Numerous people visit China each year due to the country's breathtaking landscapes and rich culture. However, there can be many other reasons to visit China too. If you wish to visit China from Edinburgh, you must have the China visa ready with you.
You should be aware of certain visa rules and policies, and this article will highlight everything about travel documents!
What Types of Visas are Available?
Tourist Visa
A tourist visa is useful when your main purpose for visiting China is to tour and experience the land's beauty.
For this, you must provide your accommodation details and itinerary. You can acquire a tourist visa even when a family or friend has invited you. For that, you must provide the personal invitation with the applicant and host's details. You will also be required to provide the PU letter.
The tourist visa is valid for two years, and you can enter China multiple times.
Business Visa
The business visa is for individuals who want to conduct business-related activities in China. This can include important meetings, contract negotiations, and conferences. You must provide the business invitation from the Chinese company if you have been invited. The invitation should contain the company letterhead and be addressed to the Chinese Embassy in Edinburgh.
This is for multiple entries and is valid for two years.
Work Visa
With a business visa, you cannot pursue any commercial activity or plan to have employment in China. For employment purposes, you must get a work visa. You must provide an invitation letter approved by China's Foreign Ministry of Affairs. Moreover, you should have your employment permit and supplementary form. Other than that, a PU letter will be required.
This is valid for multiple entries for two years.
Crew Visa
Crew visa is for foreign crew members who have to travel cross-border. The crew visa requires applicants to fill out the supplementary form. Applicants must provide a crew letter and the crew ID as well. The crew visa is also valid for two years and is for multiple entries.
Group E-Visa
The group e-visa is valid if you travel in a group of two or more. However, to get the group e-visa, all the travelers within the group must come to China and depart together. With the group e-visa, you can only enter China through the following airports. Canton, Pechino, Hangzhou, Chengdu, or Shanghai.
This is for single entry and is valid for a maximum of a month.
Student Visa
A student visa is for educational purposes. If you attend any university or college or pursue higher education in China, you must get a student visa. You will be required to provide your admission letter, supplementary form, and PU letter.
The student visa is a multiple entry visa valid for two years.
Residence Visa
The residence visa allows non-Chinese people to remain in China for a particular time. You must submit the original residence approval document, the PU letter, and the necessary documents. This visa is valid for six months. The processing time for the residence visa is four weeks.
Journalist Visa
A journalist visa is for journalists whose news agencies are in China. You must provide the journalist visa notification form and PU letter as supporting documents.
This visa allows multiple entries and is valid for two years.
Processing Time
Most of the visas are processed within 3-4 days. The earlier you want the visa, the greater the visa fee.
What Are the Visa Requirements?
One major requirement for all United Kingdom applicants is to provide their fingerprints at any visa service location in Edinburgh. However, those over the age of 70 need not submit their fingerprints.
The required documents for all types of visas include the complete Chinese visa application form. You must ensure that the China visa application forms are properly filled out to complete the process smoothly. You must provide your valid passport. The passport should be original and have at least two blank pages.
You have to submit your passport photo as well. Furthermore, according to whichever visa you applied for, you will be required to provide further documents.
What is the Application Process for the Chinese Visa?
You can complete the visa application process by visiting the Chinese Embassy or the Chinese Consulate. Another alternative is to complete the process online through sites like VisaHQ. VisaHQ is a website that offers visa services. You can choose the destination country as China and your citizenship; accordingly, the website will show you further information about the visa for that country.
The site will show details such as visa types, its' requirements, visa fee, and processing time. After applying online and completing the document gathering, you can mail them and wait for the processing time to receive your visa!
VisaHQ will clear up your questions and provide you with the necessary answers. You can contact their team in case you get stuck anywhere!