Has anyone out there had any experience with obtaining Chinese tourist visas in the USA? I've tried contacting the DC embassy continuously for the past ten days to find out the price for British citizens living in the USA, but could never get through to them. I just gave up and sent it in with a money order for the US citizens' price. On hindsight, I'm kind of nervous because for all I know, they may not be open any more or could have moved. Hopefully, it's just Chinese bureaucracy at work and therefore, they never pick up their phones. Thanks for your help!

In order to make this somewhat ff related, I thought I'd better mention that I'm earning a whole stack of DL and SR miles on my round-about way of getting there. (DL ticket from Boston to the UK and SR ticket from London to Beijing.)

I have been through this several times with the New YOrk China Consulate.

DO NOT MAIL ANYTHING!!! THEIR RECORD KEEPING IS POOR AT BEST. It's best that you go (or have a friend go) to the consulate and get a visa application. If they can speak Chinese that will ease the process.

They should have applications around the office.

Our friends in Asia or others might be able to correct me if I'm wrong but here was the process:

*Wait in line, dropped off my passport with visa application.
*about two weeks later, went back to pick up passport with visa stamp.

If you can get a messenger to do this, that could help save a long time waiting.

Maybe you'll have an easier time being a British citizen, I don't know.

AND BE WARNED: Do not go into detail on what your career is. You can say you are just a tourist or a student. That should be fine. DON"T DO WHAT I DID AND SAY YOU ARE A JOURNALIST OR IN SOME GOVERNMENT OR POLITICAL FIELD. I HAD MY VISA REJECTED THEN HAD TO EXPLAIN I'M NOT GOING OVER TO CHINA TO COVER A STORY OR DO AN EXPOSE... JUST TO WALK THE GREAT WALL AND HAVE PEKING DUCK.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

And it is travel related because with China being one of the fastest growing BUSINESS markets and tourist destinations... this information is good to know.

leroy11: I would very strongly advise you use the services of a specialist Visa Service, or ask your airline to sort out the visa for you.

The only other advice I can offer is to ensure you include an address local to your destination in China (preferably a hotel where you have a reservation) or your application will be automatically rejected.

You may like to take a look at this web site, which may have links which are of use to you:

http://www.china-embassy.org.uk

Also you may like to try and obtain a copy of the leaflet "The Little Red Book" produced by Virgin Atlantic for passengers on their Shanghai route (Ok, I confess I have flown Virgin on occassion ).


Nick

Thanks for the information, Catman and Merry! It's very informative. I'll definitely let you know what happens. For anyone else out there who might be in the same boat, there are 3 useful web sites that I have found:
(Sorry I didn't know how to hyper-link them.)

http://www.embassy.org has details on all of the embassies in DC. It has links to their web sites if they have one and many allow you to download their visa applications.

http://www.china-embassy.org is the homepage of Washington's Chinese embassy.

http://www.embpage.org has links to embassies around the world.

Thanks again for your help.

I was rejected to apply to a Visa once because I did not provide proof that I was flying back. Make sure you have the tickets or ticket info.

I'm Taiwanese with a Brazilian passport. I suppose there could have been other reasons to deny me a visa too. But as far as I'm concerned, most embassies or consulates have a major problem with bureaucracy, so the best advice is to do your homework.

Tim

Take it from someone who has experience dealing with the Chinese Embassy anywhere....get your travel agent to process your visa for you if you are buying a ticket with them. If not, for an extra fee (normally $10-$20), they will do it for you.

For UK passport holders who are US residents, you pay the British rate. Unless you have a US passport, you are still a British citizen.

For major towns in the USA, there is a China Travel Service which might be able to help you - make sure you do not mistake them with Taiwan which sometimes lists themselves as republic of China. Mainland China is known as The People's Republic of China!

I don't trust agents that I don't know. They are usually useless in my experience. Either work with someone in your own company who is based in China, or do it yourself.

I walked up to the Chinese Consulate in Melbourne last year bringing a passport photo and filled out the papers while standing in line. When I got to the desk, they told me that U.S. citizens had to do everything in duplicate. This is because the U.S. requires Chinese visitors to do everything in duplicate.

So I went to the local photo shop and got an extra picture, went back and filled out a second application, came back the next day and picked up my visa.

I later learned that the secretary in my company's Hong Kong office can process Chinese visa in a matter of a few hours. Without bothering with pictures!


[This message has been edited by stimpy (edited 04-23-99).]

Spike: My preference for an agent is based on the fact that I use BA to process visa's.

The big benefit of this to me is that if you have a last minute trip BA will have the visa processed for you whilst you are in the air, and hand it to you on arrival at your destination.

The additional benefit of this is that they will hold a passport on deposit (PoD) for you at Heathrow (or Buckingham Palace Road), which can prove invaluable, either for turning up at Heathrow without a passport or for getting them to run round embassies for you whilst you are in the air.

They also include "Meet and Greet" at places like Cairo, Moscow and Beijing, so you get wisked through the VIP line.

Nick

Another word of caution in China...

A buddy of mine is a very proficient amateur photographer. He got his VISA and tickets without too much trouble.

When he got there with his considerable cache of photographic equipment, he got the 3rd degree. They eventually let him through, but it was several hours.

Bottom line: Not only don't tell them you are a reporter, don't travel looking like one.

Exactly Jon Toner! My friend Rick is a photographer and just wanted to take pictures for the fun of it. that's all.

He took the camera and equpipment in his carryon with a change of clothes. (he Packs very very little) China security thought it was a purse and let him through.

They did question me over my dinky little instantmatic camera.

If you are trying to get a tourist visa and plan to stop by Hong Kong before heading to China, get the visa in Hong Kong.

It cost less and you can have it the next day or the same day for more $$$$. Also, I don't think you even need a picture.