Apply for Chinese Visas April 13, 2010
Posted by janey in : travel general , trackbackApplicant can get visas for china travel as fast as the same day if you are in a hurry. You can find out how to do this at the end of this article but first let’s look at the different types of Chinese visas and the basic requirements to apply for them.
Types of Chinese Visas
The Chinese government categorizes their visas into at least eight different types which are represented by letters of the alphabet. For example, travelers who travel to China for tourism will apply for an L visa. Travelers who plan to do business in China must apply for a "F" visa. Crew visas are represented by the letter C, work visas by the letter Z, student visas by the letter X and resident visas by the letter D.
Foreign correspondents who plan a long-term stay need to apply for a J-1 visa while those planning a short-term visit need to submit the application for a J-1 visa.
The Chinese consular services offer single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry visas. Validity for single-entry or double-emtry visas can be either 90 days or 180 days. There are three validity options for applicants who request a multiple-entry visa which are 6 months, 12 months and 24 months. The last can only be obtain with special permission and is not offered on the application form.
How to Get a Visa to China
The application process to get a Chinese visa is pretty straightforward. Of course, you have to submit a valid passport in order to get 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. It is only two pages long and is divided into seven sections. Section 1 requests personal data such as complete name, birth date, passport number and occupation. Information about your China travel plans should be written in Section 2. This space is provided for you to to select the type of visa you need as well as the the validiity and number of entries you desire.
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. The fifth section provides space for any special declarations you believe you should include while the sixth section only needs to be filled in if the form is done by someone other than the person traveling to China. 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.
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. You have to ask for this service and include payment for it.
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 expediter.
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