Chinese Visa

[rocket256]

I have a query in regards to obtaining a Chinese visa. I'm planning to travel to china in July from Hong Kong via train. However at the moment I'm unsure of the exact date i'll be leaving. Are visas issued with a strict entry date? or Is it more flexible?

Also will I have any issues initially entering HK? I plan to book the train while in HK so I won't be able to show them any bookings out of HK.

Thanks in advance

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have a query in regards to obtaining a Chinese visa. I'm planning to travel to china in July from Hong Kong via train. However at the moment I'm unsure of the exact date i'll be leaving. Are visas issued with a strict entry date? or Is it more flexible?

Also will I have any issues initially entering HK? I plan to book the train while in HK so I won't be able to show them any bookings out of HK.

Thanks in advance

Chinese visas are issued with an 'issue date' and an 'enter before' date.

The issue date is exactly that, the date on which it was issued. Your time starts running the day the visa is issued. You must then enter by 2359 on the 'enter before' date. If it says 'enter before 12 July' then you have until 2359 on 12 July to enter, and are then permitted to stay x number of days as stated on your visa. (so yes - you can stay in china well after the 'enter before' date)

The visa service advises you how far in advance to apply - about one month before you want to go (but no earlier than three months)

The visa can be either single or double entry. Multiple entry visas (tourist) generally require you to have first completed a single or double entry visa (ie - you 'work your way up' to the longer visa).

Entry is generally restricted to 30 days. It can be less if you state that on your application.

As for entering HK - depends how you are getting there. You may be asked for proof of onwards or return travel by the airline carrying you to HKG.

For your china visa you will need tickets in and out + accommodation. So the bigger problem will be how to satisfy that requirement.

 

[rocket256]

As for entering HK - depends how you are getting there. You may be asked for proof of onwards or return travel by the airline carrying you to HKG.

I will be flying into HK and I won't have any direct 'proof' of an onwards ticket. Would saying that I will be going into china via train satisfactory? or would I be better off pre buying a flight out of HK and using that instead of the train?[/QUOTE]

For your china visa you will need tickets in and out + accommodation. So the bigger problem will be how to satisfy that requirement.

Do I need to show the tickets & accommodation when making the visa application or is this only when entering the border?

Thanks for your help

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I will be flying into HK and I won't have any direct 'proof' of an onwards ticket. Would saying that I will be going into china via train satisfactory? or would I be better off pre buying a flight out of HK and using that instead of the train?

Do I need to show the tickets & accommodation when making the visa application or is this only when entering the border?

Thanks for your help [/QUOTE]

you will need to show your entry and departure ticket for china when applying for your visa. so you will also use that when entering Hong Kong if asked (or more likely, to show the airline when you are departing from Australia - where you may be asked for your return back home).

 

[erkpod]

I'm not an immigration lawyer nor have I played one on TV.....


In 2011, I flew from Europe & spent a week in Hong Kong. On arrival, I was issued with a 30 day tourist visa.

One day, I decided to go to Macau. Arrived via helicopter, passport stamped on entry.

Leaving the ferry/helicopter terminal, I found a bus to Border Town. Not knowing which border they were talking about, I jumped on the bus.

Not knowing where the Border Town bus stop was, I remained on the bus & was halfway back to the ferry terminal before I realised.

After walking around & getting a taxi, I found Border Town. The bus terminal was below ground. If I got off the bus there, I would have been there a couple of hours earlier.

I saw what looked to be happy looking Chinese people walking into this big building with shopping & a large screen giving statistics about entries & exits.

Not knowing where I was going, I went to an information lady & asked where all the people were going. She said that they were going to China. I asked how they would get there? She said that they'd walk there. I asked if I could walk there & she said I should check with Customs.

With everything in Hong Kong & a ferry trip booked to take me back, I asked a Customs officer for advice. He said that he couldn't tell me about the Chinese side but said that if China let you into the country, Macau would let me back in there.

Armed with that info, I walked out of Macau, getting my passport stamped on the way out.

Walking the 500m or so between the Macau exit & the Chinese entry points was strange. I saw an occasional sign in English about a visa but not much else. I went into the special needs line & asked for help. I was advised to go upstairs to the visa office.

So I walked upstairs to the visa office & was told that the visa entry price was 129 yuan (from memory) - yuan only. No credit cards or Hong Kong dollars accepted. Stuck in no man's land between Macau's exit & China's entry, I tried to get some Chinese currency. The duty free store was useless but there was a lady in a hut providing currency exchange.

So I got the yuan, got the 3 day tourist visa for that immediate area only (not valid for travel to Shanghai or Beijing) & got welcomed to China.

I spent about 90 minutes in China & then returned on foot to Macau, cross town to the ferry terminal by bus & then back to Hong Kong by ferry.

Apart from applying for the visa in person, there was no real questioning of intentions or future travel.

There ends my story about walking to China.

 

[TheEmu]

...
...There ends my story about walking to China.

And an entertaining little tale it was too!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[erkpod]

And an entertaining little tale it was too!
Thanks for sharing.

My Facebook status from Hong Kong that night was interesting.

"Today, I walked to China."

 

[MEL_Traveller]

erkpod... sounds like this was the same type of set up they have for visiting the special economic (and tourist shopping) zone of Shenzhen from Hong Kong... the visa is applied for and granted just prior to arrival. it is not valid for anywhere outside of those special zones.

 

[Pushka]

When in Hong Kong I decided to take the train to Shenzhen. I gave up my passport to a visa service a couple of days earlier then with visa in hand took the train to Shenzhen. Like you I knew nothing. I was really a "no speaka da Chinese" tourist. There was a mass of people moving across the border to China. I wanted to backtrack to an ATM behind me so I turned and walked the wrong way. There was this loud whistle and everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Except me, I kept on walking. Next thing a Chinese Army Man stood right in front of me and pointed at me to turn around. I didn't say a word but just turned around and tried to disappear. Only problem is that at 5'8 and blonde I wasn't disappearing in an army of Chinese. I could see clear ahead. .

So I did my shopping and went to buy a return ticket. You can't buy them on the Hong Kong side. I crossed immigration then realised I only had yuan from the ATM. I had spent all my HK money not thinking there would be an issue. I think in the end someone gave me the money? I can't remember it was just a really stressful day.

 

[sinophile888]

When in Hong Kong I decided to take the train to Shenzhen. I gave up my passport to a visa service a couple of days earlier then with visa in hand took the train to Shenzhen. Like you I knew nothing. I was really a "no speaka da Chinese" tourist. There was a mass of people moving across the border to China. I wanted to backtrack to an ATM behind me so I turned and walked the wrong way. There was this loud whistle and everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Except me, I kept on walking. Next thing a Chinese Army Man stood right in front of me and pointed at me to turn around. I didn't say a word but just turned around and tried to disappear. Only problem is that at 5'8 and blonde I wasn't disappearing in an army of Chinese. I could see clear ahead. .

So I did my shopping and went to buy a return ticket. You can't buy them on the Hong Kong side. I crossed immigration then realised I only had yuan from the ATM. I had spent all my HK money not thinking there would be an issue. I think in the end someone gave me the money? I can't remember it was just a really stressful day.

That is why my +1 and I always keep a current multi-entry Chinese visa in our passports.

 

[Pushka]

But they only last for six months.

 

[jukebox333]

We planned to go to Guangzhou for three days as part of a week long stopover in HK at Christmas.

Went into get visas for Family (wife, 2 kids, 2 grandparents) from the tourist office in Central the day we arrived in HK, and was asked for birth certificates for youngest kids.

No, we don't carry them. We have passports for them.

Can someone fax us a scan or a copy of the birth certificates?

No - Grandparents who could do that are standing here in front of you.

In that case, No, your kids cant have a visa...

Lesson learned. Sidetrip aborted.

 

[sinophile888]

But they only last for six months.

We have had annual multi-entry visas for at least the last 8 years. I did read somewhere that a history of annual visas helps to qualify for annual visas. We try to visit China twice a year and those visits usually involve more than one border crossing. We have crossed at Shenzhen(Luo Hu) dozens of times.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

We have had annual multi-entry visas for at least the last 8 years. I did read somewhere that a history of annual visas helps to qualify for annual visas. We try to visit China twice a year and those visits usually involve more than one border crossing. We have crossed at Shenzhen(Luo Hu) dozens of times.

annual visas are possible to get but you generally need to work up to them in stages... single or double entry visa first, then multi entry 6-month, then to multi-entry one year. they are getting quite expensive though!!

 

[mushez]

annual visas are possible to get but you generally need to work up to them in stages... single or double entry visa first, then multi entry 6-month, then to multi-entry one year. they are getting quite expensive though!!

To get an Annual, Multi Entry, Chinese Visa you must:

1st - Obtain a 6 month, single entry, 30 days per visit visa - and then enter China under it.
2nd - Obtain a 12 month, double entry, 30 days per visit visa - and enter China two times under it. To get a double entry visa, you must have already had a prior visa and entered China once in the prior 12 months.
3rd - You can apply for a multi entry, 90 days per visit visa - to enter China. To get, you must have had a double entry visa and entered China under it twice in the prior 12 months.

To maintain your eligibility for a multi entry annual visa, you must enter China twice in the prior 12 months.