How to Get China Travel Visas
Travelers can obtain visas for china travel as fast as the same day if you are in an emergency situation. There are instructions about how to do this towards the end of this article but let’s begin by looking at the several types of visas for China travel and their respective requirements.
Types of Chinese Visas
The Chinese government categorizes their visas into at least eight different types which are represented by letters of the alphabet. One example is the "L" visa which is granted to applicants who plan to visit China for the purpose of tourism. Those who go to engage in business will apply for an F visa. The letter that is used for a crew visa is "C", for a work visa is "Z", for a student visa is "X" and for a resident visa is "D".
Foreign correspondants should apply for either a J-1 or J-2 visa depending on whether they intend to stay long-term or short-term respectively.
Applicants have the option of choosing between single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry visas. Validity will be either 90 days or 180 days for the single-entry and double-entry visas. There are three validity options for applicants who request a multiple-entry visa which are 6 months, 12 months and 24 months. The 24 month vailidity visa is not listed on the application and has special requirements if you want to get one.
How to Get a Visa to China
The application process to get a China travel visa is pretty straightforward. You are required to present a valid passport when applying for a visa. The passport has to have at least six months of validity remaining beyond your time of stay in China.
There is only one application form that can be used for every type of visa. There are just a couple of pages that are separated into 7 different sections. The first section requests personal information such as full name, date of birth, passport number and occupation. You will complete Section 2 with information about your visit to China. It is here that you choose the type of visa you want, the intended number of entries and validity.
There are six questions about the state of your health that you must answer in Section 3 and provide your contact information in Section 4. Section 5 is for any special declarations you want to make and Section 6 is only necessary if the form is completed by a third party. Finally, Section 7 is where you sign and date the application.
It is essential that you fill in the form with correct information and in a legible manner. Any errors can cause delays in the process or, even, rejection of your request. There is a place on the application for affixing a recent passport-style photo which must be a full-face front view with a light colored background. Excess Baggage Excess baggage, container shipping and air freight services from Cargo Force. We are one of the largest independently owned freight forwarding and excess baggage companies in London (UK).
These few requirements and payment of the fee is all you need to get a visa for tourism. Other visas have additional requirements that must be met when submitting an application. For example, applicants who apply for a business visa to China must also submit an Official Business Visa Notification, a business letter with the name of visiting firm in China and a letter of invitation from a company in China.
The recommendation made by the China government is that travlers submit visa applications one month before their planned travel date. However, they do offer express (2-3 business days) and same day rush processing services. All you need to do is make the request and pay an additional fee.
Note, the Chinese embassy and consulates will not accept applications that are delivered by mail.
Therefore, you either have to submit the China travel visa application personally or submit the application through a professional China visa service.