourself. Moreover, a look at the business address of the ivisa company shows it as somebody's apartment in South Florida....nowhere close to a Chinese Consulate. I found the entire thing sketchy, and this is the only company I've seen that makes a claim that "online" application is possible for Chinese visas. Well, I guess if that's how you define online processing. But again, if anybody has found an alternative method for online application that somebody claims to have worked, I'm open to being educated.
I know of no nationality that is able to obtain a Chinese visa through online processing as most of us define the term, at least not for ordinary citizens using standard passports.
For residents of Canada, the website for the Embassy Of The People's Republic Of China In Canada has a link titled CHINA ONLINE VISA APPLICATION (third item in the main list of links), which takes one to the COVA page
Sep 23, 2018, 2:25 am
#1772
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: RBK
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 128
Unless things just recently changed, you cannot submit your application online in Canada either. You can book appointments (which are mandatory) online. But you still have to bring a filled out application form to your appointment. Also in Canada you cannot visit a consulate for a visa, they have visa centres that handle the process.
Sep 23, 2018, 7:17 am
#1773
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
I understand that an in-person appointment is required to obtain a visa. But based on pages on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, it appears that residents of a number of countries have the ability to submit a visa application form online, avoiding the need of visiting a consulate/embassy to submit the visa application in person. Selecting one of the approved countries from the list on the COVA page will direct one to a page titled "Guidelines for Completing the China Online Visa Application (COVA)", which explains the process of completing a visa application online, uploading the application, and scheduling an appointment.
For residents of Canada, the website for the Embassy Of The People's Republic Of China In Canada has a link titled CHINA ONLINE VISA APPLICATION (third item in the main list of links), which takes one to the COVA page
For residents of Canada, the website for the Embassy Of The People's Republic Of China In Canada has a link titled CHINA ONLINE VISA APPLICATION (third item in the main list of links), which takes one to the COVA page
Perhaps one of our Canadian readers who needs a regular ordinary visa would like to give the above link a try, and let us know if they get through and get a visa or at what point they hit the wall.
Sep 23, 2018, 6:38 pm
#1774
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 542
My wife and I are traveling to China as tourists in March with USA passports. I have never had to apply for a visa before and I'm a bit confused by the process. Since I'm in Austin and don't want to drive to Houston, it seems I can use an internet agency to apply for the visa for us for an added fee. The fees vary a lot and I'm a bit confused on how to verify which websites are reputable. Is there a source of information that compares agencies? I want to keep costs down and I'm ok with a longer wait time but I also don't want to pick the first result off of google out of fear of losing my passport.
Sep 23, 2018, 6:39 pm
#1775
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
Programs: UA AA CO
Posts: 4,836
Sep 24, 2018, 1:58 am
#1776
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
As to reputation, I've been following reports on visa agencies for a long time, and I don't recall any bad reports on any of them. So my suggestion is generally to go for the cheapest, keeping in mind that if you're in a real hurry an agency based close to the consulate may provide quicker turn-around.
Sep 24, 2018, 11:05 am
#1777
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
This is what I think you are misconstruing, and I've already seen the page you have imaged above. That online application facility is intended for official passports/official business, not for ordinary passports and what's called "ordinary visas" (which are the types that we always talk about here: L, M, F, X, Z, Q, S, etc). The tip off: this page you linked to is coming from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. MFA deals only with Official and Diplomatic (and some courtesy) visas. These are the visas that have to be issued directly from the Embassy and do not go through any agent or visa service centre. Ordinary visas go through regular Immigration and the Public Security Bureau, and in Canada now have to be submitted via the China Visa Application Service Centre (or other agent). In the USA, you can either visit the Embassy/one of the Consulates directly to apply or use a visa agent.
Perhaps one of our Canadian readers who needs a regular ordinary visa would like to give the above link a try, and let us know if they get through and get a visa or at what point they hit the wall.
Perhaps one of our Canadian readers who needs a regular ordinary visa would like to give the above link a try, and let us know if they get through and get a visa or at what point they hit the wall.
Sep 26, 2018, 8:53 pm
#1778
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 306
From the Canadian website for the Embassy of the PRC, see the link in the middle of the page titled "CHINA ONLINE VISA APPLICATION"
The term online application is slightly misleading and the process is as I've described. When you click on that link, it will eventually redirect you to the website for one of the Visa Centres in Canada. You fill out the information online and then it creates a PDF form which you then have to print out and sign and bring in person to the Visa Application Centre. You don't actually submit the application electronically.
Sep 29, 2018, 4:35 am
#1779
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London
Posts: 3,439
Belfast visa service
I don't see any mention of the new visa application service in Belfast which has apparently been running since May - Belfast Chinese Visa Application Service Center Opening Notice-News but it's only open 2 days a month but from Oct I think it's 4 days per month.
Because of other commitments and lack of availability for appointments at the London Visa office we were considering applying by post until we discovered the Belfast office and as we were going to be there on one of the days it was open in sept we opted to apply there. There are no appointments - just turn up and take a number. We arrived at midday to find a full waiting room (it's open 10.30-3pm) and didn't get seen until nearly 3 - the advice is to go later rather than earlier as the next lot of people to come after us arrived at 2pm. The staff come over from Edinburgh and the passports go back there for the visas to be issued. Ring Edinburgh to make sure you have everything required including the self addressed special delivery envelope and to find out the opening dates
Because of other commitments and lack of availability for appointments at the London Visa office we were considering applying by post until we discovered the Belfast office and as we were going to be there on one of the days it was open in sept we opted to apply there. There are no appointments - just turn up and take a number. We arrived at midday to find a full waiting room (it's open 10.30-3pm) and didn't get seen until nearly 3 - the advice is to go later rather than earlier as the next lot of people to come after us arrived at 2pm. The staff come over from Edinburgh and the passports go back there for the visas to be issued. Ring Edinburgh to make sure you have everything required including the self addressed special delivery envelope and to find out the opening dates
Last edited by quitecontrary; Sep 29, 2018 at 4:46 am
Sep 30, 2018, 1:07 am
#1781
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
What country are you applying from? I've never heard invites from tour agencies apart Tibet specific.
Oct 1, 2018, 12:59 pm
#1783
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
Assuming you are also a US citizen, invitation letters are not generally required for L visas. Just book a plane ticket and hotel --don't actually pay for either-- and include copies of the reservation printouts with your visa application.
Oct 1, 2018, 1:11 pm
#1784
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2
there used to be an expedited visa option (for a significant added fee) at the LA office. Drop off paperwork and passport, then return to pick up visa 2-days later. Not sure if they still offer this or not.
Oct 4, 2018, 8:29 am
#1785
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New York
Programs: AA Exp / Marriott Titanium / Hilton Gold / Hyatt Globalist / United Silver
Posts: 958
Yikes - I went to go apply for a visa with an agency, and they told me that the visa process would be very difficult if I have ever been to Turkey.