Welcome to my Chinese Visa Application guide! Surely, getting a visa approved is one of the most challenging things to do for some travelers. Some countries require Filipino travelers to get a visa before entering a certain country. If you are heading to either Beijing or Shanghai in China, you need to apply for a visa first. With this guide, I will be sharing with you how to apply for a Chinese Visa with or without ITR.
Table of Contents
Chinese Visa Requirements
Passport
It must be valid for 6 months. It must have at least one blank visa page. If your old passport is available, you need to submit it as well.
Photocopy of the Bio page and Emergency page of the Passport
Whether you’ve got a new or old passport, you must photocopy both pages.
Visa Application Form
You must fill out the Chinese Visa Application form correctly and truthfully. Fill out the form on a computer. Handwritten is not allowed. You need to write in capital English letters in the space provided. If the item does not apply, type N/A or Not Applicable. Do not leave any blank.
2 pcs. Passport Size Photo (Chinese Visa Size)
The passport photo must be in a 48mm x 33mm size without head covering. It should be the recent, front view, white background. Take note, you must paste it on the application form. Stapled, taped, or detached photos will not be accepted.
Invitation Letter (If applicable)
If you got invited by a family or friend from China, you must provide his/her information and everything that proves that you got an invitation.
How to Apply for a Chinese Visa for First-Time Applicants?
If it is your first time applying for a Chinese Visa, you need to submit the following requirements as well.
Bank Certificate (with receipt)
This shows how much money you have in your bank account. A lot of people would always ask, “How much should I have in my bank account?” Well, that depends. If you will be traveling to Beijing and staying there for 4 days – at least a 10k budget per day is the most ideal amount. Let’s say you will be in Beijing or Shanghai for 4 days, the ideal amount that you must have in your bank account is around 60K-70K. I believe that is reasonable enough. As long as you can sustain your travel around China, then that would be fine.
Bank Statement
Your bank statement must show within 6 months of the transaction with your bank. The bank statement shows everything about the money that is transferred to and taken out of your account. In addition, the longer your bank account is, the better!
Travel Itinerary
Tip: Your itinerary should match according to your budget. Here’s my sample itinerary for you.
Certificate of Employment
The certificate of employment must show the length of employment – how long you have been working in your company. In addition, you must put your monthly salary.
Roundtrip ticket
This must be submitted along with other documents. Should you want to book a flight, I highly suggest you book a flight months before you apply for a visa in order to get cheaper flights!
Confirmed Accommodation
You can book your accommodation through Agoda or Booking.Com. You can find cheaper hotels or hostels from those websites. If you haven’t decided where to stay yet, it doesn’t matter. You can find accommodation without a cancellation fee. Just book it then cancel it later on.
No Income Tax Return?
If you can’t provide an Income Tax Return, it is still possible to apply for a Chinese Visa. All you have to do is to make an Explanation Letter – telling why you can’t provide it.
In my case, I am a freelancer and have just resigned from my previous company. That means I couldn’t submit an ITR and COE yet. That being said, I made an explanation letter. It’s simple. Just tell them the truth about why you can’t have it yet.
My Chinese Visa Application Experience
VIOLA! I got my Chinese Visa Application approved! To be honest, it was actually my first time applying for a visa with incomplete requirements so I was kind of worried. My expectation of getting my visa approved was low. I didn’t expect that much. Thank God, I was still able to obtain a Chinese Visa.
If you are too anxious about getting a Chinese visa, well you don’t really have to. Obtaining a Chinese visa is much easier than getting any other visa. I believe this is much easier than applying for a Korean or Japanese visa. Seriously. In addition, you can even apply for yourself! However you can go to a travel agency and ask them to apply for a Chinese visa for you. But hey! It’s easy – as long as you have completed the requirements needed for the Chinese Visa Application.
Steps on applying for a Chinese Visa
Complete all the requirements mentioned above.
Go to the Chinese Embassy and submit all the requirements. Note: The Chinese Embassy only accepts applicants from 8 AM – 11 AM.
Once you arrive at the embassy, the staff will give you a stub number. Wait for your number to be called. Then submit your requirements to the staff. The staff will check everything you submit. If there aren’t any problems, you are good to go. They will give you a piece of paper that you need to show once you come back.
After 4 days, go back to the embassy and pay for the visa fee. Then, claim your passport. That’s it. Just make sure to go early because claiming passports takes longer than submitting the documents.
The processing time is just for 4 business days. For example, if you applied on Monday, you could go back to the embassy on Thursday to get your passport and approved visa!
I hope this Chinese Visa Application guide helps in your future application!
Fees
Single entry: P1400
Double-entry: P2100
Multiple entry (6 months): P2800
Multiple entry (over 6 months): P4200
Location
Chinese Embassy in the Philippines
2F The World Center, Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave, Makati, Metro
Manila
Heading to Beijing China soon? Here’s my travel guide to Beijing for 3 days! Click here.
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