RealHJ

I know that it was not at least in the Timatic shown on delta.com (seen that myself, there was no mention of it there), nor what that the Jardine Airport Services people were pulling up, nor in the printed book on that that they used either last October. Now it is there though, after they probably got enough complaints on being so inaccurate and missing such critical piece of info...

moondog

Sorry, but I'm not buying your delta tale; we had a really silly debate about this topic here about a year ago (I don't think it was in the China forum) in which posters scrutinized delta's TIMATIC tooth and nail. Some people felt that it was not permissible to leave PVG during their 48 hour stopovers because of poor semi colon use on delta TIMATIC. Then, KVS stepped in provided an easier to understand version of the same policy, which effectively ended the discussion. The point remains that the airlines rely on TIMATIC, not Chinese consulates, in order to get nformation about these issues.

Shimon

Asking on behalf of a French national friend. Is it possible to get a visa by mail for French passports? He has dual citizenships and wants to get a new visa in his French passport to minimize headaches.

He is currently in China on a visa in his other passport.

Jamoldo

I've been looking in the threads and can't find it - so here goes: My friend wants to visit China (he's flying in from the US) and does not have medical insurance. There is a question on the China visa form asking if the applicant has health insurance and if so, what company and policy number. He's wondering if he says he doesn't have any if they will reject his application? Thoughts?

moondog

Can you post a link to the latest visa application form? If the old form is still available, find it for him, and tell him to use it. Which consulate is he planning on using? My ranking (from best to worst) is as follows:

1) DC
2) Houston
3) Los Angeles
4) Chicago
5) New York
6) San Francisco

Jamoldo

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ywz...4017412067.pdf

Page 2, question 2.7

He lives in NYC... you think they'd accept the old form, or send him back?

moondog

Wow! That new form is pretty intense. I met a guy last year who issues one month insurance plans that are based in China, which aren't super expensive. I will need to make a few phone calls in order to locate him, but it appears this might be the best course of action. Feel free to email me.

anacapamalibu

The only time they reject a visa application is if your credit card charge is denied when times comes to pay for it. Or you are notorious.

Jamoldo

I'll give him a shout. I might just tell him to come to HK and get the visa through some travel agent instead.

anacapamalibu

2.7 has been on the form for over a year.
Have your friend verify with a visa agency company...they will say insurance is not a requirement...just answer n/a, if you don't have it.

jiejie

Jamoldo, sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but the focus is on the wrong thing--which is the question on the visa application form. The real issue is: why is your friend considering traveling in China (or anywhere) without insurance? Even travel insurance for a limited time period is better than nothing.

Based on how the Chinese have been acting this year over visas, I would not hazard a guess whether they will see an n/a or a blank, and use it to deny a visa. Previously, I would have said they'd blow right by it and process no problem. Now, I'm not so sure.

Jamoldo

To be honest, I have no idea. He's coming out to HK for about a month and we're doing some traveling, but I kind of had the same question on the insurance but did not ask (China's not a super high priority to be honest but I've told him to get a visa just in case we end up going or I take him to Shenzhen).

anacapamalibu

Chinese law allows denying exit from the country if money is supposedly owed in a business dispute. So if someone wracked up medical expenses and had no money to pay, conceivably they could deny departing China until its paid.

jiejie

Chinese hospitals will not treat you unless you put the money up front. Full stop. Unlike the USA, there is no legal obligation for them to treat you even in an emergency. So you wouldn't be racking up medical expenses that you could then theoretically run out on. That said, there aren't many Chinese hospitals you'd want to deal with in an emergency. The system is diabolical. Non-Chinese based insurance will not help here in upfront payments, though you might be able to get receipts, get them all translated, and get reimbursed by an insurance company later.

This leaves the expat-oriented places, which are very expensive--perhaps even more so than USA prices. You don't want to walk into any of these without insurance of some kind. And except for a few companies and policy types, you'll still have to pay upfront and file for reimbursement later.

I know plenty of people, normally healthy, who got injured or ill while in China, and would have been SOL without insurance. Frankly, if your friend cannot find a way to afford some sort of insurance (travel or regular), he does not need to be traveling overseas--his priorities are screwed up.

This also applies to HK. It might interest you and your friend to know that after the USA, Hong Kong and China are the most expensive places in the world to medically insure expats (assuming use of the better hospital facilities in each).

Jamoldo

My thought was that he should get some sort of travel insurance but hey I cannot tell the guy, an adult what to do.

On the cost of insuring expats in HK...It's because expats such as myself here in HK are spoiled brats (and for whatever reason, many others feel they are entitled - hence demands to go to Matilda on the peak etc). While HK's public healthcare system is not perfect, its very good from my (noteably few) observations and from what friends and acquaintances here have told me and very reasonable in terms of costs.