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IncognitoHFX
Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Yeongtong, Suwon
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 Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:10 am Post subject: Going to China... Tourist Visa? |
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I'm going to be booking plane tickets to Beijing this week for early in May.
What do I need by way of a Visa?
I know that Canadian citizens require Visas to visit China, but does this apply if it is only a four day trip? How would I go about getting the Visa?
Thanks in advance. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:31 am Post subject: Re: Going to China... Tourist Visa? |
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| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
I'm going to be booking plane tickets to Beijing this week for early in May.
What do I need by way of a Visa?
I know that Canadian citizens require Visas to visit China, but does this apply if it is only a four day trip? How would I go about getting the Visa?
Thanks in advance. |
The travel agent who books your tickets can also get your visa for you.
The cost is (or should be ) 35k won + the handling fee (20k is allowed by the embassy) and 4 day service.
I know there will be some who chime in here with notes about 100k won but that is for US citizens.
Canuks pay:
35k won for 4 day service
55k won for 2 day service
75k won for same day
Service times are CONSULAR SERVICE and do NOT include transit time (courier from your agent to the consulate and back).
It has been said that personal service over the counter is no longer available at the Chinese consulate/embassy in Seoul. I do NOT know about the consulate in Busan. |
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pugwall
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:51 am Post subject: |
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| Just a word of warning that first week of May is golden week in China and a National holiday. It will be ok as long as your not pkanning to travel around too mcuh and book accomodation in advance. |
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jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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bump
I'm planning on going for the weekend of the 9th-12th (four day weekend) to Beijing, but I'm not going to use a travel agent b/c my I have a friend there who can get a place and my co-teacher in Korea is getting me a cheap flight. How would I go about getting a visa (I'm a yank so I know it'll be $$$$)? Any help is great. Thanks. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| jkelly80 wrote: |
bump
I'm planning on going for the weekend of the 9th-12th (four day weekend) to Beijing, but I'm not going to use a travel agent b/c my I have a friend there who can get a place and my co-teacher in Korea is getting me a cheap flight. How would I go about getting a visa (I'm a yank so I know it'll be $$$$)? Any help is great. Thanks. |
You still get to go to a travel agent to apply for your visa (unless you are in Busan, then you can go to the Chinese consulate).
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| jkelly80 wrote: |
bump
I'm planning on going for the weekend of the 9th-12th (four day weekend) to Beijing, but I'm not going to use a travel agent b/c my I have a friend there who can get a place and my co-teacher in Korea is getting me a cheap flight. How would I go about getting a visa (I'm a yank so I know it'll be $$$$)? Any help is great. Thanks. |
cost for americans is 140k/person for a visa 50k for everybody else.
were you able to find tickets? almost everything is booked out. it reminds me of chuseok |
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Tiffany0413
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: Re: Going to China... Tourist Visa? |
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| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
I'm going to be booking plane tickets to Beijing this week for early in May.
What do I need by way of a Visa?
I know that Canadian citizens require Visas to visit China, but does this apply if it is only a four day trip? How would I go about getting the Visa?
Thanks in advance. |
just go any travel agency near your area. 10000won fee and they do everything your tourist visa /maybe... 45000won or 5oooowon- canadian
almost 4-5days you can get from them. |
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jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
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| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| jkelly80 wrote: |
bump
I'm planning on going for the weekend of the 9th-12th (four day weekend) to Beijing, but I'm not going to use a travel agent b/c my I have a friend there who can get a place and my co-teacher in Korea is getting me a cheap flight. How would I go about getting a visa (I'm a yank so I know it'll be $$$$)? Any help is great. Thanks. |
cost for americans is 140k/person for a visa 50k for everybody else.
were you able to find tickets? almost everything is booked out. it reminds me of chuseok |
Really? I was going to book on Monday. I figured the celebrations would be over by the 9th. Hmmm. Have you been looking for that weekend too? |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:04 am Post subject: |
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| jkelly80 wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| jkelly80 wrote: |
bump
I'm planning on going for the weekend of the 9th-12th (four day weekend) to Beijing, but I'm not going to use a travel agent b/c my I have a friend there who can get a place and my co-teacher in Korea is getting me a cheap flight. How would I go about getting a visa (I'm a yank so I know it'll be $$$$)? Any help is great. Thanks. |
cost for americans is 140k/person for a visa 50k for everybody else.
were you able to find tickets? almost everything is booked out. it reminds me of chuseok |
Really? I was going to book on Monday. I figured the celebrations would be over by the 9th. Hmmm. Have you been looking for that weekend too? |
yes i have and that weekend is also a holiday in china, buddhas b'day just like here. i was able to find seats childrens day weekend to hong kong but they were expensive. what you need to do is check the airline websites every day, some days seats free up before the travel agents even know. i found my seats on thurs nite and grabbed them, checked again fri am and there were no more seats
imho 140k for a chinese visa for just 2-3 days is nuts |
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jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 2:32 am Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| jkelly80 wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| jkelly80 wrote: |
bump
I'm planning on going for the weekend of the 9th-12th (four day weekend) to Beijing, but I'm not going to use a travel agent b/c my I have a friend there who can get a place and my co-teacher in Korea is getting me a cheap flight. How would I go about getting a visa (I'm a yank so I know it'll be $$$$)? Any help is great. Thanks. |
cost for americans is 140k/person for a visa 50k for everybody else.
were you able to find tickets? almost everything is booked out. it reminds me of chuseok |
Really? I was going to book on Monday. I figured the celebrations would be over by the 9th. Hmmm. Have you been looking for that weekend too? |
yes i have and that weekend is also a holiday in china, buddhas b'day just like here. i was able to find seats childrens day weekend to hong kong but they were expensive. what you need to do is check the airline websites every day, some days seats free up before the travel agents even know. i found my seats on thurs nite and grabbed them, checked again fri am and there were no more seats
imho 140k for a chinese visa for just 2-3 days is nuts |
Yeah but I really want to go and this is an opportunity to go when the weather will be OK as opposed to going in August or Februrary. The only expenses I have budgeted for myself besides food is travel, so I'll just have to grin and bear it assuming I can get a seat. How long is the visa good for? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:31 am Post subject: |
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| jkelly80 wrote: |
| Yeah but I really want to go and this is an opportunity to go when the weather will be OK as opposed to going in August or Februrary. The only expenses I have budgeted for myself besides food is travel, so I'll just have to grin and bear it assuming I can get a seat. How long is the visa good for? |
Your single entry visa has a 90 day expiry date (use it or lose it) and allows a 30 day stay. |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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| pugwall wrote: |
| Just a word of warning that first week of May is golden week in China and a National holiday. It will be ok as long as your not pkanning to travel around too mcuh and book accomodation in advance. |
I might be wrong, but I remember reading last year that China is scrapping Golden Week?
Or was that only applicable to Hong Kong? |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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According to wikipedia, this is what happened to *Golden Week*
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| On Dec. 16, 2007, China�s official news agency said the Chinese population is to have a further three national holidays and lose only one of its golden weeks, the May Day holiday, according to the calendar reform that the Government has approved. Three traditional festivals -- Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming Festival), Dragon-boat Festival and Mid Autumn Festival -- are added to the list of public holidays. With this revision of the labour calendar, the Chinese government aims to recover the customs associated to traditional festivals and balance tourist demand during the weeks of holidays, according to the New China agency. In practice, the new calendar, which will come into force on January 1, 2008, will increase national holidays from 10 to 11 days. A spokesperson for the National Commission for Development and Reform said that the new plan would ratify Chinese traditions, better distribute holidays and prevent the �overcrowding� of the �golden weeks� when more people travel during the new holidays and during the periods of paid holidays. |
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pugwall
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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| tzechuk wrote: |
According to wikipedia, this is what happened to *Golden Week*
| Quote: |
| On Dec. 16, 2007, China�s official news agency said the Chinese population is to have a further three national holidays and lose only one of its golden weeks, the May Day holiday, according to the calendar reform that the Government has approved. Three traditional festivals -- Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming Festival), Dragon-boat Festival and Mid Autumn Festival -- are added to the list of public holidays. With this revision of the labour calendar, the Chinese government aims to recover the customs associated to traditional festivals and balance tourist demand during the weeks of holidays, according to the New China agency. In practice, the new calendar, which will come into force on January 1, 2008, will increase national holidays from 10 to 11 days. A spokesperson for the National Commission for Development and Reform said that the new plan would ratify Chinese traditions, better distribute holidays and prevent the �overcrowding� of the �golden weeks� when more people travel during the new holidays and during the periods of paid holidays. |
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Good idea but I thought May week was political (workers struggle day). Nice to see traditional holidays returning as well. Good stuff but I'm sure people have seen some underlying connotations. |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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| jkelly80 wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| jkelly80 wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| jkelly80 wrote: |
bump
I'm planning on going for the weekend of the 9th-12th (four day weekend) to Beijing, but I'm not going to use a travel agent b/c my I have a friend there who can get a place and my co-teacher in Korea is getting me a cheap flight. How would I go about getting a visa (I'm a yank so I know it'll be $$$$)? Any help is great. Thanks. |
cost for americans is 140k/person for a visa 50k for everybody else.
were you able to find tickets? almost everything is booked out. it reminds me of chuseok |
Really? I was going to book on Monday. I figured the celebrations would be over by the 9th. Hmmm. Have you been looking for that weekend too? |
yes i have and that weekend is also a holiday in china, buddhas b'day just like here. i was able to find seats childrens day weekend to hong kong but they were expensive. what you need to do is check the airline websites every day, some days seats free up before the travel agents even know. i found my seats on thurs nite and grabbed them, checked again fri am and there were no more seats
imho 140k for a chinese visa for just 2-3 days is nuts |
Yeah but I really want to go and this is an opportunity to go when the weather will be OK as opposed to going in August or Februrary. The only expenses I have budgeted for myself besides food is travel, so I'll just have to grin and bear it assuming I can get a seat. How long is the visa good for? |
better get ready to drop a huge wad of cash for that weekend, according to air china's us website the weekend of the 9th airfares run US$700 r/t
whats really nuts the airfare for my summer trip to Malaysia/Thailand in July/Aug will be not much more money than what we're paying to go to HK Children's Day weekend |
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