China visa fees to increase
 

Just learned that the consular fee for a tourist visa will increase from $50 to $100 on August 1, 2007.

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/t334452.htm

As I'm not leaving until October, I thought I could grow my hair out a bit so my photo would look nicer. But $50 is better in my pocket than in theirs. And who will see the visa photo anyway? ;)

Yes, I've read something about it, but this is on the official website.

If I interpret it correctly, this means they don't issue 1-time or 2-time entry visas anymore. Only unlimited entries.

Hm, now I have to get unlimited-entries, it almost "forces" me to visit Shenzhen and southern China more often from Hong Kong.

I am planning a trip to China in November. The embassy site says you can get a single entry for 3 or 6 months but makes no mention of an additional fee for the 6 month visa. I sure would like to get my visa before the increase! Does anyone know the cost for the 6 month? Thanks in advance.

Nutella, how do you obtain the visa? I live in Miami and the consulate is in Houston. Supposedly you can not mail your visa application. I have heard there are agents or agencies that can do that for you if you are not able to go to Houston. Is that true?

Ruben, I've used www.mychinavisa.com on several occasions and have been pleased with their service.

If you're planning to get a visa ahead of time, make sure it won't expire before you get there. Used to be they were only good for 90 days - don't know if the new fee structure will change that.

Advice: don't look glamourous in your visa picture. Be safe. Go very basic. Like solid colored shirt and hair not done too much. It isn't a glamor shot.

If I were going to China, I'd get one right now. ;)

Okay Roslaire, I'll ditch the pink feather boa ;)

I do believe the visas are good for an entry 6 months from when it's issued. But double check as I'm no expert.

Ruben, I'm in Miami too. I'll likely be taking Rizzuto's advice and using that service. Shipping fedex should give peace of mind.

I have also used mychinavisa.com with great results. They are reliable and fast.

Aloha!

Nutella, can't wait to meet you with the pink feather boa! Yeah, save the $50 for a pink wig ...

Absolutely! We should have a Pink Feather Boa gtg, Wigs optional.

Update: I used the services of MyChinaVisa.com thanks to some fodorite advice, and was very pleased with the service. I fedexed my passport to them and received an email when they got it, and the completed passport with visa attached was sent back to me very quickly.

BTW I needn't have worried about my photo, it's not on the actual visa. I suppose it's in some file or some database at the Chinese embassy, but it's not like I have to carry around proof of my bad hair day or anything LOL.

So when is this PFBGTG????? ;)

When will you be Shanghai?

I am going to Tibet in October 2007... we are going with Tibet Tours... anyone heard of them? I did get some referral from some that they were good. Anyeay.. we were told when applying for our visa we should not mention Tibet or that we are going ot Lhasa... have you come across that? They said because it might make it more difficult ot get.
Now I do not know why we would need multible entry visa..once we are in Chengdu we plan on staying on our china trip and then end in Napal.. so I do not see why we would need double entry unless someone says there might be a need for it.
We will go with PVS to get ours... as I need ot get mine only in August... we have a dilemma... We go to Bangkok Oct 18 for 4 days then goto Chendu then take the train to Lhasa...stop at Mt Everst base camp and continue our trek end up in Napal for a few days and then leave from Katmandu..to Bangkok then USA.... back in US for 17 days then fly to Cambodia, and Vietnam until Dec 18....then on Jnuary 7 to January 29 fly to India then back to the USA.
So we need ot get visas for all those countries by the end of August for them to be all valid up to our January trp included and we need to have our passport renewed.
SO STILM MY QUESTIONS DO WE NEED MORE THAN ONE ENTRY VISA FOR CHINA... AND WHO DO WE PUT FOR WHO IS INVITING US ?? THANK FOR ALL YOUR HELP...

S-
I plan to arrive in Shanghai on Nov 2 for 3 nights. And you?...

PJG - You only need a single-entry visa. But considering your itinerary and the overall cost of the trip, paying an extra $25 for another entry just buys you more flexibility in case something happens in Nepal and you need to backtrack.

Anyways, if you apply after August 1, you'll need to pay $100 for the multiple, so all of this is moot.

And the omission about Tibet is wise. There's simply no reason to mention it.

I just had the experience of getting my visa for china in London. It was awful. I arrived at 9 am and stood in line until 10.45.
I wanted a same day visa as i am paranoid about my passport going missing. I had to rejoin the next line for same day collection. I finally got my passport back at 12.10.
A total of 3 hours 10 mins standing in line and had the pleasure of paying £100 ($205) for my wifes and my single entry visa.

Thank you for the reply... well I will be doing it after July...so I guess I will automatically get multiple then if that is how they work it after August 1 $100 for multiple.
what did you put as to who invited you and for address and phone number... as we willnot mention Tibet as you aay it is wiser. We will go thu PVS to get al the visas... China, Vietnam and India all at once... and also renew our passport...so we have ot wait for August anyway

pjg

barnetda - actually, that's not too bad. And what on earth did you think the embassy was going to do with your passport if you left it there? Getting my visa for Myanmar in Bangkok took a lot longer, although getting one for China in Vienna was quicker, but I wasn't trying for same day service.

And have you been keeping up with the horror stories of people trying to get/renew their passports in the U.S. this year? PJG, how about you? Didn't you mention you needed to renew your passport AND get visas? Even expedited service hasn't been very fast this year.

N - Right on! I'm attending a reunion on Nov 3 so will be in Shanghai for more than a week in late Oct/early Nov. I'm so excited, 2 GTGs in Shanghai ...

roslaire - Can you make it? Hopefully I'll C.U. in SF before that so we can go shopping for pink feather boas and dine afterwards? I can pick U up at SFO or OAK, do not take cabs, it's not China!