Getting a China Visa
I know Tauck doesn’t do any China tours these days, but I’m going to Xi’An with another company to see the terracotta warriors. Because of that, I need to get a China visa.
I researched the requirements for a China visa – it’s fairly involved – and decided to use a visa company, Visa Central. Incidentally, Visa Central also does business under the name CIBT.
Applying for the China visa is involved. There’s a form on the China website that you have to fill out, then print. The printed copy is sent with your application. There’s a tricky thing in that form – it has to be filled out in CAPITAL LETTERS. If you use any lower case letters, they reject your application.
They want a list of any other names you used, names of your father and mother, their birth dates, nationalities, and where born. Employment for the last five years, your detailed itinerary in China, with dates, names of hotels and addresses for each date.
Then there are the supporting documents. You need to list all the countries you visited in the past 12 months with the entry and exit dates. You have to send them a scan of the front and back of your driver’s license. If you visited Turkey, you need to full out a separate form and send a scan of your entry and exit stamps for Turkey. Military service? You need to include a copy of your DD-214.
Visited China before? They want a copy of your previous visa and you need to send in your expired passport with that visa, along with your current passport. And these are just the things I remember.
You can see why you might need a visa company to help you. My complaint about Visa Central is that they “nickel and dime” you. They push their “premium service” hard but it’s $300 extra per person. That’s in addition to their regular charges, which are about $200 (that includes China’s visa processing fee). Want them to review your application and supporting documents before you mail the physical papers to them? That’s an additional $75 per person (if you don’t take the premium service).
I got an email from them asking me to upload my passport photos. But when I went to do that, I found a charge of $35 per person. I’ll just send them the pictures when I send in my documents.
If you use the FedEX label they include with their kit to send your documents to them, that’s $59. They charge you $55 to ship your passport back to you.
It appears that if you do get a visa, it’s good for 10 years, multiple entry.
I can see why Tauck doesn’t do tours to China. Getting visas for everyone would be a nightmare.
I haven't gotten my visa yet and expect some back and forth before I do. Wish me luck!
Comments
The one visa I used Visa Central for was China (with Tauck in 2017). Visa Central was awful to deal with. They rejected my application several times without adequate explanation.
When you send in your pictures, make sure you don't smile and no teeth are visible, or they will reject it.
It seems even more convoluted and nonsensical now than when I went. Given politics with China these days, their visa app. would probably be enough to convince not to go there. Good luck!
I don’t remember it being that complicated when we went to China
We loved seeing the Terracotta warriors. Be aware it’s a long walk with very long lines. It was a cold and misty day outside when we went.
Several years ago, China loaned a couple of the warriors to a Philadelphia museum and we went to see them. Shortly after that, some nutter broke the finger off one of them and took it home. It almost caused a major international incident!
The political situation between the US and China is not all that good so maybe China is getting tougher on visas. I'll see how it goes to get the visa and let everyone know.
Maybe this is one reason Tauck still hasn’t returned to China.
Of course, by the time you go our countries may be bosom buddies with our change of President.
Travel AdvisoryApril 12, 2024Mainland China, Hong Kong & Macau - See Summaries
OD
Reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions. Exercise increased caution when traveling to the Hong Kong SAR due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Reconsider travel to the Macau SAR due to a limited ability to provide emergency consular services. Exercise increased caution when traveling to the Macau SAR due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws. See specific risks and conditions in each jurisdiction.
We used Visa Central for Tauck China in 2018 (still can't believe part of the trip was a Yangze River sale that went through Wuhan province, and that we were taken to a wet market not too far before Covid). As I recall, since China was very particular, we were encouraged to work with Visa Central, and I believe Tauck assumed the cost. I looked back in my file and see an invoice showing it was sent to Tauck. I did not experience any nickel and diming. Some parts of the visa process may be knew. The part about prior travels and supporting documents I was not asked for that I recall, and it is not on the application, a copy of which I retained. We did apply for and receive a 10 year multi-entry. I think Visa Central is picky because the Chinese authorities are.
We went on that tour in October/November 2019 and used Visa Central. Tauck definitely did not pay for the visas. It’s rare for Tauck to pay for visas as part of a tour. Are you sure Tauck paid for yours?
I just applied for my Indian visa this morning. That was an annoying process with way too much info requested.
There was one that asked to list all the countries you've been to in the last 10 years. So I went though my Pictures directory, with a folder for each trip. I listed a little over 30 countries. When I clicked Continue at the bottom of the page, I got an error message saying the max. number of countries accepted for that question is 20. So I had to delete a bunch. Why didn't they list a max. up front?
I have used Visa Central on more than one occasion and Tauck has never paid for it.
I see the paperwork I sent to Visa Central, and it has a rate of $95 for a service fee and $140 for a consular fee on it. And it is specific to Tauck China and has an account number to reference, plus it includes as a whole kit the itinerary and other items for attachment. I do see that I provided a credit card number and see it on my statement. But at the same time, I have an invoice from CIBT showing no fee or balance, and it has the name and address of someone at Tauck HQ. In my filename I noted that Tauck covered the invoice, so I am not clear what happened - it may be that there was enhanced service that Tauck covered. Anyway the fee was modest, and the Tauck specific kit from Visa Central helped identify exactly what was needed. Ultimately it was doable. I found Tanzania and Kenya, done by myself, to be more of a pain.
Is it possible it was added to the entire payment for your tour?
Tauck has taken care of visas on a few of my trips. I believe Egypt was one. I don't recall the other(s). They never added it as a separate line item to the billing statement.
The India visa was a bit of a challenge. I did the one year visa because I could do it earlier (further out from the trip) than the shorter visa. I think it was $40/person.
The China visa seems to be at least an order of magnitude more involved with what information you have to provide. I just sent my passports and applications to Visa Central this morning so I'll see how it goes.
Visa Central had a document that told you how to full out the application but it was not current. China must have implemented a new application and Visa Central did not update their instructions.
I found the application to be a challenge - it's really easy to make a mistake on it. The simplest mistake was that they require it to be filled out in CAPITAL LETTERS. It's pretty easy to set up your web document so that the typed letters always come out in uppercase letters, even if you enter it in lower case. But, no, they didn't do that. They make you enter it all in uppercase letters, and it's easy to forget and do a field in lower case. Once you "submit" it, you can't change it - you have to start from the beginning again.
They want a lot of data, some of which is hard to understand why. For example, they want to know if you've been to Turkey and they want a copy of your passport stamps. The only thing I can think of is that Uyghurs use a route that includes Turkey when they flee China. Or, at least they used to use that route. I think they now go a different route.
They want to know if you served in the military or police department. Or if you've received training in several things - explosives, biological agents and a few others. There are other questions which I don't remember right now. If you were born in China or Taiwan it's even more complicated and data demanding, even if you're an American citizen now.
I hope I don't have to go through too many iterations.
[I'm going from memory here, but I think Visa Central's base price was $69 and China charged about $140. They have a "Premium Service" for $300/person where they do everything for you (of course, you have to provide your passport and all needed data), plus the China visa fee of $140. That would be $440/person, $880 for my wife and I, plus shipping charges of a bit over $100. So close to $1,000 for two visas if you go that route.
They will fill out the China visa application for you for $90/person - from a form that they provide and you fill out. There are a few other services: $35/person to print a passport photo from a photo you send them electronically. They provide a FedEX label to ship your stuff to them and charge $59 if you use it. $55 to ship the stuff back to you.]
When I went to Egypt, we got Egyptian visas before we left but I learned that it was fairly easy to get a tourist visa when you arrived,
Visa Central has our passports and application forms. They're going to submit everything to the China Embassy tomorrow. Here's the cost:
Grand total for two visas - $492.32
This is with no extra services from Visa Central - it's the lowest price for two China visas from Visa Central. Almost $300 of that figure is China embassy charges.
I hope there are no problems with the applications that cause them to be bounced back to us. Visa Central estimates that they will receive the passports, with the visas, back from the embassy on December 2nd.
Anyone ever try to get a visa in person at the Chinese embassy in DC?
Based on a web search, it says that standard processing time for a China visa from the embassy is 4 days, so I suppose you could drop off your passport and application, but you'd have to go back to pick up your passport and visa. They give you an appointment for the pickup. Looks like you pay your fees at pickup. They take cashier's check or credit cards for payment, but it doesn't mention cash.
[You can get an appointment to drop your stuff off. Sort of looks like you need an appointment to drop your stuff off.]
I learned something today when I visited a newly opened Automobile Club office to pay my car registration fees. I did not know they provide discounts on travel visa services and expedited passport services including photos.
I thought this might be of assistance to those, like me, who are underutilizing what the Club offers. And I have been a member for over fifty (50) years. Shame on me!
I went to the AAA site and clicked on the visa button. They work with "RushMyPassport" company. I followed the link from the AAA site and checked what the cost was for a China visa. They charge $364 plus the $145 embassy charge - total $509 for one visa. I suspect it would be twice that for two visas. I assume that includes any AAA discounts.
There was no option for non-expedited service. [Added: If you go directly to directly to RushMyPassport, the service charge is $334. Maybe that's non-expedited service. https://www.rushmytravelvisa.com/china/tourist/united-states/ca]
https://aaa.rushmypassport.com/travel-visa/CN
My intent was to offer a possible alternative and was presented in good faith. If needing a visa, I would prefer to visit a local office rather than relying on a website that may or may not have been updated with accurate information. Merely my opinion.
Edited for clarity.
I just got a notice from Visa Central that our China visas were issued and they're overnighting our passports back to us. [We received the passports on 11/29 - delayed one day because of Thanksgiving.]
I have to say that this was the most difficult visa application I've had so far. But once I figured it all out it was okay. It was good to have someone familiar with the application process to review everything. Visa Central discovered that I had left out one document on my wife's application. I was able to fill it out, have her sign it, and email it to Visa Central the same day.
The main thing you need to do is fill out the visa application form on the China website. It's hard to find that form on the web - I had to use a link provided by Visa Central - https://cova.mfa.gov.cn/qzCoCommonController.do?show&pageId=index&locale=en_US
After filling it out, you print it out and submit it with your passport, making sure you filled out the form in UPPERCASE. Then there are subsidiary forms required if you fall into one or more of the "special categories". Have you had a China visa before? Send a copy of it. Were you in the military? Show that you were discharged. Have you been to Turkey? Send a scan of your entry and exit stamps.
If you're of China or Taiwan extraction, there's a lot more you need to do. And if a relative lives in China, a lot of data about them.
Here's a screen shot from the Visa Central website that shows how many requirements there are:
The URL where this is located is https://visacentral.com/requirements
The total cost for the two visas was $492.32, with most of that going to the China embassy. Visa Central charged $193, total, for the two visas. I can't say anything negative about Visa Central. They didn't hold my hand, but I didn't pay for that service.
Maybe this will help someone who has to get a China visa in the future. It's not impossible to do, but you really have to make sure you're doing everything that's required and that everything is correct.