barajoz

I need to apply for a Chinese Tourist Visa. Does anyone happen to know if I can do this while in Spain. On the Chinese embassy website the translation says 'For applicants of third country (non-Spanish), was asked to present the residence card in Spain, original and photocopy'

I don't have a residence card but have been living here since January. I'd prefer not to go back home to sort this out but according to this looks like I might have to. Thought I'd ask anyway just in case someone was familiar with this and had done something similar!

irismary

We have done China visas both from UK and Spain.

We went to the China Visa application service in London for the UK one. You cannot pick up your visa on the day of application, we had to return 3 days later, but it was far simpler, cheaper and more efficient than doing it in Spain. Make sure that you have ALL the required paperwork in UK, including proof of flights there and back, and your full itinerary. We didn´t have the flight details, but they have computers that you can use to access any of your missing paperwork via the internet and print it out (for a fee!)

In Spain we had to send everything to Madrid. As you say, you also need proof that you live here - in our case copies of Residencia. They also require a signed "invitation" from China (you don´t need that in UK) that includes all the places you will stay. We had to get this from our tour operator in UK, who had to get it faxed from their agent in China, which I then e -mailed to the application service. That took time as they refused the first "invitation" as not being properly signed.

It was more expensive than the UK application and took a lot longer - nearly a month. this means that you are without your passport during the whole of this time - which I found unsettling. You cannot used Correo Registrado. They will only deal with one carrier SEUR, and we had to go to Huelva an hour away to send our applications.

Be aware that the visa lasts only 3 months and will have your arrival and departure dates on it.

Good luck!

It is almost worth a cheap flight to UK to deal with the visa - I would never do it again here.

barajoz

Thanks for that irismary. I'm actually from Ireland so not sure if the process in Ireland will be the same as in the UK. I'm actually going to China to teach English. I have a job but as they are in a hurry for me to get there I'm going first on a tourist Visa. I really don't have a month to do this, so I guess if it doesn't work in Spain I might have to pass on this job. I think I'll just try to do it here. From what I've been reading it all seems to be a hit or miss affair. Fingers crossed that it works!

lynnxa

have you not registered as resident?

you should have by now!!

it's all done on the spot as long as you have the right paperwork in hand - that would have to be easier than going back to Ireland ....

barajoz

Cheers lynnxa.
I have a social insurance number as was working here (FWIW legally with a contract) so maybe it won't be too difficult. I'll see if I can sort it out early next week.

lynnxa

if you're working it should be totally straightforward - good luck

barajoz

Thanks

I actually have a residence certificate with a I have a NIE (Numero de Identidad de Extranjero). I just found it. I don't have a residence card but maybe the residence certificate will be enough!?

irismary

I suppose if you go to Madrid, you may be able to get it done quickly. But, the thing you need in Spain that you definitely don´t need in UK is the signed "invitation" to go to China. I guess if you are going there to work you will be able to get this fairly easily. I spoke to the service about this when they e mailed my to ask for it, and it is not the same here as UK - so perhaps Ireland is the same as UK. And for a tourist visa an itinerary is needed as well and proof of flights. But I am sure you´ve read all the info on their website. Hope all goes well for you.

lynnxa

if you have the green resident cert it would have to be enough - they've only recently started issuing cards for us EU lot, & they aren't really 'cards' anyway

EnglishPatriot

I find it strange that China would treat two EU nations so differently.

Any idea why they insist on visa applicants from Spain holding an "invitation" but don't have this rule in the UK?

barajoz

I got very mixed information between the information I got from the internet and the advice from my contacts in China. I think that's in art because China changes the criteria for visas regularly. Anyway I've already applied. I'll update if and when I get the Visa on all the finer points but for now I'll just say I DIDN'T NEED the invitation.

guirijohn

I seem to recall that the requirement for an invitation letter was introduced within the last year because of the number of over stayers who were living in China illegally. It applies to UK citizens too

"(2) If you are applying for a tourism and family visiting visa ("L" letter visa), you will need to provide a "Letter of Invitation for Travel" issued by a "duly authorised tourism unit", or an invitation letter by a company, or a corporation, or a public institution within the border of China, or an individual."

http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/en...z/t1021833.htm

barajoz

Well I got my Visa

I'm going to go through some details here in case it's helpful to anyone else.

A mini disclaimer - the process I went through might not mirror what will happen to you. I gather that China makes frequent changes to its Visa application process. Anyway with that said here's a synopsis

I'm an Irish citizen living in Spain. I imagine what applies to me will be the same for the UK and indeed the rest of the EU (unless China has a particular problem with your country I guess )

1. I had to use a visa processing office. You can't do it at the Chinese embassy in Madrid itself. You can do it by post (but as I didn't do it this way I don't know much about it). The visa processing office details are on www.visaforchina.org and they have offices in major capitals and some other big cities worldwide.

2. The office was very quiet. Obviously not a huge demand for visa for China from Spanish citizens. The staff behind the counters were Spanish. I dealt with a young woman who was friendly and helpful enough. I don't think her English was great. I could have probably communicated enough in Spanish but had a Spanish friend of mine with me so language wasn't a problem.

3. I had to show a flight booking. I brought a planned itinerary and that did not suffice.

4. As I was applying for a tourist Visa I had to show a hotel/hostel booking for at least half of my trip. This can be cancelled later! I had a letter of invitation stating I would be staying with my friend which I didn't need as I was going on a tourist visa - perhaps I made a mistake here and could have looked to get a different type of Visa or if I had shown my 'friend' had offered to accommodate me I might not have needed a hotel booking. No way to know for sure now!

5. I had to show in my flight details I was exiting China within the limit of my Visa- not necessary to show going back to Europe. Macau wasn't considered exiting China and if I remember right Hong Kong wasn't either which I was a bit surprised about.

6. I DID NOT NEED a residence card. I was informed that this is no longer obligatory for EU citizens living in Spain btw. I did however need to show my NIE number on the official document to show I had been working in Spain.

7. Some things on my form needed to be amended or changed completely - this was not a problem. Other things like flight and hotel booking confirmations - simply had to go to an internet cafe and print them out and come back with the forms again.

Whole process wasn't so bad - biggest pain was having to go to Madrid but I guess if you have more time you can do it by post.

Anyway hopefully the info is of use to someone.

irismary

Glad that you got it all sorted out - and quickly too! I´m glad we didn´t go to Madrid and did it all by carrier as we didn´t originally have the invitation - and at that time there was no mention of it on the website. Obviously one of their frequent changes. Hope you enjoy China.

barajoz

Thanks a lot.

Yeah much more convenient if you have the time to avoid travelling to Madrid.

Just to reiterate you don't need an invitation at the moment for a tourist visa.