Pops' China Travel Guide, Obtaining a VISA

I just found out that I am going to China in April so I thought I would write about my experiences. The first thing I need to do after booking the trip is to obtain a VISA.

Obtaining a VISA is not as intimidating as you would think. What I do is let a service handle the footwork for me. After you supply the required information the VISA service will work with the Chinese embassy to get your VISA approved. I like to use CBIT Inc as the VISA service. They also have other services such as Passport services.

There is some information and documents you will have to provide. First you need to already have a valid Passport that is valid for 6 months beyond the request length of the VISA. If you are requesting a VISA for a length of one year your Passport should be valid for at least 18 months. Make sure your Passport has enough free pages to add the VISA. If your Passport is getting full you can request additional pages. You will also need a Passport photo and a copy of the computer generated itinerary or a copy of your plane tickets and hotel reservations. If you have children under 18 years of age you will have to have a copy of their birth certificate. If they are traveling without you you will also have to provide a notarized authorization letter stating the child has permission to travel without you.

If you are traveling on vacation you can select a tourist VISA. If for part of your trip you will be entering Hong Kong or Macau it is considered leaving China. If that is the case you will need a multiple entry VISA. If not you can get by with a single entry VISA.

Now that you have gathered the required information you are ready to completed the VISA application and order form from CIBT.

Typical time to complete processing is 8 business days however it may take longer if there are questions. Give yourself plenty of time. They do have expedited processing if you need it. That is typically 4 business days.

If you are traveling for business you will need additional information like a letter of introduction from the company you are visiting.

The link for CIBT is www.cbitvisas.com . Review the specific requirements on their site.