China is a place many would love to be either for vacation, for work, tourism, or even business and so on, there are some tips you should know on China visa application before your visa application and we will be listing them out here. We also have got you the nitty-gritty of what you should know to apply for a china visa.
First and foremost, it is necessary to know this important information before deciding or taking any steps to apply for a China Visa, you will need the following to complete your visa application form (which you can download here), and it includes recently taken colored passport photograph, you must also have a recognized and valid international passport, you will need these documents to apply for your China visa, then you submit to the Chinese embassy in charge of your residence area. Below are the various Chinese visa types, you need to be familiar with them to avoid error while filling your application form.
• Tourist (L) China Visa Type, this is the type of visa issued to visitors I mean foreigner who is going to PRC for tourism.
• Business (M) China Visa Type, is the type of China Visa issued to visitors who are going to PRC strictly for business or trading.
• Work (Z) China Visa Type, this type of China Visa as the name implies is for those who are going for a post or employment in China.
• Family Reunion (Q) China Visa Type, this type is issued to relatives of Chinese citizens or foreigners with permanent residence permits residing in PRC.
• Student (X) China visa Type is issued to visitors who are going for study or those who want to further their studies.
• Transit (G) China Visa Type, is the type of visa issued to visitors who are going to a third country in transit of PRC.
• Noncommercial Visit (F) China Visa Type, this visa is issued to visitors who are invited to a seminar or lecture, study tour, cultural exchanges and scientific-technological, etc.
• Talent (R) China Visa Type, this type of China Visa is issued to a group of talented people, high-level personnel.
• Private Visit (S) China Visa Type, this Visa Type as the name implies is issued to members of a family of a foreigner residing in China either for work or business or study, etc.
• Crew (C) China Visa Type, this type of visa as the name implies is issued to crewmembers involving international-based transportation by airways and ships, and also with their accompanying family members.
• Resident (D) China Visa Type is issued to visitors who are going to China to reside permanently in PRC.
• Journalist (J-1, J-2) China Visa Type, this visa type as the name implies is issued to foreign journalists if there is any report from PRC.
You can read more about the Chinese Visa types on the official website here
From the above China Visa Types, you can see that you can’t just apply for the form without the knowledge of these, giving your idea and explanation on your purpose for the travel.
How to apply for China Visa
1. Check whether you will or will not need a visa; if you will be needing a visa or not is not a decision you have to make on your own. In fact, it depends on your country’s eligibility for China’s visa-free policies, they would have previously signed a bilateral visa waiver agreement with China, so you wouldn’t need a visa to visit The PRC (People’s Republic of China). Although, there must be a preparation of some documents like your international passport, a round trip flight ticket, and sufficient funds for an immigration check. Some other sets of people are also eligible to get to China without a visa, they are the holders of a valid Chinese Temporary Residence Permit or Permanent Residence Permit can also enter China without a visa.
2. Check the Type of China Visa you need to get: this, as explained earlier is based on your purpose for the travel. If your purpose is defined, then you will know which visa to get.
3. Next is to prepare all your documents especially the ones you will be needing. These document as explained earlier in the first paragraph of this article, your international passport (with a validity of at least 6 months; must also have blank pages.) and the visa application form (truthfully completed; type-written with no blanks left.) attached with a recent passport photograph taken within six months, with full face against a light background, the size must be 48mm x 33mm, bare-headed if not for a religious cause, must not be neglected, it must be the first thing to take note of and of course, other documents which we called supporting documents are required but varies according to the type of visa you are applying for. Any type of visa you are applying for; you will be informed of the type of supporting documentation you will bring along. meanwhile, all documents must meet the Chinese embassy requirement.
4. Submission of Document: after the preparation of all these documents, the next thing is to submit the application to the nearest Chinese embassy, consulate, or Chinese Visa Application Center (CVASC). You can either use mail service which is available in some consular offices or you go in yourself or send an agent. The whole process should take four working days but there might be an additional non-working day sometimes for Chinese public holidays.
The whole process could be faster if you want, all you need to do is to pay an additional fee, your application may be processed overnight if you pay an additional fee for fast-track handling.
5. Payment: the next thing after the whole process is to pay the fee and pick up your visa. You will be given a date to come back, the date will be appointed at the pickup slip, when you get there, pay your fee and you will get your passport back with a visa.
Best time to apply for China Visa Application Form
The best time to apply for a China visa is a month or two months before your departure date, a China visa is only valid for three months starting from the date of issue, which therefore explains that the earliest time you can apply is three months before your departure. Note that you cannot renew or extend your China visa once approved meanwhile you can do this while in China at the local Exit and Entry Administration under the Public Security Bureau.
Important information about China Visa
• When you are residing in a third country and you need to get a visa, proof of legal stay will be needed.
• China issues visas according to its laws and regulations, and this may be modified from time to time, China follows the international system and the policy of China is somehow strict but now it is becoming easier as it has visa-free transit policies, and the introduction of a 10- year china visa to the US, Canadian and Argentina citizens
• China Policy, the Policy of China Visa is set depending on its counterparts in other countries, the policy a country has against China will be same China will use for that country that is a tit for tat policy. For example, If a country visa is expensive for China citizens, definitely a China visa will also be expensive for that same country. In a different case, it will be on a bilateral agreement.
• Visa Exemption Policy of China
1. 6-day visa exemption for tourists to Pearl River Delta
2. 6-day visa exemption for ASEAN tour groups visiting Guilin
3 15-day visa-free policy for cruise tour groups to Shanghai
4. Hainan 30-day visa-free access
• Some citizens from certain countries having visa-exemption agreements with China are:
Grenada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Singapore, Japan, Brunei, UAE, Mauritius, and some others.
• You can get a China Visa upon landing at these few places, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, Hainan, and some port cities but only in urgent cases., therefore VOA is not recommended because the rules changes even now and then. The best China Visa is gotten few months before your departure.
In summary, how to apply for a China Visa
1. Prepare your documents: An international passport, visa application form, recent passport photo, travel itinerary, invitation letter, etc., and any other necessary document.
2. Submit your application to the Chinese embassy/consulate / Visa Service Application Center (CVASC) in person or by using an agent or by mail.
3. Collect your passport and visa on the appointed date and pay the fee.
Conclusion
Following the above clues and recommendation, applying for a China Visa will be easier and it is very important to note that it is not unusual for your China visa application to be rejected, why? Because China has strict visa policies and its visa approval rates are not that high. The consular officer may or may not be willing to tell you reasons for visa denial, but as hard as it is you can avoid a visa denial by following all the necessary procedures.