Originally posted by johndoe83 at 2-12-2010 14:20
So say I'm from the US for example. I can take a flight to HK and then get my visa to China from there? I don't have to getthe visa from my home country?
Yes you can get a visa after arriving. It will take a couple of days at best though, and there's always the possibility of complications, so you should come to HK for HK sake, not for the sake of the visa.
NOTE the rule is officially that you're supposed to get your visa to PRC before you leave your home country. This rule can be waived, but I have heard it a number of times from different PSB officials. In Hong Kong it is seldom enforced - lots of people come here first and then get a visa - but you need to be aware of the possibility. Getting a visa before leaving is the surest way to be allowed into China.
SEAJ it is indeed possible to get your own visa, but at the same time you were lucky: it's easy to fall foul of rules you're not even aware of. For example I once arrived at the border without a visa, and was turned back, not even allowed to apply for one - and they even told me they had been instructed to levy a fine on people arriving without a visa (which they waived).
Arbitrary, unpredictable - that's China.
So yes you can Do It Yourself. But you'll have an easier life by choosing a good agent and working with them. To this day I still get agents to get my visas (multiple-year business visa) because the service fee is worth paying. |
