How to get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong – Index
Before you begin
If you can’t apply for a visa in your country of residence because you already live in Asia or you’re traveling, Hong Kong is still the best place to get one.
In the first part of this article, we’ll explain where you can apply for a visa in Hong Kong (you can use an agency or go directly to the CVASC), and which documents are necessary for getting a visa.
In the second part of this article, we’ll explain how to travel from China to Hong Kong in the quickest and cheapest way in order to get a visa.
Note that all the information that you’ll find in this article is the result of our own personal experience since we’ve applied for many visas in Hong Kong, starting way back in 2012.
For more general information on Chinese Visa, I suggest you read Chinese Visa application: A complete guide.
Do I need a Visa to visit Hong Kong?
If you are an American, Canadian, Australian or European (from E.U, I mean) citizen, then you don’t need a Visa as long as you stay for less than 90 days (British people can stay 180 days). If you come from another country, you should go to this page to check whether you need a Visa or not.
Once you arrive in Hong Kong, a customs officer will stick a “Visa exemption” ticket on your passport, which specifies for how long you can legally stay in Hong Kong without a Visa.
In the second part of this article, I’ll provide all the Visa costs in HKD (Hong Kong Dollars). Keep in mind that at the time of writing, 10 HKD = 1.29 USD = 1.16 Euro (you can find the exchange rate in real-time here).
Where can I get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong?
Option A: Using an agency
First Update: At the moment, according to our readers, this is the easiest solution (unless you hold a Hong Kong resident permit).
Second update: Generally speaking, if during the last twelve months you have already obtained one or two Chinese Visas in Hong Kong, it’s going to be hard to get more than a 14 day tourist or business Visa (unless you have a legit invitation letter from a Chinese company).
If you aren’t one of those people that basically live in China with a tourist or business visa, then you should be able to obtain at least a 60 day tourist Visa (double entry, this means that you’ll have to exit and reenter China after 30 days) or a multi-entry 6-12 month business visa.
Note that if you obtain a multi-entry business Visa of 90, 180 or 365 days, you’ll have to exit China every 30, 60 or 90 days (according to the Visa you will get).
Moreover, in order to obtain a business visa with a duration of 90, 180 or 365 days, usually you must have already obtained in the past a Chinese Visa outside the Chinese territory and have in your passport at least a stamp from the Chinese immigration office (that is you have already been in China).
If you applied for your Visa through an agency before August 2013, it was possible to obtain it within five hours. Nowadays, the rush service is two working days (that is, 24 hours because in China, the day on which you apply is included in the working days) for short term tourist and business Visas, and up to fifteen working days for a 6 or 12 month business Visa (according to the situation).
There are a lot of visa agencies in Hong Kong. Personally, I like Forever Bright. With the normal service (4 working days), you’ll pay 750 HKD for a single entry L or M Visa and 970 HKD for a double-entry L or M visa (30 days per entry).
The prices for the faster services (two or three working days) are 1,170 HKD and 1,720 HKD, respectively.
However, there are many exceptions; you can check the price for your nationality by following this link.
The multi-entry 6-12 months visa isn’t available for all nationalities and will cost you between 1,370 and 2,890 HKD (however we heard of people that paid up to 8,000 HKD; thus we advise you to contact the agency well in advance, in order to know what fee you will have to pay in your case).
Here is their address and contact information of Forever Bright Agency:
Rooms 916-917, New Mandarin Plaza Tower B
14 Science Museum Road,
T.S.T. East, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2369 3188
Website: www.fbt-chinavisa.com.hk
The easiest way to find the agency is to take the subway to Tsim Sha Tsui East Station, leave through exit P2 and walk North on Mody Road (just turn left at the exit) up until the intersection at Science Museum Road, where the agency is located. From the P2 exit, it takes about ten minutes to get to the office.
The other agency that seems to be quite good is CTS (China Travel Service), located at the Hong Kong airport. I’ve heard that here, you’ll need at least three working days to get your Visa.
Option B: The Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC)
If you don’t want to use an agency, then you will have to apply for your Visa at the CVASC (unless you own a special passport).
Here the address and contact information:
Address: 20/F, Capital Center, 151 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Business Hours: Monday-Friday (closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays)
Submission of Applications and Payment: 9:00 to 16:00 (Urgent service before 12:00)
Collection: Regular Service: 10:00 to 17:00, Express and Urgent Service: 12:00 to 17:00
Tel: + 852 29921999
Fax: + 852 29891116
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.visaforchina.org
Here you can find most of the information you will need (including the list of required documents, according to the type of Visa you want to apply for).
Here you find the Visa fees.
Here you can schedule an appointment for your Visa application.
Option C: The Consular Department Office (not applicable for ordinary passports)
Update: Since January 2018, this option is not applicable anymore for ordinary passports. Thus, if you own an ordinary passport, your only options are to apply with an agency or at the CVASC.
Although we don’t have any first-hand experience with it, If you have a diplomatic passport, it seems you can still apply for your Chinese Visa at the Consular Department Office. It’s close to Wan Chai subway station. The exact address is:
7th Floor, Lower Block, China Resources Building
26 Harbour Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong Island
Tel: +852 3413 2424 (here you find working time and email address)
In general, a single entry Visa costs 200 HKD, a double-entry visa 300 HKD and a multiple-entry visa 500 HKD. However, we are talking about China! This means that there are many exceptions. For example, American citizens have to pay 1100 HKD for any kind of Visa, and British citizens need to pay 360 HKD for a single entry one, 540 HKD for a double entry one and 1090 HKD for a multiple-entry Visa. There are also exceptions for other countries; you can find the complete price list here.
It takes four working days to get your Visa; however, you can apply for the express service if you want to have it within three working days (you’ll pay 200 HKD extra), or the rush service if you want to get the Visa within two working days (you’ll pay 300 HKD extra).
Note that the day on which you apply is included in the working days, so if you apply for a rush Visa on Monday you’ll get it on Tuesday. Also, take note that for some nationalities (France, for instance), express and rush Visa service isn’t available. Don’t ask me why; this is just the way it is!
If you are planning to stay in a hotel and have no interest in visiting the city, then the rush service is more convenient, as hotels in Hong Kong are quite expensive. This means that you’ll end up spending more than the 300 HKD extra needed for the rush Visa process.
The list of necessary documents for obtaining a visa at the consular office
Here’s a testimonial from our reader, Enrico Penna (edited by me).
Getting a visa at the consular office is complicated because, even if they require various documents, the complete list of the specific documents needed isn’t published anywhere, and moreover, when they deny you at the counter, of the many necessary documents they tell you only one at a time in a way that you won’t even get it the next time around.
Between my direct failings and those of other unfortunate ones, I believe I’m able to provide a complete list of necessary documents:
- The application form, which among other things must be compiled without errors or omissions otherwise they’ll make you fill it out all again (losing your place in line);
- Photocopy of your passport, including the Hong Kong immigration slip (the so-called “Visa exemption”), a small rectangle of White paper that they give you at Passport control (when you arrive in Hong Kong), often without stapling a page. Note that if you’re not paying attention and lose it, you’re screwed;
- If you’re more than one applying for a visa, they don’t accept two copies of the same page; each passport must have a good A4 photocopy;
- Copy of your round trip air ticket in both English and Chinese; if your agency has printed it in another language (such as Italian), it will be denied even if your name, airline, booking number and flight information are clearly visible;
- Copy of your hotel reservation in China, also in English or Chinese and must absolutely have your name (and the names of all people that are applying for the Visa and will stay at the same hotel) clearly visible; Booking.com had sent me a receipt via e-mail in Italian with a booking code but no name and I had to return to the site to print a copy in English;
- Depending on the number of days of your stay, which they deduce for your flight dates, they can ask for proof of your booking for the entire length of your stay in China. The problem is that if you explain to them that you don’t have an exact itinerary and will decide where to stay from day to day, there’s a very strong possibility that they’ll refuse your visa;
- This aspect is really controversial and discretional; I saw a Pakistani pass through with just bookings for the first two days in Shenzhen; whereas a French couple was chased off and had to appeal to their agency because they only had a pair of bookings for almost a month-long stay;
- To conclude, if you’re traveling with a minor child, you’ll also need a birth certificate in English and two copies of the parents’ passports.
Luo Hu: The border between Shenzhen (China) and Hong Kong S.A.R.
How to get to Hong Kong from China Mainland
Hong Kong by plane
If you are coming from Europe or the U.S., you can just take a flight to Hong Kong International Airport. Then take the subway or a taxi to your hotel (click here to read our reviews of the best luxury, medium-range and economic hotels in Hong Kong).
However, if you live in China and are coming to Hong Kong to renew your Visa or for a Visa run, you may want to consider taking a plane to Shenzhen, a Chinese city located just across the Hong Kong S.A.R. border.
Why? Because a domestic flight from any Chinese city to Shenzhen is usually cheaper than an international flight from any Chinese city to Hong Kong. Click here to learn what are the best website to book a flight in China or Hong Kong.
Once you get to Shenzhen, you can take line 1 of the subway from the airport to Luo Hu station, which is located on the border with the Hong Kong S.A.R. It will take ab out 90 minutes, as you have to cross all of Shenzhen.
At this point, you can cross the border by walking (it takes from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the line) and then take the Hong Kong subway to downtown (about 50 minutes). The total price is about 80 HKD.
The other option is the bus that departs from the arrivals floor at Shenzhen airport and arrives at Tsim Sha Tsui Station, which is in Kowloon but very close to Hong Kong island, and which takes about 90 minutes (if there isn’t too much traffic at the border).
Even though you have to take two buses, one to the border and the second from it, it is only one ticket (I think it costs 150 HKD). The first bus drops you off at the border, which you have to cross by walking, while the second bus waits for you across the border (it’s all explained on the ticket).
If this trip from Shenzhen to Hong Kong seems too complicated to you, you can fly directly from China to Hong Kong. In this case, I suggest you to read our guide on how to book a flight ticket in China.
Hong Kong by train
The other possibility is to take a train from any Chinese city to Shenzhen and then cross the border at Luo Hu (the train station is quite close).
Take note that a hard sleeper ticket on the night train from Shanghai to Shenzhen will cost you 470 Chinese Yuan while a plane ticket is worth around 650 Yuan. Since the difference in price is relatively small and the train is way slower (around 15 hours instead of 2), I usually go by plane.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to many comments we receive, it is possible – even if in theory such visas should be requested in the country to which you belong. They’ve told us that the key is, besides having all your documents in order, having an invitation letter that clearly specifies that the visa be applied for in Hong Kong.
From two to four business days including the day you apply for your visa.
Click here to read our reviews of the hotels we recommend in Hong Kong.
It depends on the type of visa you apply for and what you manage to get. Note that if for example you apply for a two-entry tourist visa of 30 days each, you won’t necessarily be issued that exact visa.
It is possible, depending on the case, that they’ll just issue you a single entry visa of 30 days (or less).
Yes, we have applied for – and obtained – several times a visa in Hong Kong.
Photo Credits: 
Auf nach China by Max Braun
Hi Furio, thank you so much for this article , I have a questions for you regarding my current situation.
I’m an Indonesian citizen(& Indonesian passport holder) in China and my current student visa will expire in July 2016, However I intend to stay in China using Tourist Visa after my current student visa expire. My question is can I arrange to make a new tourist visa in Hong Kong Agency?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
In principle yes, it’s possible.
I have a Business Visa with multiple entry and 30 days length of stay. Instead of actually leaving the Country, is it possible just to buy a one way ticket out of China, get the stamp for leaving China and then reenter China without taking the flight? Has ever anyone tried to do that?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi, I have no idea. Never heard of this (and it looks a bit dodgy).
We suggest to go to Hong Kong and get the stamp there
I have an L China visa, can I use it to attend a meeting in China?
If not, can I switch it to an M visa or I should apply for a new M visa and let the L visa stay valid?
Is there any issue to have 2 different type of China visa on my passport? I’m holding a British passport. Thanks
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
you can’t have 2 Chinese visa in your passport. If you get a new visa, the old visa will expires automatically.
Can I use a 6-month apartment lease as a supporting document for my China tourist visa application? I signed the lease after signing an employment contract; however I was not given a job. I would like to apply for a second tourist visa in either, Hong Kong or Bangkok.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I don’t think it makes much sense… Tourists usually don’t rent apartments for 6 months!
Hi Furio
I went to the visa office in my country and the lday said they might refuse to give me a tourist visa because I got already 2 visa’s every year. Is there any limitation for tourist visa ? I am EU citizen
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi Brem,
there is no formal limitation. However, it’s true that if you get too many visa in a row they may then refuses your visa application because, statistically, who gets too many travel visa in a row is doing so to work illegally in China (not saying you are doing so, it’s just what people usually do when can’t get a work visa)
Hi Furio,
We are New Zealand and Dutch citizens. We are amateur photographers and would like to stay for one year in China with a multiple entry visa. We are interested in taking Mandarin lessons but due to our schedule we would not be able to attend a full semester, which means we most likely cant get a student visa? For whichever visa we get, can it be processed in Hong Kong or must we go to our home countries to process them? If we get a 12 month multiple entry tourist visa, how often do we need to leave the country?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
yearly multiple visa are not permitted for all passports. So you shall check if it’s permitted for New Zeland and Dutch citizens. I’m not sure but I don’t think there is such an agreement with these countries, so getting it in New Zeland / The Netheralands looks difficult.
It may be possible through an agency in Hong Kong, but certainly not sure. You shall ask to the agencies to see if they can help you with that!
Thanks Dear For your valuable feedback,
I also have a small query, i am having an Indian Passport, and working in China on Business Visa, as China Allow only 30 days stay a 1 time, hence today ( 10th June 2016) i planned to make an exit Via hong kong, but hong Kong Emigration has rejected my Entry and send me back to Shenzhen.
I concerns is, now have to make exit from China, hence just want to know in how much time i can make re-entry in Hong kong with Indian Passport.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, I’m sorry but we have no idea on what is the Hong Kong immigration policy for Indian passports. You shall check on the HK gov website.
Hello Furio,
I m EU citizen and would like to open a company in HK and do the work in Guangzhou. Is it possible to stay in China and get working visa besides of HK company?
Also please recommend some agencies in HK to assist me to open a bank account and company.
Thank you in advance
Daniel
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Daniel,
no, an Hong Kong company is considered as a foreign entity. Say, like having a company in UK. So you can’t certainly get a Chinese VISA based on an HK Company. As for the agency, please send an inquiry using this form: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/company-inquiry/
Hey man great info!
Im Canadian looking to land in HK to get visa for China. Im looking at the 10 year mulit entry, is it possible there or only your home country?
Also is there a minimum amount of time you have to leave the country? IM planning China to Mongolia overland and back into China and then into Kyrgyzstan and back to China then travelling China for up to 2 months from there… Seems impossible to me to have to book flights, trains, hotels etc before getting into the country.
Any help greatly appreciated, cheers!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
if you have an “incomplete” documentation, that is you don’t have all flights / hotels reservation, than an agency is your best bet (see the article for the details)
Hi Furio,
I will be leaving Australia on the 15th of August (more than 90 days before I arrive in China) to travel to other countries. I will be in Hong Kong for a week at the end of October before heading to the Philippines, Japan and South Korea.
Will I be able to get a tourist visa, in Hong Kong, for my trip to China in late November/early December?
Would appreciate any advice.
Regards,
Trevor
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Trevor,
in your case, since you can’t get the visa in your own country, Hong Kong seems to be your best option for getting a Chinese Visa.
Hi Guys , Thanks for a great site.
i have yearly M visa multiple entry (30 per entry) and been here in china around 8 months (traveling , doing business ) , recently i got job offer from a company here, and they will provide Z visa for me . and i got some questions hope you guys help me .
1- i haven’t register in any police station yet cuz when i travel in mainland i always stay in my friend’s house , so there will be any issue when i apply for Z visa , if yes , next time when i do visa run and after i enter china again it will works if stay in any hotel for one or two night because they automatically register in local police station , so i can avoid this issue .
2- when i apply for the Z visa and resident permit , i heard probably the officer would ask me what were you doing in last months here , i just can simply tell him i was doing business and traveling .
3- Please if there any advise to prevent any issue i could face when i converting M to Z (i know i must leave china to get it )
Thanks alot .
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Lolzer,
if you stay at your friends’ house you shall always register to the local police bureau, by providing your passport and copy of passport, resident permit and house contract of your friend. You can’t just move around without any police registration. If you are in a hotel is different, as the hotel makes the registration for the days you stay there.
Also, notice that you are not converting the visa. You are going out China and applying for a new (Z) visa. Once you’ll get it, the old M visa will automatically expire.
We can’t forecast what problems you may face as, simply, the procedure is complex and nobody can make a forecast on your specific situation. It would just be speculation : p
hi furio , thanks for your reply
i got your point , but i wanna ask about , if i will register next time i do visa run , so they will check the previous entries and ask me why i didn’t register before , or they don’t care about it ?? because if it will be ok , next time i will register once i enter .
cheers!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I don’t know the answer to this!
I’m not sure if they go so far on doing due diligence before granting a new visa
ok , thanks anyway :)
Thank you for a great site!
I am from EU and have a 12 month multiple entry (90 days per entry) tourist (L) visa that expires soon. I got the visa through an agency in Hong Kong (I think it’s called Sino Reach Travel Ltd). The visa is issued in the US. I can get it again, but it costs about 7000 HKD.
My travel plan:
1) Now in China
2) Sep in my country
3) Oct in China
4) Nov-Dec in my country
5) 2017 in China
So, to save some money I’m thinking of two options:
1) Extend my current visa
and/or
2) Get a new double entry (30 days per entry) visa
I have two questions:
1) Which option would you recommend?
2) What documents do I need if I extend?
I went to the extension office in Guangzhou. They were very vague, but said that I could perhaps get 30 days more. My friend was able to extend twice. He’s also on a 12 month L visa, but from another country. I think I need to register where I live at the local police station and bring that document. Do I need something else? Is it straightforward to extend? Time is running out. I’m also thinking, if it is a big hazzle preparing a lot of documents for that extension, I might as well go to Hong Kong to get a visa if that is straightforward. Some expert insight would be appreciated. :)
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
for the exact documents you need for the extension you shall contact the PSB bureau in Guangzhou. Since it’s a L Visa, they may ask you where you stay (hotel? friend’s house) and will want to see a proof or residence (as you already said); they may also ask to see a flight booking (to make sure you’re able to leave China before your visa expires).
Note that it’s not sure that you’ll get the extension as the officials will decide case by case. There is not a 100% “safe” procedure.
Thanks! The two agencies that I’ve contacted (FBT and SINO) both changed their minds and said I cannot get the double entry (30 days per entry) visa since I’m staying long term in China, which sounds strange. Why is that a factor? They instead told me to go to Shenzhen to get an S2 visa, single entry, 30 days, for 900 HKD. Anyway, I went to the local police office and they said I will get the proof of residence on Wednesday (for that I need an apartment contract, two photos and my passport). Hope that works out. Then I’ll go to the PSB bureau directly after that, since Thursday and Friday might be holidays. I’m getting pretty nervous now. What happens if they say no on Wednesday?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
it looks very weird that they accept your “new rented apartments” as proof or residence. I mean, how can you live in China under a tourist visa? usually proof of address for tourist visa are either an hotel reservation or a friend’s house with letter of invitation. I never heard of someebody renting an apartment to get a proof of residence for a Tourist visa.
I don’t want to scare you, the fact that I never heard of it doesn’t mean that is not possible. It just sounds weird to me
Well, if they refuse to renew the visa, your only option is to leave China and try to get a visa in Hong Kong or somewhere else
I got the extension!! One extra month. But I registered as a guest in a friends home, because our landlord didn’t want us to give them her ID number. My friend said I can extend one more month. We’ll see. Otherwise I’ll try and get the S2 visa, then maybe another of those one year expensive visas.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Congratulations : )
I also found out another interesting thing: When I applied for the extension the computer showed the expiry date of my current visa, which was 91 days from my last entry (including both the entry date and the exit date). As an illustration: Say I would have a one day visa. I enter on Saturday, then the expiry date is on Sunday. That was news to me. In other words: A hypothetical one day visa could be used for 47 hours and 59 minutes, and a 90 day entry for 90 days 23 hours and 59 minutes.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Thank you for sharing this detail. Actually I think is a bit tricker than that: according to the office where you get the visa, they may give you a visa that expires at midnight of the last day. Thus, it would be 47 hours and 59 minutes only if you enter at 00:01. If you enter at, say, 17:00, it would be 30 hours and 59 minutes.
Hi :) me and my friend (we’re from Poland) applied for F type visa and we were rejected :( They said they are not sure of the purpose of our journey and they think we want to go to China to work as models. We are thinking now about going to HK and applying there but this time for L type with double entrance. Can we apply in HK for the first time or in HK it’s only possible to extend a visa? Do you know how it looks like right now? Most people get a tourist visa easily?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
It shall be possible to apply in Hong Kong, although is not a given. You can’t apply for an F visa unless you have a legit invitation letter. I find it quite normal that they rejected you. You shall aplly for an L visa if you are just going for traveling around
We have an invitation letter from a university, we want to go for a voluntary project, but they said to as that we need an invitation from a government (sic). We’ll try to apply for L visa here but I’m afraid they will remeber us, if so I think we’ll try in HK.
Hi,
Great info, thanks for compiling. I have French friends that landed direct in Shenzhen with single entry visas today. Now, plans have changed and they wonder if they go to HK over the weekend can they then find some way to get a visa to re-enter SZ on Sunday. Does anyone know if it’s possible for French citizens to either change the single entry to multi entry somewhere in SZ or get a visa somewhere in HK? And bearing in mind it will also be a Saturday when they try this, will embassies/consulates be open?
Thanks
Kev
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi, it looks difficult to pull off, however, how long will they stay in Shenzhen the second time? If it’s less than 5 days then they can exploit the visa on arrival. You find the details at the end of this article: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/business-visas-for-china/
aloha,
i couldn’t find any case similar to mine in the comments so i want to ask you Furio Fu of your advice on what can be done.
i came to China on L visa but it was quickly replaced by Z visa i obtained in Hong Kong. i just finished my contract and wanted to get L visa in local Exit and Entry Bureau, but the person responsible rudely declined and refused to give me the explanation for this rather unusual treatment without even looking into my papers.
after hitting my school and asking bosses to give me the report as a prove of my finished employement i found out that my exemployeer can help me and deliver the report to the police station for they hadn’t been paying tax for me even though it was deducted from my pay monthly. i leave that without a comment.
before leaving the country and going to Vietnam i want to travel around western (Gansu, sichuan, Qinhai, Yunnan) parts of the country badly for i’ve only been to the eastern parts so far, but i can’t get the visa in my local E&E Bureau and have to leave the country soon. from what you’ve wrote on this page, getting new L visa may be hard with my previous visa (L got in Poland to Z in HongKong) history, right? do you think there is anything i can do in the case like this?
thanks in advance and
big ups for helping people out!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
have you tried with an agency in Hong Kong? Generally speaking is easier to get a visa there than from within China. However I don’t know if the fact that your employer didn’t pay the taxes on your behalf will play a role on this!
Very helpful website. Thank you.
My question: I plan to apply for teaching jobs while I am in Beijing, China on a student X2 visa as I will be attending a 6 week Summer school at Peking University. Can a work visa be issued to me while I am there once I land a job? Or would I be asked to go back to my home country to do that? I am a US citizen.
Thanks
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, sometimes it’s possible to get the resident permit for working purpose without leaving the country. However it’s not sure, it really comes down to who will hire you and how much effort they will put into that
Hello
My wife, my daughter and me are romanian citizens and our one month tourist visa expires on the 14th june..and we would like to spend two more month, here, in Xiamen and after another two in Guangzhou, so we would like to apply in HK..what kind of visa do you recommend, considering the fact that we will have to apply 3-4 times: tourist single entry,tourist double entry,group visa, S2 visa? here in Xiamen we could also extend on the 14th our actual visa for one mre month..does this extension making harder to apply next time?
waiting for you answer and thank you very much
Szebi
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, you could try an L visa, however I’m not sure how many extensions you can get
Hi,
Your forum looks like it has some good information for people looking ro come to China, so I would like to see if u or any of your readers can help me out with a problem.
Ive been living and teaching in China for 8 years, always on a legit z visa. Last year i tried to go it alone, got a year long M visa from an agency in GZ, and looked at opening a school. Big mistake! Got the run around for months by possible investors, basicly ran out of cash on wining and dining a bunch of ****s that had no intention of investing in the 1st place! But thats another story….
For stupid reasons i overstayed my 60 day limit by 12 days. Went to the police, paid the fine, Exit and Enterance Bureau took my passport for 10 days and this morning i picked it up with a new no-nonsense 10 day visa! I accept responsibility for this and have no problem with the fines or 10 day visa. Now i asked the officer who gave me my passport back (Luo Hu, SZ) if it would be possible to go ro HK and apply for a 30 or 60 day tourist visa. (Lots of loose ends to tie up) She said yes. I asked for confirmation so she asked her boss who also said yes, no problem.
Now this was a blessed relief as I dont want to return to the UK until mid July-August. So I contacted Everbright Visa services, (very good, quick, easy and painless when I used them last year). Now they say they cant help at all if u have overstayed in China.They told me I would need a new passport if I want to return to China as Ive overstayed and it would be impossible to get a new visa in HK or UK with that red stamp in my current passport.
The help i need is to find out if this is correct or not? Has anyone been in or heard of anyone in a similair position, and more importantly what was the outcome?! Looking through my passport i already have 2 cancelled visas in it from previous schools and ive not had any problems before?
Looking on the internet is turning my hair gray as there are so many conflicting stories out there!
So I have 8 days to leave the country and get a new visa. I would like to know if its at all possible to get a new tourist visa in HK or if I have to go back to UK or if i have to get a new passport?
If anyone can help ice creams are on me! But the clock is really ticking…….
Help!
And thanks!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Ben,
if FBT can’t help, you can try at the Consular Office in Hong Kong (I suggest you to call, before go there). However there is no guarantee whatsoever that you’ll get a new visa after an overstaying. The info you may find in the internet contradict themselves simply because there is not a clear answer.
Generally speaking, I tend to agree with the agency (ie. you won’t get a new visa on your old passport) however I don’t have a definitive answer.
Yep. Im kinda feeling the same. Since posting Ive also enquired at 2 other “agencies” and a local guru, all say the same. Not worth wasting your time and money just to be told no. Thanks anyway, keep up the good work! ☺
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
: )
Hi
I am Latvian citizen, I studied in China for almost a year now, and have residence permit; once it is over, i wanted to travel around for 3-4 months.
In such case, is it possible to get a tourist visa for that long? Depending on website, it says max is 30 days or 3 months, so it is not clear.
Thank you in advance.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Evija,
the standard tourist visa is 30 days. You may get a longer visa through an agency, however you shall contact the agencies as it really depends on your passport and what of kind of Chinese visa you already got in the past
Hello Furio
I’m a British citizen, and I’ve been in Yangshuo since February studying tai chi, on a six month study visa (F type), which I obtained in England with the help of a letter provided by my tai chi school. My visa runs out at the end of July. I would like to stay in China at least another 6 months, and possibly up to a year, mainly to continue studying tai chi but also to do a bit of travelling and sight-seeing. One potential problem is that I want to change to a different school, although the new school could provide me with a letter. Can I get a 6 month or 1 year visa in Hong Kong – it would be expensive and a pain to go back to UK?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Yes, it’s possible to get such a visa in Hong Kong, although nobody can guarantee that your application will be successful as they decide case by case
Thanks Furio
I’ve been in touch with Forever Bright Trading Ltd and they’ve suggested sending them my passport by courier, then they’ll send it to the UK to get a visa, after which they’ll send it back to me here in China. They suggest that’s the way to get a year long visa.
As well as being expensive, it’s a bit scary to send my passport away while I’m here, and I wonder if it’s legal. Do you know of others who’ve done it? and are these guys legit?
Thanks
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi John,
I wouldn’t do that myself. It’s not about the agency not being legit (I think they are legit); the problem is more about the fact that, in China, you are required to hold the passport.
Thanks, Furio.
I must admit I don’t like the idea. The alternative seems to be to stay in Hong Kong for three weeks, which will be expensive.
Thanks for this information, it’s very helpful.
John
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I wish you luck with it : )