I've never dealt with the non credit card kind of visa before.

April 26, 2008 12:51 AM

How fast can I get a Chinese Visa in Vancouver with a UK Passport?

So I'm going to Hong Kong next week, ok, no problem. However now my friends want to take a brief trip to mainland china. Ok, I need a visa. As it turns out, to get a visa you need a passport with at least 6 months before expiry on it. Alas, my Canadian passport expires in June. Okay, I have a UK passport.

Can I just show up at the Consulate with my UK passport? How does this work? How long will it take?

I'm also moving this week and have little access to the web or a printer or my own sanity.

posted by stray to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

How about calling the High Commission in Ottawa, or the local office in Vancouver? We cannot answer this question but they can. Calling Ottawa makes more sense--they'll be open before the Vancouver office.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:08 AM on April 26

FWIW I was in a similar situation only I was in Wellington, NZ and had an American passport. I showed up to Chinese consulate and told them I needed as soon as possible. I had the forms filled quickly, passport photos, and needed to pay a lot of money (IIRC 140$ and this was several years ago). I also needed them to mail me the passport in a different city, as I wouldn't be in Wellington for much longer. I got it in a different city in less than a week, with a proper visa. I imagine nowadays with all the technology it may even be faster? But expect to pay a lot of money.
So, in summary: rock up to the consulate as early as you can with a lot of cash (the one I went to wouldn't accept any card-like object) and at least 3 passport photos and your passport and you should be okay.
Good luck
posted by shokod at 1:27 AM on April 26

I don't know anything about getting the visa in Canada before leaving for the mainland directly, but I used to travel to the mainland from Hong Kong. (I had family in HK so it made sense to start from there.)

Once I got to Hong Kong I got a visa through the China Travel Service using my U.S. passport. It took a few days, but I think there's also an option to get expedited service for extra money. They have a ton of locations. Get to the office early, they only serve a certain number of people each day if I remember correctly.

This was before I got my Hong Kong identity card in 2004, so things may have changed. YMMV. (With the HK ID card I don't need a visa anymore.)
posted by melvinwang at 1:31 AM on April 26

There's a 4 day processing time, but you can expedite it. It will probably cost you about 100 bucks - they will charge you when you pick up the visa and bring cash! If you want to expedite it (usually within about 24 hours) make sure you get to the consulate early (I'd suggest before 10am at the latest - they open at 9am).

Advice - Do not take your cell phone with you to the consulate when you go to get the visa. Do not take a camera or recording device. Do not bring a cup of coffee with you or anything that could be construed as a weapon. Think airport security, but stricter.

Bring the 2x2 photo, and travel documents/tickets and/or proof of hotel reservation. If you can print the visa application from online first, do so and fill it out and sign it before arriving - its less stressful than having to rush to fill in official forms while at the consulate. There will be applications available there, should you not have time to print the form beforehand.

Have a good trip!
posted by kirstk at 3:16 AM on April 26

Gah sorry I meant bring your bank card, not cash! They won't take cash or credit card. When you submit the application they should tell you all forms of acceptable payment as well as the total cost on pick up. You can also pay with money order, I believe, but Interac definitely.
posted by kirstk at 3:20 AM on April 26

re: shokod

It's significantly less expensive for non-Americans ($30 vs. $130). A Chinese friend of mine thinks it's retaliation for high fees the U.S. state dept. charges for visas.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 8:09 AM on April 26

re melvinwang : this use to be true and easy less than one month ago, but chinese authority are running a pre-olympic crackdown on these agencies and the practice of getting a visa in hong-kong.
so I don't know anything about vancouver, but don't count on getting one in hong-kong.
posted by anto1ne at 8:30 AM on April 26

I agree with melvinwang. You can get into Hong Kong with no visa on a UK passport and get a tourist visa in 24 hours or less whilst there using the agencies around Nathan Road. It's got a bit sticky with the Olympics coming and attendant shenanigans (lots of problems getting multi-entry business visas) but this advice remained good for last reported attempts by friends/acquaintances.
posted by Abiezer at 5:30 PM on April 26

dude try and do your checks before you come here. i am in shanghai.
the chinese are cracking down for two reasons - there are some people trying to get in to protest at the moment, and they are overloaded because of the olympics. so processing is taking logner than usual.
under normal circumstances you can basically get one the same day in hong kong.
but at the moment this is nto guaranteed.
posted by edtut at 7:37 PM on April 26