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Inexpensive one year multi-entry visa to China!
Posted: November 26th, 2010, 5:31 pm
by Winston
But only for Taiwanese citizens though.
When Rock and I were in Taichung, we met a Taiwanese businessman who said that he went to China often and that his travel agent got him a one year visa to China for like 2000NT, which is about $60. Holy smoke. Americans have to pay $100 or $200 for a 3 month visa to China, and Taiwanese only have to pay $60 for a one year multi-entry visa? Dang. That's a big difference.
I think he told me that these are standard rates though, not special ones. But I haven't confirmed what he said.
I guess I'll be using my Taiwan passport when I go there.
Posted: November 27th, 2010, 12:06 pm
by momopi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Com ... try_Permit
If you have a TW passport, you can apply for the Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit, which cost less and is valid for 5 years.
If you're ethnic Chinese regardless of citizenship, you may be eligible for the "L" VISA which costs $130 and is good for 2 years.
For everyone else, you pay $130-$140 (?) for 1-year multiple entry VISA if you're a visitor.
Those with work permit/VISA in China might want to chime in on your VISA terms.
============
Side note, those with TW/ROC passport will have VISA free visit to Canada and EU:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a ... 2003489204
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a ... 2003489458
Posted: November 27th, 2010, 2:08 pm
by globetrotter
Each Visa is $130/$140 no matter the duration. 2-mo L Visa or 12 mo Z-visa, the cost is the same.
It really helps to have connections that can get this done for cheap using Guanxi.
For the huge cost, you can blame the Americans and the WTO.
UK and Canadians pay $20 or $50.
Posted: November 28th, 2010, 1:55 am
by Rock
For USA passports:
At PRC embassy in Bangkok, 6 months L visa is maximum duration available for US tourists to China and cost is 4,560 Baht (US$150 at current exchange). If you need it fast, you can pay an extra 1,200 for 1 day processing or 800 Baht for 2-3 day processing.
In Taipei, 1 year was available last I checked but fee is even higher (around US$164 @ current exchange rate). I think it takes at least 7 days.
In HK, they claim to no longer accept China visa applications from non-residents (ie those w/out HK ID) given the high volumes experienced in the past. Don't know whether or not this rule gets bent in practice. I used to always get my China visas in Hong Kong.
Posted: November 28th, 2010, 4:35 am
by globetrotter
I had not heard that about HK visas. It is common to make a run to HK to handle paper work. This was the current info AFAIK. Will check it out.
Posted: November 28th, 2010, 7:29 am
by The_Adventurer
I just got my one year visa in HK last week. There were plenty of foreigners there. I can't imagine they don't process for non residents.
Posted: November 28th, 2010, 1:05 pm
by momopi
For those too lazy to wait in line, my work use these guys for VISA processing:
http://ambassadorpassportandvisa.com/
My China VISA is 1 year, multi-entry, up to 60 days per visit. But I usually don't stay for more than a week for work.
Posted: November 28th, 2010, 8:22 pm
by Rock
Terrence wrote:I just got my one year visa in HK last week. There were plenty of foreigners there. I can't imagine they don't process for non residents.
I can think of 3 possibilities then:
1. This notice (as of 2008/04/13) has expired but website has not been updated:
http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/bgfwxx/
2. They intentionally left it up as a volume reducting deterrent so some residents of other countries would be scared into getting the China visa before traveling to HK/China.
3. They accept people, like yourself, who are long term residents in China.
I'm guessing its probably one of the first two.
Re: Inexpensive one year multi-entry visa to China!
Posted: November 22nd, 2014, 2:24 am
by Winston
Momopi, Rock,
I got my Taiwanese compatriot permit for China. However, I am unclear as to whether I have to get it stamped in Taiwan or at the airport in China. I asked the travel agency that processed the permit for me. But they don't understand my question and I don't understand theirs. Plus when they try to answer me, they do not look confident in their answer.
On the new Wikipedia page for the Taiwan compatriot permit, it says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainland_T ... _Residents
Taiwan residents can apply for an entry permit in China Travel Service Limited's Hong Kong or Macau branches or through travel agencies in Taiwan. For each entry into mainland China, mainland China Entry Permit holders need to apply for a permit, which is an immigration stamp that shows the document bearer's allowed duration of stay inside mainland China. In Hong Kong, Taiwan residents can apply at Hong Kong International Airport; in Macau at the Macau International Airport, and they can apply for stay extensions at branches offices of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) across mainland China. Permits are classified as:
Single entry for 3 months (HKD 150)
Multiple entry within 1, 2 or 3 years
Certain employing, employment, studying or investment certification is required when applying for a 2- or 3-year multi-entry permit. In practice most Taiwanese travel agencies will prepare the necessary forms and have the documents with valid entry permits sent to Taiwan by air. Around 1% of the applications are rejected, mainly to sensitive identities such as pro-Taiwan independence/Tibet independence figures, Falun Gong members and the like.[citation needed] This document's bearer can also apply for 3-month entry-permit-on-arrival in the following mainland Chinese airports or harbors, so long as this document remains valid:
Airport: Shenyang, Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Haikou, Sanya, (effective Sep 25, 2008) Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Guilin, Shenzhen.
Harbor: Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou
Above, it says that you can apply for the permit at the airport in China upon arrival. But what about the 3 month entry stamp? Can you get that at the airport upon arrival too? Or does the travel agency need to do that before you go to China? I'm unclear on that based on the above info.
What do you think?
It seems like the safest way to do this is to go to Hong Kong first and enter China from there. The above info seems to say that the Hong Kong airports can process the entry. But I'm not sure if other airports in China will too.
Re:
Posted: November 22nd, 2014, 11:28 am
by Jester
momopi wrote:
For everyone else, you pay $130-$140 (?) for 1-year multiple entry VISA if you're a visitor.
GREAT info, thanks.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/entry.htm
Re: Inexpensive one year multi-entry visa to China!
Posted: December 19th, 2014, 10:34 pm
by Falcon
You can now get a 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa for China if you're a US citizen applying at a Chinese consulate in the US.
Re: Inexpensive one year multi-entry visa to China!
Posted: December 19th, 2014, 11:36 pm
by Rock
Falcon wrote:You can now get a 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa for China if you're a US citizen applying at a Chinese consulate in the US.
Ha ha, you missed my thread on that. But thanks for bumping this issue. My one year visa was set to expire on December 16, 2014 and I spent over USD $200 getting it. So I popped here the last day and am now in Shenzhen area.
Re: Inexpensive one year multi-entry visa to China!
Posted: December 20th, 2014, 12:07 am
by Winston
Winston wrote:Momopi, Rock,
I got my Taiwanese compatriot permit for China. However, I am unclear as to whether I have to get it stamped in Taiwan or at the airport in China. I asked the travel agency that processed the permit for me. But they don't understand my question and I don't understand theirs. Plus when they try to answer me, they do not look confident in their answer.
On the new Wikipedia page for the Taiwan compatriot permit, it says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainland_T ... _Residents
Taiwan residents can apply for an entry permit in China Travel Service Limited's Hong Kong or Macau branches or through travel agencies in Taiwan. For each entry into mainland China, mainland China Entry Permit holders need to apply for a permit, which is an immigration stamp that shows the document bearer's allowed duration of stay inside mainland China. In Hong Kong, Taiwan residents can apply at Hong Kong International Airport; in Macau at the Macau International Airport, and they can apply for stay extensions at branches offices of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) across mainland China. Permits are classified as:
Single entry for 3 months (HKD 150)
Multiple entry within 1, 2 or 3 years
Certain employing, employment, studying or investment certification is required when applying for a 2- or 3-year multi-entry permit. In practice most Taiwanese travel agencies will prepare the necessary forms and have the documents with valid entry permits sent to Taiwan by air. Around 1% of the applications are rejected, mainly to sensitive identities such as pro-Taiwan independence/Tibet independence figures, Falun Gong members and the like.[citation needed] This document's bearer can also apply for 3-month entry-permit-on-arrival in the following mainland Chinese airports or harbors, so long as this document remains valid:
Airport: Shenyang, Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Haikou, Sanya, (effective Sep 25, 2008) Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Guilin, Shenzhen.
Harbor: Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou
Above, it says that you can apply for the permit at the airport in China upon arrival. But what about the 3 month entry stamp? Can you get that at the airport upon arrival too? Or does the travel agency need to do that before you go to China? I'm unclear on that based on the above info.
What do you think?
It seems like the safest way to do this is to go to Hong Kong first and enter China from there. The above info seems to say that the Hong Kong airports can process the entry. But I'm not sure if other airports in China will too.
Thanks guys for not answering the above. :p But anyway I already found my answer. I walked into the travel agency here in Taiwan again and asked about it. This time they told me that I could get my Taiwan compatriot permit stamped at a major airport in China but not a smaller one. For example, I could get it stamped at airports in Beijing or Shanghai or Hong Kong. But not in Shenzhen or Guangzhou.
Re: Inexpensive one year multi-entry visa to China!
Posted: December 20th, 2014, 9:09 am
by droid
Falcon wrote:You can now get a 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa for China if you're a US citizen applying at a Chinese consulate in the US.
NICE!!
Re: Inexpensive one year multi-entry visa to China!
Posted: January 2nd, 2015, 7:43 am
by Winston
Question for those of you who've been to China:
Do you need to buy an onward or return ticket to enter China, like you do in the Philippines? Will they ask you for one at the airport? Will customs ask you for one?