China Visa Requirements

[greatam]

http://www.zvs.com/site/Visa/CHN

 

I would use the Zierer visa service. It is extremely efficient as this is all they do. When you call and leave a message, they get back to you the next day with the answer.

Very good information, as well as forms, on their website. :D

 

There are MUCH cheaper visa services than Zierer. Look in the yellow pages or Qwestdex or do a Google search for a Chinese travel agency in a Chinatown in any large city in the USA.

 

OR as FLTXKS states, do it yourself. You can either physically go to the Consulate or use the mailing instructions on the website. If you mail, make sure you insure and track your package, both ways. Also, make sure the airbill is PREPAID. And before you send off your passport, please make a copy of the inside (information) pages. IF anything would happen to your passport, this info will expedite replacing your passport.

 

I have absolutely no use for Zierer. They are the company that got me into the big visa mess in 2003. Yes, they are pretty good for a very simple tourist visa. However, they CANNOT handle anything out of the norm-business visas, multiple entry visas etc, even though Princess and Zierer state they can.

 

I'm with FLTXKS. I do these things myself.

[FLTXKS]

One clarification to the post from greatam..

 

You CANNOT mail a tourist visa application to the Chinese consulate! They won't take mail requests. HOWEVER, you can leave a prepaid envelope (like FedEx) and they will send you your visas back in the envelope which would save you a return trip to pick up the visas. OF COURSE, they charge you a fee for this "convenience," but it's not very much, $20 US or so.

 

If you want to handle your visas personally, you have to make at least ONE trip to the Consulate that serves your state. Again, the "difficult" Chinese don't make it easy....you can't just go to ANY Chinese consulate, you have to to the one that is assigned to your state.

 

If you have a friend in the city where the consulate for your state is located, they can take your passport to the consulate for you. The person applying doesn't have to personally turn in the application. You can get a friend to do it for you.

[greatam]

One clarification to the post from greatam..

 

You CANNOT mail a tourist visa application to the Chinese consulate! They won't take mail requests.

 

You're correct. I forgot they changed the rules. I think it was late 2003. No more mail in applications. Just return visas by mail.

[hoppy2]

Does anybody have the definitive answer on whether a single entry visa will suffice? The ship docks 3 consecutive times in China; however, I don't know if it ever leaves Chinese waters during that time.

[Sandy R]

hoppy2... we'll be disembarking Osaka as you embark. Our itinerary includes Xangang (for Beijing), Dalian, at sea, Shanghai. I spoke to a Princess agent re: single vs. double entry Visa, concerned whether we might sail into International waters between Dalian and Shanghai and who determines if that occurs. The agent told me it was up to the Chinese authorities to make that determination when we dock in Shanghai.

 

After reading Greatam's post... we intend to take our itinerary with us when we go for our Visas. We will ask for a double entry Visa. We don't want to rely on Chinese authorities to decide whether we can disembark the ship during our Shanghai port stop.

[smelkin]

We are on the same cruise.

 

The advise I got from the visa service is that so long as the ship does not stop beteween Chinese ports, they consider it to still be in China and consequently we only need a single entry visa.

 

hope this helps.

 

BTW, there is an active roll call for the trip, if you care to join.

 

steve

[Sandy R]

smelkin... "as long as" is the key phrase. We don't want to be denied disembarkation in Shanghai because the Sapphire had to sail into International waters because of weather or some other reason or because the ship had to detour because of a passenger's illness. A double-entry Visa is $25 more than a single-entry Visa... a small price to pay for assurance we can see all 3 Chinese ports on our itinerary.

[Member]

A very valid point, Sandy.

[KLLund]

I plan to use the Zierer visa service .. on their web site is a link to cruises and tours.. since out ship is Princess .. the user name is Princess and the password is 77462 ( that is not secret .. it is common to all princess ships ) .. If you click on your cruise or a similar cruise and download the forms all of the information about the Cruise and the type of Visa is filled in.. For our trip (Shangha.. Dailan.. Beijing) It is single entry.

[greatam]

smelkin... "as long as" is the key phrase. We don't want to be denied disembarkation in Shanghai because the Sapphire had to sail into International waters because of weather or some other reason or because the ship had to detour because of a passenger's illness. A double-entry Visa is $25 more than a single-entry Visa... a small price to pay for assurance we can see all 3 Chinese ports on our itinerary.

 

This is truly the smartest thing to do. You may be out $25.00. But after my experience in 2003 and again in 2005, I will not even think about going to China without a double entry visa at a minimum. I did finally manage a multiple entry visa good for two years this April out of Hong Kong.

 

The Chinese embassy in the US has one set of rules. They have totally different sets of rules once you reach China. This may not hold true if you are only going on the cruise or on an organized (package) trip. But for pre or post trips independently or any independent travel in China which involves different entry points, it can be a REAL problem.

 

The extra $25.00 is VERY cheap insurance that things will go your way. Enjoy!!!

[Sandy R]

Just picked up our China Visas yesterday (Friday). For all of you that will be getting your Visas at the Chinese Consulate on Shatto Place in Los Angeles, this was our experience...

 

With our Visa forms downloaded from the internet, filled out and signed and the passport photo we had taken, we arrived at the Consulate on Monday, July 24th at 11 am. Took the elevator to the 3rd floor. No air conditioning in the large, crowded room that served as the Visa waiting room. We took a # (139)... they were serving #44. Spoke to someone who had arrived at 8 am (the Consulate opens at 9 am), if there was an advantage to arriving early. Was told that at 8 am, the line was already around the block.

 

Noticed there was a small sign on the wall by the elevators, just outside the Consulate, that read "Travel Agency - airline tickets, Visas". Under the sign, an arrow pointed toward the end of the hall. We looked at the # now being called and the crowd inside the non-air-conditioned room and went to the Travel Agency. We inquired about Visas and was as told we would have them by Friday for a $30 pp fee, with a discount because there was 2 of us ($25 pp). Was told if we were unsure, to obtain double-entry Visas. Having the "Travel Agency" get our Visas was a definite no-brainer!

 

Yesterday, Friday, July 28th, at 11 am, we picked up our double-entry Visas, which are valid for 6 months from the date issued.

 

Sandy

[R&Rcruisers]

2006 07 29

 

Hi Folks,

 

I guess by now you have heard that for the Oct 2 2006 Princess Sapphire Cruises (Beijing to Osaka) that only a single entry (Tourist) China Visa is required. Princess has confirmed this in their documentation.

 

FYI, we did not use the Zierer Visa Services recommended in the Princess documentation. We found them to be way overpriced - charging more for the actual VISA and their service fee. We did our China Visa's through the Chinese Service Center of America (CSCA), see www.visamailservice.com - who charged much less that Zierer. I sent in the documentation last Saturday, and got the passports and Visas Friday. This with their standard 4 day service. We were able to track the status of the Visa online using their website and a case number that is assigned when you initially fill out their form online.

 

For you folks interested in minimizing the cost of the visa service ... I thought you might be interested.

 

R&Rcruisers

[sundial]

We are on the Regent Seven Seas cruise from Tokyo to Hong Kong beginning October 4. Not living anywhere near a Chinese consulate we decided to go with the cruise line's recommendation of using Zierer Visa Services. I know that they are somewhat higher than some of the other services, but I liked the fact that they had a kit that pertained to our specific cruise. We had our passports back in hand less than two weeks after sending them to ZVS and we did not pay for any expedited service! We also determined through Zierer, Regent, and my travel agent that only a single entry Chinese visa was needed due to the fact that the ship stops in consecutive Chinese ports without leaving the country. However those who re-enter mainland China after leaving Hong Kong DO need double entry visas.

[Crown Prince]

CHINA COUSULATE IN L.A:

They lied about paying $30 extra and getting your visa the same day. The woman at the counter told me that is possible ONLY if you are flying out the same night.

 

Welcome to China: It was very hot & dirty at 500 Shatto, 3rd floor. The line had 35 people in front of me and it took me 45 minutes to get to the window.

I noticed some Visa Application forms and it was different from the 2 I already had in my hand, so I filled out their form. After I got home, I realized that she had kept my Itinerary, as well as the Green Sheet from Princess. She gave me a pink receipt and said to pick it up on Wed. I applied for a double-entry visa.

 

The visa office is easy to find but I got lost because I didn't want to take the horrid Hollyweird Freeway. Instead, I took the 2 to 5 and got off in Chinatown. Wouldn't you think that it would be in Downtown L.A. (Chinatown). Wrong - it's in Koreatown, of course. Actually, Hollyweird. :confused:

I am from the S.F. Valley and get completely turned around in L.A. and Hollywood. :eek:

 

I thought them very abrupt at the visa office. As I waited in line, sometimes 4 windows were open, sometimes one, usually 2. It cost me $1.75 for the city parking lot; although there is street parking, I couldn't find any at 11 a.m.

So, I will get my passport back next week.

[minke]

In Uk we used chinesevisadirect (with the usual co.uk add on). Saw them mentioned on these boards (many thanks) very good service, posted to them on monday, we were away in week, message on our phone when we arrived home to say they would be posted special delivery on the friday, arrived saturday morning. Phoned again monday morning to see we got them OK, all for half the fee required by the Princess agent.

[cbcruiser]

We used the Chinese Service Center of America for our Visa on the Princess Cruise of Oct. 26. It was a double entry visa. Response and turnaround was quick. 1 week and we had our passport back.

[mel d]

I used 5 Star Chinese Visa in London. I sent them our Chinese Visa application by post and got a call from them. They pointed out that I might need a double entry visa instead of the single we were applying for. They advised me to get a confirmation from my cruise and it proved they were right, I did need a double entry visa. They are very efficient and charge only as half as the agency recommended by my cruise. Their website has very clear instruction on Chinese Visa application. http://www.5starchinesevisa.co.uk