Chinese Visa
 

Hi there,
Can anybody give me names of travel agencies in Hong-Kong issuing visas for foreigners ? I have tried to google but in vain.I need to know those with the ability to supply a 6 months visa.Please help !!
Thank you

You can get a Chinese visa in Hong Kong at any of the China Travel Service (CTS) office - which is owned, ran and operated by the Beijing Government.

They have multiple offices - including Central, Wan Chai, Mongkok.

China Tavel Service (Hong Kong) web address is <www.chinatravel1.com>

China Travel Service is your worst possible choice of agency from which to buy a China visa, as it is twice as expensive as many other agencies, requires more paperwork, and is slower. Nor will it issue a six-month multiple entry visa without supporting paperwork in the form of an invitation from a state-recognised entity in China. So unless you have that, or money is no object, don't waste your time.

Your nationality is unknown, but the citizens of most developed nations can usually obtain six-month multiple-entry F visas the next day when passports are handed in before noon at a variety of agents in the New East Ocean Centre on Science Museum Road, or at the Japan Travel Agency in the East Ocean Centre for instance, with no supporting paperwork required, and for prices less than CTS charges for five-day service. Take one photograph, but if you forget then the one in your passport is scanned for a small charge.

For details of JTA see:

http://www.jta.biz/chinavisa/aboutus.htm

Peter N-H
http://peternh.blogspot.com

Well, I mentioned CTS mostly because they have multiple locations in Hong Kong. But one can also get a visa directly from the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs at:

5th Floor, Lower Block
26 Harbour Road
Wan Chai

It's the lower block of the CRC building facing Gloucester Road.

I don't know about their pricing right now, but that's THE OFFICE that issues visas.

It's also considerably slower, more expensive than the agencies mentioned, and even more reluctant to part with a six-month visa.

Unless eli22 has supporting paperwork it will be useless for her to go there, either.

It might be an idea actually to know something about all this before making recommendations likely to waste eli22 and other readers considerable time and money. It's not as if precisely the same exchange hasn't taken place here before.

Peter N-H
http://peternh.blogspot.com

Oh, good point. I failed to pay attention to the OP's need to get a 6-month one. Sorry about that. Go try the agent Peter suggest.

Thank you guys.And a question to you PeterN_H.My intention is to TRAVEL China for 6 months.I have no bussiness to do there.Japan Travel Agency told me they don't issue visas for my nationality.Another travel agency named Forever Bright did issue a six months visas for travelers of my country but rules have changed recently and only a double entry is possible allowing 30 days on each time.
I'm really disapointed.I have planned my visit to China for months .Do you have specific names of travel agencies besides the two mentioned above ?????
I prefer them to be in Hong-Kong !
Thank you

i dont really understand the visa thing...you cant get one at home.right except in washington?.you must get it how soon before you need it? if you are american can you get it in bangkok? also the double visa? where? thanks

Since no supporting paperwork is required when applying for an F visa at the agencies in Hong Kong it doesn't matter whether you are doing business or not. (It's not exactly a 'business' visa anyway, but more for research, lecturing, meetings, etc.) The six-month tourist visa is a very rare beast, some Chinese consular websites will tell you it doesn't exist. And when you cross the border, no one cares what you are crossing it for, as long as you have a valid visa of some kind or another.

However, if you have one of those awkward nationalities then looking at other agencies won't help, as the answer is going to be the same. The best I've heard is that someone finally got a six-month visa, but had to pay a fortune, and was limited to one month per entry, as with the double entry visa.

In general single entry tourist visas are for three months when bought in Hong Kong, although I've also heard of awkward nationality people being limited to one month of late. Ask if a three-month visa is available to you, and if it is then your best bet is maybe to make your route around China one that involves passing through Hong Kong again partway through, to buy a second three-month visa.

A single one-month extension for tourists visas is obtainable at Public Security Bureau offices in China, but again some nationalities may be refused even that, so ask a good week before your existing visa expires. This is only available for single-entry visas, not double-entry ones.

The only other possibility is to get yourself to Shanghai or Beijing, both of which have agencies advertising services coverting tourist visas to six-month F visas (with unlimited stay within the duration of the visa) for a sum. Start to look at the classified ads section of the online versions of expat magazines:

http://www.thatsbj.com

http://www.thatssh.com

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn

For instance here's one ad:

Would you like to Stay in Shanghai for a long time ? And you have no job now ? No proble,We Can help you to extend visa without taking interview in the police station. All documents we will prepare.Save your time and money .It's safe and efficient.we have more experience and good relation with government.We are proud of serving you .Please visit our website, http://visa.shmaid.com Tel:021-51021660 Fax:021-63530141

I can't speak from personal experience, but there are plenty of stories of people using such services successfully to avoid having to go back to Hong Kong. The site isn't entirely clear, but it seems that a US citizen for instance (one of the most awkward nationalities of all), supposing he or she enters with only a one-month L (tourist) visa, can get a six-month extension for Y1300 to Y1600. Not cheap, but a possible solution, and at US$200 or less, certainly cheaper than a round trip back to Hong Kong plus visa fee there and overnight stay.

Incidentally, whatever the current state of the rules you'll always find someone who has got round it. At times it seems there are more anomalies than conventional examples, but never rely on having the same luck as someone else, and plan for the worst possible scenario.

Peter N-H
http://peternh.blogspot.com

Thank you very much Peter_NH for your patience to answer me.Yes I have heard about shmaid and I sent them an email.They said they are ready to help me to get the 6 months desired visa.Is it a well-reputed and reliable company ?
Is there any chance while applying for a visa via shmaid to be rejected eventually or not get the desired F visa ?
Oh......I'm a little confused and disappointed from the whole matter.I have planned my visit to China for months and worked hard to save money for that purpose and now unexpected problems rise up.
Anyhow,I will be happy if you answer my above written questions.I won't bother you again ! And..thank you very much

I think the key sentence from my earlier reply is:

"I can't speak from personal experience, but there are plenty of stories of people using such services successfully to avoid having to go back to Hong Kong."

I doubt the company is "well-reputed", since it is probably using part of the fee you provide to produce dodgy paperwork and to bribe officials, but I have little doubt that it will deliver the promised visa. As I mentioned there are many reports of others successfully using this kind of service, and China is full of low-key ways of paying to get round strict rules and regulations--it's part of the usual way of things there.

You might ask on one of the local boards, like

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com

whether anyone can provide an account of experience with this particular agency.

Peter N-H
http://peternh.blogspot.com

Thank you very much Peter_NH !