Chinese Visa changes

[dajop]

Sounds a bit like my role.... i live in Melbourne... well just.... based in Singapore but before end of Sept my planned work trips include... Vietnam, China, Tiapei, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany.

E

Know exactly what you mean. Still haven't worked out my plans yet to Sept, but have just visited Vietnam, Thailand, India & Singapore on this trip.

 

[ajnz]

Just got this from our corporate TA (in SIN):

We would like to inform you on the latest update with regards to China Visa application.

• APEC Cards are no longer valid for entry into China. Effective immediately, ALL APEC Card holders are required to apply for visa before entering China.
  
• Singaporeans applying for China Visado notrequire to attach their identity card.
• China Embassy will now issue Single / Double entry visa valid for 3 months instead of the usual 1 month validity.

 

[Mal]

APEC Cards are no longer valid for entry into China. Effective immediately, ALL APEC Card holders are required to apply for visa before entering China.

Ouch! That's going to hurt some people...

 

[kpc]

The Chinese are getting ridiculous. I presume they are concerned about potential protesters / terrorists infiltrating the Olympic games:shock:. Having been in Beijing recently and seen the smog, and from the recent TV pics showing no improvemnet with the smog, I wonder whether the IOC may have had second thoughts about awarding the games to Beijing...

 

[dot]

APEC Cards are no longer valid for entry into China. Effective immediately, ALL APEC Card holders are required to apply for visa before entering China.

Do you have an official source for this info? The Smartraveller and Business Mobility sites don't make any mention of these new restrictions.

 

[moa999]

Ouch. That would be a massive slap in the face for APEC.
I hope the Chinese realise what they are potentially doing by this.

Imagine all the Government Officials planning to attend the Olympic Games and relying on the APEC visa.
Loss of face... massive.

 

[ajnz]

Do you have an official source for this info? The Smartraveller and Business Mobility sites don't make any mention of these new restrictions.

Sorry, I don't. I received this from my team travel coordinator in Singapore, who had received it from our travel agents (AmEx & CWT). Thought it was particularly timely after having seen this thread and commenting on it earlier.

I guess it will percolate through websites in the coming days? Certainly it's put a crimp in the style of a few people that I work with who travel to China regularly.

 

[aus_flyer]

Imagine all the Government Officials planning to attend the Olympic Games and relying on the APEC visa.
Loss of face... massive.

Government officials would be travelling on diplomatic passports, so as I understand it, no visa required and not related to APEC.

 

[serfty]

... but not corporates or, indeed, AOC representatives ...

 

[Mal]

... but not corporates or, indeed, AOC representatives ...

AOC reps, accredited media associated with the games etc should be fine:

In accordance with the Olympic Charter and the Host City Contract, the Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card (OIAC), together with a valid passport of the holders, will be accepted as the multiple entry visa to China for the duration of one month before and one month after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Still nothing on Timatic about the APEC card restriction though.

 

[Will]

Dont stress !
you can get the visa in advance but maybe better to wait until after the games if you can as i suspect it will relax more.
Visa's have a start date and a duration, ie not from the date you apply, from the date you request to visit.

A copy of the flight details is all thats usually required. I have only ever given the print out from my travel agent before.

E

Agree that the printout is acceptable for proof of flights.
However, the problem is that you can't get the visa too far in advance because it only has a 3 month validity from the date of issue .
I have been caught out before when I applied for a visa 4 months before departure. Despite writing the date I wanted to travel on the form, they issued a visa that expired before my planned trip and I had to get another!

Unless there is another way around this, such as the APEC travel card (if it is still valid for PRC???), then you will need to apply for the Chinese visa at some point on your journey. Are you passing through HKG? It is particularly easy to get there - same-day, if you want.

 

[mainly tailfirst]

<snip>
All this for a single entry 3 month visa!

mt

and then my passport had to go to LA consulate (since SF weren't accepting new applications), which then became a rush job and extra $$$ for the processing. Got it back two days before I was due to leave.
The following day my China trip got cancelled, of course!
Based on what others have told me, it's probably a good thing - the locals are a little 'twitchy' at the moment. Traveling 4 cities in 4 days and then ending up in Beijing gets extra scrutiny.

Oh well, I can add it to the the other Visas I have that never got used.
Hmm, that sounds like a good thread topic...

mt

 

[vt]

Hot off the press from my trip down to the consulate yesterday in MEL.

Basically I have an APEC card, but am going on a package tour from HKG so wanted to get a Tourist Visa to be on the safe side.

Documents provided:

eticket for MEL-HKG flight
tour booking and itinery
APEC card (more as disclosure)

Rejected

Need hotel bookings, which due to the way the tourist operators work in Hong Kong, we wont get until 3 days prior to travel. Which is too late.

So need to figure out how to get a visa. Perhaps a Fully Flexible HKG-XIAN ticket and Fully Refundable hotel bookings......

 

[THE TRIMMER]

My Wife And Her Friend Are Going To Hkg & Shenzhen &shanghai Next Month For Business And Some Shopping.wife Has Apec Card, But Her Friend Does Not,so I Presume That She Will Have To Get A Tourist Visa As Well. Do You Know How Long This Should Take?or Did They Not Tell You At The Prc Embassy.

 

[vt]

My Wife And Her Friend Are Going To Hkg & Shenzhen &shanghai Next Month For Business And Some Shopping.wife Has Apec Card, But Her Friend Does Not,so I Presume That She Will Have To Get A Tourist Visa As Well. Do You Know How Long This Should Take?or Did They Not Tell You At The Prc Embassy.

Standard 4 day, can pay extra to make it 2 and same day.

The form on the embassy / consulate website is outdated. There is a new form at the consulate. Only difference is 1 (ONE) checkbox, but people were rejected due to the wrong form.

I have heard that Tourist Visas from Lo Wu have ceased.

So best to get a visa from Aust.

 

[codash1099]

Hot off the press from my trip down to the consulate yesterday in MEL.

Basically I have an APEC card, but am going on a package tour from HKG so wanted to get a Tourist Visa to be on the safe side.

Documents provided:

eticket for MEL-HKG flight
tour booking and itinery
APEC card (more as disclosure)

Rejected

Need hotel bookings, which due to the way the tourist operators work in Hong Kong, we wont get until 3 days prior to travel. Which is too late.

So need to figure out how to get a visa. Perhaps a Fully Flexible HKG-XIAN ticket and Fully Refundable hotel bookings......

I'm led to believe (and I hope it's true) that tour organisers in HKG can still organise visas pretty much as before. I presume this would be a group visa for which a minimum number of 5 applies and about 3 working days is needed.

If this is not the case, my plans will go horribly wrong.

 

[vt]

I'm led to believe (and I hope it's true) that tour organisers in HKG can still organise visas pretty much as before. I presume this would be a group visa for which a minimum number of 5 applies and about 3 working days is needed.

If this is not the case, my plans will go horribly wrong.

Best check and get the agency to get your visa before you pay in full. Some of the restrictions have been mentioned before and I wont repeat them.

I am now in a position where it may be too hard to get a visa so will travel elsewhere.

 

[Ric]

Currently, visa for China must be obtained from within your own country unless you have proof of residency in the country where you apply for the visa. E.g. If you hold an Australian Passport, you must apply for the visa in Australia. If you hold an Australian Passport and apply for the visa in Hong Kong, you must show proof of residency in Hong Kong otherwise no go. Had to courier passport back to home country to a friendly TA to get my visa and having them courier back to me. What a hassle!!

Confirmed hotel booking is definitely required.

Lo Wu have ceased issuing on the spot visas......no one in the office last time I pop in which was last month.

All this is suppose to change in Oct. Anyone have any idea when in Oct?

Happy to be corrected if wrong.

Ric

 

[brett-au]

Hit the Sydney embassy website, printed the forms, rocked up at 9:20am, dropped off the paperwork ticking the box for "emergency", returned at 11:40am, got the visa (or rather found I was missing $50, sprinted up to the pub, got the cash, then got the visa).

Very easy process. I was stressing the previous week about the hotel booking, but they didn't have any problems with my email receipt.

I would say the security guards were more aggressive than normal but they did a reasonable job too.

 

[Jobu]

Dropped off my paperwork today for a business visa:

- application from website
- invitation letter
- flight itinerary
- hotel confirmation

No issues except that I was advised I couldn't apply for the multi-entry visa unless I obtain an invitation letter from the government (mine was from the company I am dealing with). So applied for single entry for now. Told to pick it up tomorrow.

Every person in front of me in the queue was missing something (usually hotel confirmation).

Cheers