Applying for a Chinese Tourist Visa in Hong Kong

I’ve had sleepless nights wondering about these visa’s. The information online is at best confusing with contradictory instructions and advice on even the embassy’s own website, as well as the various advice sites available. The online accounts from fellow travellers also tell tails of blood, sweat and tears. 

That in mind I had a ream of supporting documents along with two completed application forms downloaded from the embassy website along with answers to the most obscure of questions… 

http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/bgfwxx/

And it turns out half of this wasn’t needed so I wanted to try and help other born worriers like myself thinking of applying for a visa for China mid travels as it really isn’t as much of a minefield as it’s made out to be at all. 

First of all, most of the advice from fellow travellers on the internet is inaccurate. The process was completely different to that that I’d read (and far simpler) and the horror stories told by those who’d been refused a visa seem either dramatised for artistic licence perhaps, or things were not as straightforward in their circumstances as was being told. In summary take things with a pinch of salt. If you’re circumstances are straight forward, then so will the application process be. 

Finding the Visa centre is easy enough – take the MTR to Wan Chai and take exit A1. 

http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/system_map.html

Follow the signs for immigration tower and just before the entry take the staircase on the right. Follow the street/ path to the right and pretty much keep going in that direction. The visa office is signposted and if in doubt ask people and when you arrive you’ll want to go up to floor 3.

At the visa centre, you cannot take a bag inside (fortunately we had heard this already so left bags at our hotel). 

The application form on the Chinese embassy in Hong Kong website is incorrect. But worry not, there are the correct forms at the visa centre itself so I wouldn’t bother printing one, just fill one out when you get there.

The embassy website for China in Hong Kong also says that Chinese visa applications cannot be made if you are not resident in Hong Kong and must be made in your country of residence. We were not however turned away, and were not the only applicants there who were not on homeland so not too sure why this advice is given unless it’s for a more permanent visa type than a tourist visa. Who knows as it’s very unclear advice and doesn’t seem to actually be the case. 
Take one passport photo with you. Doesn’t have to be the square visa photos, just passport sized. There is a photo booth at the embassy but it’s expensive apparently (I didn’t check the price as we didn’t use it).

You’ll need to submit your passport with the Hong Kong entry card as proof of legal stay in Hong Kong. You also have to have a photo copy of your passport to submit so of like is you head over to apply on first arriving in Hong Kong don’t forget to check into your hotel first as they’ll want to see your passports and take he details. 

In addition, you’ll need proof of ongoing travel out of China such as flight confirmation and also proof of a hotel reservation. We only had proof of a one night booking in China  for the first night we intend to arrive but made it clear which destinations we wished to travel in the itinerary section and how long we intend to be in each place. Some people talk of the need to book accommodation for the entire duration and the cancel this after submitting a visa application. We didn’t do this, and nor did we need to so don’t waste your time or money.

Also, some advice says you need proof of how you will fund your trip to China. I took bank statements galore, only to be handed these back and told I didn’t need them. 

Anyway, once you’ve filled in your application form, someone will check it over for you and you’ll be issued a ticket number and you simply sit and wait to be seen. We waited no more then 5 minutes but we went at the end of the day, and there were few others there. I’m told if you go in the morning it’s a different story and you could be waiting 90 minutes or more. This could however be an exaggeration by fee charging agencies who apply for Chinese visas on behalf of tourists. The application and supporting documents and form are then checked again. We had everything needed, and so were given a receipt and told to come back in 4 days time.

You pay for your visa on collection of your passport and visa.  We had a few days planned in Hong Kong so opted for standard service as opposed to express, so it cost us HKD $360 each. Express would have been an additional $300 each and would have meant they were ready the next working day should anyone want one in more of a rush then us.

The last step is paying and picking up your passport and visa. This is very quick. It takes longer to get to the visa office then it does collecting a visa as they are incredibly efficient. You just go to counter 1, hand them your receipt/ collection slip, pay and then go to counter 3 et voila. If your receipt gives a time (either AM or PM  ) for pick up, make sure you adhere to this as apparently the visa office are strict on this. Our collection slip however didn’t give a time, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t either. 

The last step is entirely optional, we celebrated with a Starbucks because WOOHOO! We’re going to China!

We don’t actually know of we will be able to access this blog or any of our means of communications such as Facebook, emails, skype etc. So this could be a bye for now and we’ll tell tales of our adventures when we return to Hong Kong at the start if June. Of course we might be fine in which case more stories to follow soon. 

Lots of love xx 

Hong Kong high life

Bright coloured lights, huge sky scrapers, bustling night markets and testicles for dinner would probably be a good place to start if we were to try and describe our experiences of Hong Kong so far. 

Arriving in Hong Kong and immediately we are amazed at how clean and new everything is, and how efficient things are. With no hanging around waiting we are soon through immigration and already making our way along the MTR subway service to our hotel. Another treat – the hotel is less then 5 minutes from the subway station and the clear directions given on how to get there are in fact correct! This might seem fairly standard but after almost 3 months in the sub-Indian continent, quite frankly being pointed in vaguely the right direction for something appears to be a rarity. 

Out hotel room is a very cute compact room (I like to refer to it as a pod) with very little floor space, and a bathroom no bigger then a telephone box, but for a budget hotel in Hong Kong we’ve done well as it’s clean, comfortable enough and the owners couldn’t be more helpful or lovely. (Oi Suen Guest house in Mong Kok)  

Despite probably no more then 3 hours sleep from the overnight flights, and with just over an hour til the embassy closed, we then sped across Hong Kong to make our visa applications for China (more on that later) and then we’re back at the hotel getting ready for dinner. Seems the efficiency of Hong Kong has already had a good influence on our own organisation. 

Not knowing what we’re ordering, somehow we manage to order three main meals (oops??) and they decide to bring me a meal that cost twice as much as the one I pointed at – still haven’t quite figured that one out but in the spirit of good times we rolled with it. Trying what look vaguely like a dumpling I bite into a round thing. I remain convinced it was a testicle, and decided I’d probably rather pass on that! In fact there are a few things I’ve noticed that I can’t help but feel a bit sick by, not least brains, poultry of various kinds with feet, necks and head still attached, animal intestines, dehydrated fish and weird animal skins similar to those fleshy coloured things we give dogs to chew on at home. Don’t get me wrong, I like to be adventurous and try different things, but at the moment I think we’re both at our limits and I grow closer each day to becoming a vegetarian. 

Every time we step outside the views are breath taking with the bright coloured Chinese signs, and the  incredible tall modern buildings adorning the streets. Hong Kong has it’s fair share of parks and botanical gardens too which bring a welcome breath of nature into a predominantly urban atmosphere. 

The night markets are fabulous. No matter how obscure, x- rated or otherwise unimaginable, it’s there for the taking and for those wanting a bargain these are open territory for bartering. We haven’t tried yet as we’ve just enjoyed looking but once in China itself I think a little indulgence at very little cost might be too tempting to pass. 

Last, and by no means least, we’ve also had a fair dose of culture too since arriving, including a trip to a tea museum (which is less dull then it sounds) and also a lovely art exhibition where we were able to meet the artists who took great pride in talking to us about their exhibits. One in particular has inspired some ideas about decor for a certain big life event of ours in 2017. A village to the lovely village of Tai O also made for an excellent day out as we got to see and walk around the stilted paths outside the stilted houses in which the locals live.

Do we like Hong Kong? No. We love it.