Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jamez]

does anyone know the deal with getting a visa for China from Korea?
i hear that rules have been changed and you have to get them in your home country, and also that you need to have 6 months left on your ARC.

I'm planning to go to Beijing for new years and by then I will only have about 3 months left on my ARC. Is the easiest way to get it done by the travel agent?

[Poemer]

You HAVE to do it through a travel agent. Call around (or have someone call around for you) and compare prices because rates vary. I paid about 140,000 won for mine. I don't know about the six months on your arc requirement.

[TeeBee]

What passport do you have? Americans pay a lot more for Chinese visas than anyone else.

I used Jong-ho at Soho Travel (http://www.sohotravel.co.kr/) to get my visa for a visit to China in July/August.

I'm South African, and it only cost 50,000 won all inclusive (I also bought my flights through Soho Travel, so I think their handling fee was waived, though ask about this). It took about four days to get the visa after I sent them my passport. No mess, no fuss.

On the Soho Travel website is a section on visas. It has more info there.

[TeeBee]

Double post - deleted

[Poemer]

Sorry, I wasn't thinking about the fact that visas are far more expensive if you are American, which I am. But, regardless of the country you are from, the Chinese embassy will no longer issue visas, you have to go through a travel agency. You have to give the travel agency some basic information-- where you plan to go in China, how long you will be there, where you are staying etc.--which they will pass along to the Chinese gov't so they can decide whether or not to issue you a visa. It is a relatively short process, no more than a week, If I recall correctly.

[PeteJB]

So what about if you hail from Europe in this case? I didn't know you needed any kind of Visa to enter China for a short period of time. I just assumed you'd get a tourist stamp, but I guess that's just lucky thinking.

[Poemer]

I believe EU passport holders also need to obtain a visa. Check the consulate website of the country that issued your passport.