Loren Pechtel

China gives 1 year multiple entry tourist visas to Americans. My understanding is that currently your first visa is likely single entry, you'll get multiples after that. They even have two year tourist visas but there's no way you're going to get one. The visa fee is currently $140 and there is no mail service--in person or go through a visa processor.

Loren Pechtel

This varies. We have never provided them with plane tickets. We have never even had hotel reservations, although we do list the address we will be staying at (at least for most of the trip, we sometimes take side trips.)

On the other hand we had a long history of Chinese visas from before the time they ever asked about such stuff.

chollie

Did the border inspection on the return ask to see a Brazilian visa?

I have read that the Brazilian visa you get at Iguassu (on the Argentinian side) is really a 'day' visa, but there are also reports of people who got it 'extended' somehow once on the Brazilian side. That's still too dicey for me to actually commit to an open-jaw US-Argentina/Brazil-US open-jaw ticket, unfortunately, and I'm not going to explore Brazil beyond Iguassu if I have to return to Iguassu/Argentina to fly home.

worldiswide

Very interesting thread. We went to Brazil in 2008. We didn't need an airline ticket but you had to fill out the application online and have a barcode number to present to the consulate. The fee had to be paid with a post office money order and they were very strict about that method of payment as the only alternative. That said we were in and out of the Chicago consulate in a half hour.

Have had a Chinese visa for each of the last several years. Have also taken advantage of the 48 hour layover allowed in Shanghai if you are traveling onward to a third country with no visa required. Last year timing was very good and had 47.5 hours with no fee. Received 10 year Indian visa in a day without any expedited processing fees 2 years ago.

For us having the passport out of had house or pocket is a bigger concern than cost of the visa. So we haven't done Russia for that reason. Vietnam allowed a copy of the passport page to suffice and mailed back visas. Even Myanmar was very efficient and had passports back in 10 days.

And sometimes the easiest ones cause the most issues. We've been to Australia each of the last five years and every time we apply for the eta my husband has been rejected initially and has to wait to clear. Don't know what list he is on.

So hassle factor is more of a concern than cost. I wouldn't specifically include or exclude a country based on visa expense.

MSPeconomist

I've always provided a copy of my plane ticket, even for a one-year multi entry visa (where I show the plane ticket associated with the effective date I am requesting). Around the time of the Olympics, the consulates suddenly announced a change of policy and demanded that one send hotel confirmations. Fortunately, this is easy to do as one can book refundable rates with liberal cancellation policies through chain hotel websites. In my case, my wonderful travel agent played along and booked rooms for me that we cancelled when my Chinese contacts verified that they had booked something for my stay. There was no requirement that one stay in the hotels documented for the visa application, not must one follow that itinerary, although travel to Tibet and any of the more isolated rural areas might result in more scrutiny.

nerd

No. The Argentines were not interested whether or not I had a Brazilian visa.

Am I understanding the question correctly? I don't see why the Argentines would care.

ZeekLTK

I tend to avoid countries with a VISA. It's practically the main reason I haven't been to South America yet.

So far the only two I have gotten have been for Mali (went for a college study abroad program) and Gabon (to visit a friend), so basically the only time I am willing to pay for one is when I'm going somewhere for a specific event and don't really have a choice.

Otherwise - I almost went to Lithuania/Belarus earlier this year, but balked when I found out how much the VISA for Belarus was. Went to Finland/Estonia instead.

chollie

Exit visa.

IIRC, crossing the bridge at Vic Falls from Zambia to Zimbabwe and back, you 'exited' Zambia, 'entered' Zimbabwe (bought visa on entry), display Zimbabwe visa when exiting, showed Zambia visa when 're-entering'. (I actually had to pay extra, IIRC, for a multi-entry Zambia visa because of this - I think they know a lot of people are going to enter Zambia for tourism but want to see both sides of the falls, so technically you need multi-entry).

I assumed you would pass through Brazilian customs going and returning. When you mentioned the check on the return, I thought you meant Brazilian customs (exit).

nerd

No, no exit customs. On the Brazilian side, it's much like Europe even before the current E.U. -- a formal checkpoint but it's "slow down and get waved through", especially if you're with a local driver who makes the crossing 7x/week.

chollie

This is good news. I'll have to start fare-watching. I've been to Argentina, so no additional cost (less than 10 years), so this makes Iguassu definitely do-able for a very long weekend/mileage run. Or even a bit more time in Argentian exploring.

What time of year did you go?

Doc Savage

That was my experience, too, 3 years ago; I just took the public bus over the border and didn't get off at the Brazilian "checkpoint." They seemed to be ignoring it.

I have heard this has changed lately, so you might get turned back.

Hopped another public bus out to Iguacu from Foz. $3 for the whole trip.

Doc Savage

Fly into Uruguay. Easy to get over to BsAs on a ferry, take a bus over to Chile. Could also fly into Peru.

RichardInSF

I go to HK once or twice a year. Would be happy to visit Shenzhen, but as a US citizen, I'm not going to pay $150 for the privilege.

Chinese claim they are just doing what the US does to Chinese residents, but the key difference is that after the first couple of US visas, the US gives Chinese residents a five or ten year visa -- China never does that, it's apparently too big a profit center for them.

Yaatri

It's quite obvious. They would care that you have a visa to enter Argentina. When they examine your passport for Argentinian visa, it's not difficult to find out, especially if you entered Argentina just a few days ago.
Never go with the logic of "how would hey know, or why would they care?"
You are risking a lot if you play with entry requirements of another country.

Yaatri

Chinese capitalism. An american complaining about capitalism?
I too would not pay $130 for one year visa, even if it's multiple entry. They decide what they charge, I decide whether I buy.