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Drizzt
Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 229
Location: Kyuushuu, Japan
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 Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 2:15 pm Post subject: 24,000 yen for a Chinese tourist visa?? |
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Hello all,
So I was already aware that Chinese visas for Americans were 130 dollars, but when I went to the Chinese consulate in Osaka, I was told that I had to get the visa through a travel agency, which basically collected my visa submission documents and charged me what I'm assuming was around another ichi man yen which was a grand total of 24,000 yen. By far the most I've ever had to dish out for just the visa!
Have any of you guys had a similar experience? It seems kind of ridiculous that you can't process your visa at the consulate...Am I missing something? |
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YujiKaido
Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 49
Location: ? Hong Kong ?
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 2:58 pm Post subject: Chinese Visa |
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| Yeah I had similar situation in HK, I had to go through travel agency and paid over $200 usd for it, and I was only going for the weekend. I don't know why they have to charge Americans more, I hear its not so much for others nationalities. |
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sicklyman
Joined: 02 Feb 2013
Posts: 930
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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well it would be worth it if it was worth it.  |
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DLIguy
Joined: 29 Jun 2013
Posts: 167
Location: Being led around by the nose...by you-know-who!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 9:26 pm Post subject: Re: Chinese Visa |
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| YujiKaido wrote: |
| Yeah I had similar situation in HK, I had to go through travel agency and paid over $200 usd for it, and I was only going for the weekend. I don't know why they have to charge Americans more, I hear its not so much for others nationalities. |
As far as I know, visa costs are ALWAYS reciprocal. The reason other nationalities are charged less is that THEY charge the Chinese less.
Cases in point:
1. My wife, a national of unknown origins, didn't require a visa to enter Bahrain, but I, as an American, did, and;
2. Self-same wife waltzes through Istanbul customs as if she was a returning national. Me? I paid an arm and a leg...
Last edited by DLIguy on Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:50 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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A friend got his Chinese visa in December 2011 and there were no problems with that.
If you're an American it's usually better to simply send your passport back to the US and have someone get the visa there for you - if you apply for a Chinese visa in the US, you get a longer, multiple reentry visa. I'm not sure about now, but you used to be able to get a 10 year Indian visa if you applied in the US (the fees were the same overseas, but you didn't get a 10 year visa).
Visa costs are seldom reciprocal. |
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DLIguy
Joined: 29 Jun 2013
Posts: 167
Location: Being led around by the nose...by you-know-who!
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:25 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Visa costs are seldom reciprocal. |
Apples and Oranges. I was talking about directly entering the country with your passport. You are talking about sending your passport off to the States to get a visit visa put in.
Direct entry visa costs are almost always based on reciprocity.
Ask any Canadian trying to enter Saudi Arabia for work. |
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HLJHLJ
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 1218
Location: Ecuador
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:53 am Post subject: |
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| The rules changed a year or so ago. It's no longer possible to apply direct to the Chinese consulate here, you have to go through an agent and they add their mark up as well. I've canceled my plans to go to China this summer as a result. I don't need the hassle or the additional expense. |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| DLIguy wrote: |
Direct entry visa costs are almost always based on reciprocity.
Ask any Canadian trying to enter Saudi Arabia for work. |
First of all, there's no such thing as a "direct entry visa." There are visas on arrival, where your visa is issued at the airport and a visa, where you (or a third party) applies beforehand at a consulate or embassy. Some countries, such as China, Brazil and Turkey charge fees based on US visa fees. Most countries don't (as a simple example, Japanese visas are free for Americans, American visas are $160 for Japanese). |
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DLIguy
Joined: 29 Jun 2013
Posts: 167
Location: Being led around by the nose...by you-know-who!
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 6:00 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| First of all, there's no such thing as a "direct entry visa." There are visas on arrival, where your visa is issued at the airport and a visa, where you (or a third party) applies beforehand at a consulate or embassy. |
Semantics, much? Teach me, O' Sensei...
I'm done...son... |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 7:25 am Post subject: |
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| Inflames wrote: |
| (as a simple example, Japanese visas are free for Americans, American visas are $160 for Japanese). |
I'm curious about the above. I've traveled to the US with many Japanese people (who were traveling as tourists), and they've never been charged for a visa on arrival (and it's not necessary to get one issued beforehand). I've also gone through the process for a visa for my wife (who is Japanese), and that cost a heck of a lot more than $160. What kind of American visa do Japanese have to pay $160 for? |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:41 am Post subject: |
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| rtm wrote: |
| What kind of American visa do Japanese have to pay $160 for? |
Pretty much every kind of visa (business/tourist visa [as not everyone can use the VWP], student visas, journalists, &c). Also note that the applications start at $160 (regardless of whether or not the visa is approved).
| Quote: |
| Semantics, much? Teach me, O' Sensei... |
In a thread where people are discussing applying at a consulate and getting a visa at the airport, using proper terminology is appropriate. Not to mention that this is on a forum for English teachers. |
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kah5217
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
Posts: 270
Location: Ibaraki
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Inflames wrote: |
| If you're an American it's usually better to simply send your passport back to the US and have someone get the visa there for you |
Isn't that a bad idea? What if there's a disaster and you need to flee, or it gets lost in international mail? |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Inflames wrote: |
| In a thread where people are discussing applying at a consulate and getting a visa at the airport, using proper terminology is appropriate. |
| Inflames wrote: |
| Pretty much every kind of visa (business/tourist visa [as not everyone can use the VWP], student visas, journalists, &c). |
Right -- but the OP's question was about tourist visas. Interesting to know that not all Japanese citizens can get a tourist visa on arrival. Thanks for the info. |
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