Practical Tips on Chinese Visas That Are Not on the Website

Filipinos require a Chinese Visa on every visit to the Mainland, except when on a tour of Hainan. On my first-ever tourist visa application recently, I processed all my requirements on my own—from getting paperwork to actually filing them. Along the way, I learned a lot of practical tips that aren’t on the Chinese Embassy’s website, and here are some of them. Read more…

ON REQUIREMENTS

• As of September 30, 2014, the 100,000 PHP bank balance requirement has been lifted.
• There is no need for the bank certificate to reflect the six-month history or average daily balance (ADB) of your account; a standard bank certificate will do. However, the receipt of submitting the receipt of the bank certificate is mandatory.
• Foreign currency deposit accounts, most commonly US dollars, are accepted.
• While it is safe to bring a certificate of employment (CoE), income tax return (ITR), and company ID, not all will be taken.
• A passport-sized photo is the requirement, but they accept 2×2 photos, nonetheless.
• Before going to the Embassy, be sure to have a photocopy of both the front and back pages of your passport. The website does not list that a photocopy of the back is required, so lots of people come without one. Be sure to fill out the emergency contact information at the back.
• No requirements submitted will be returned, so it might be a good idea to submit a photocopy of your income tax return (ITR).

ON FILING

• While the website makes it seem like anyone can file your visa application, it’s not totally true. Bearing extra requirements, only the following people may do so:
  – immediate family members: authorization letter, ID, and proof of relationship
  – officemates: authorization letter printed on the company letterhead and ID
  – driver, househelper, messenger, or secretary: authorization letter and ID
• If you cannot have someone above file for you, it’s best to course your application through an authorized travel agency like Uni-Orient Travel with no extra requirements.
• The process at the Embassy is very straightforward. It only took me maybe 15-20 minutes in total to wait in a short queue and hand my documents for assessment.
• There is no personal interview, but you will be asked about the documents. You will be told right then and there if your documents are insufficient; otherwise, you will be handed a pink slip that bears the date for passport claiming.
• All first-time visa applications must undergo regular processing (fourth working day). Rush processing (second or third working day) is typically not granted.

ON CLAIMING

• The counting of days until claiming starts on the day of application, which is designated as the first working day. Regular-processed passports may be claimed on the fourth working day, while rush-processed on the second or third. For example, you filed your application on Monday, you may claim it on Thursday (fourth working day) on regular processing.
• You may have someone claim your passport for you even without an authorization form. They will release it to anyone who brings the pink claim slip and pays the fee, so be sure to also take good care of that small piece of paper.
• The releasing of passports is markedly more time consuming than filing because you would need to take a number for them to retrieve your passport then line up for payment and releasing. It took me maybe 45 minutes to claim my passport.

Note: I was granted a single entry tourist visa (type L), and it was my first time to apply. Most tips above apply to tourist visas, but other Chinese Visas have more or less the same requirements.