Obtaining a Visa
by Sean on May.27, 2009, under China
You want to get a visa to enter China and are an American citizen? Well here’s how to do it!
The thing about China is that they only have 5 consulates in America, each in a different state and part of the country. Any visa applications mailed directly to the Consulate will be thrown out. As a result of this, you must hire a third party living in the city of the consulate to bring the application in your stead, for a fee of course. There are many different third parties involved in this process, but the one I used and refer to others is Visa Express.
Chinese Visa
Because the American government makes it so difficult and expensive to obtain a visa for Chinese citizens, China has decided to play this game too. For any American wishing to obtain a visa, you must pay a standard fee of $130. If you expedite the service, which has been temporarily stopped as a result of the swine flu, an extra $20 should be added on top. On top of these fees, you must also pay the third party, plus shipping for your documents to them and back. For using my credit card, I paid an extra 3% on top of everything. Depending on the service the third party provides, expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $70 for their fee alone. In total, I spent $250 for my visa. Look below for the breakdown.
- Visa: $150
- 3rd party fee: $50
- Shipping to the 3rd party: $5
- Shipping from the 3rd party: $21
- 3% surcharge for using a credit card: $4
Another great resource is the Chinese Embassy website. It has up to date info on the rules and regulations for obtaining Chinese visas. Remember that visa rules are usually different for each country, and each visa requires you to collect different information pertinent to your application being accepted by the government. The aforementioned website will inform you of what is necessary for each.
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June 2nd, 2009 on 8:14 am
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