a59

I'm a US citizen and traveling in Malaysia now and then Singapore tomorrow, so I can't apply for a Chinese tourist visa in the US. I heard that one way I can get a Chinese tourist visa is to fly to Hong Kong and apply for one there at the Consular Department Office or through a travel agency.

Am I better off just using a travel agency in Singapore?

I also want to be able to get a visa allowing me to stay for 2-3 months. I've called some travel agencies in Singapore and HK and was told I can only stay in China for 1 month. Is it possible to extend the visa while in China? How much extra will it cost?

a59

I don't want to visit Hong Kong unless its much cheaper for me to get a visa to visit China by first stopping by HK

That website doesn't mention how US citizens can get a visa for China if they are currently in ASIA. I'm not currently staying in the US

rkkwan

Just go to the Chinese embassy or consulate in Singapore or use an agent. Unless you cannot get it there. China will charge you the equivalent of US$140 regardless of where you get the visa from.

jobin

If this is your first china visa, then probably single entry only. Six months maximum, 30 day visit with few exceptions for tourists. And yes, US$140. I would assume you could get this visa in Singapore, give a try. Agents often little help. Probably must show hotel bookings, air flights in/out, at least that is so in HK, when applying for such a visa. Such hotel bookings may be 'bogus' in that once in china, you can disappear and go as you please.

JPDeM

Understand that citizens of Singapore do not need a visa to visit China. so they do not issue many visas there. You normally need to be a resident of the country in which you submit your application. If you find an agent who knows a way around this then use him.
It would also be nice of you to report back after for the benefit of future travelers.

temppeternh

> Understand that citizens of Singapore do not need a visa to visit China. so they do not issue many visas there.

Which has nothing whatsoever to do with whether normal consular services will be provided to everyone else, which, of course, they are. As in many other locations visa application is done via a separate office whose details, and a link to whose pages, are given on the Singapore Chinese consulate website.

> You normally need to be a resident of the country in which you submit your application.

Simply not true.

OP: It is standard in most locations for foreign visitors merely to be given a one-month entry visa (valid for 30 days from the day of entry), although but there are variations, such as in Hong Kong where three months from date of purchase of the visa is standard most of the time (may vary by nationality, political disagreement between your nation and China, ethnicity, number of previous visits, phase of the moon, place of application).

Visa extensions are available within China, although not as easily as they once were, and officially take one week. In theory you may obtain two one-month extensions, but the system can be unpredictable. Having documentation such as an outbound flight ticket with a clear date ahead may help.

JPDeM

The previous poster's understanding of visa rules appears outdated. Besides HK, there are very very few places where one can get a visa without being a resident. Pretty standard procedure since the introduction and standardisation of the rules in 2013. Getting more than 30 days in HK is a rather rare event unless you use a good agent. This is also common knowledge.
Maybe the OP needs to consult another travel forum where he can find more expertise about visas.

JPDeM

As per my previous post, the Lonely Planet forums are usually a good source of places where visas can be obtained although recent reports show that this short list is shrinking.

temppeternh

> Getting more than 30 days in HK is a rather rare event unless you use a good agent.

So, if you have 'a good agent' is IS possible? Then it's possible, isn't it? And did you actually read the post, and in particular the part that says, 'may vary' etc?

> As per my previous post, the Lonely Planet forums are usually a good source of places where visas can be obtained although recent reports show that this short list is shrinking.

This would be the main visa thread which contains many 2014 accounts of individuals picking up visas in third countries, demonstrating the claim 'You normally need to be a resident of the country in which you submit your application' to be false?

rhkkmk

why not telephone the embassy directly???

kuranosuke

you can get the visa at the chinese consulate in singapore. the consulate is located in downtown singapore, very easy to find.

kvchina

Telephoning the embassy directly is a wonderful idea....except that Chinese Embassies are notorious for never picking up their phone, and in the unlikely event they do...are rarely helpful.

To the OP: are you the same poster that posted on Lonely Planet Thorntree within the last 24 hours, stating you had received only a 9-day visa from Singapore Embassy? You sound like the same person.

I have to mostly agree with JPDeM: particularly in the past year, China has really clamped down on issuing visas to non-resident travelers just passing through a country and that now includes most of the Asian ones. What was easy 2-5 years ago is now tough. Hong Kong is the exception and still usually reliable for most nationalities but even there, the terms of the visas aren't as generous as before, whether going to Wanchai Commissioner Office directly or through an agent. This means that all anecdotes about Chinese visa procurement success that are prior to August/September 2013 should be taken with caution--may or may not be a repeatable circumstance.