How fast can I get a China visa? The speed at which you can get a visa will depend on several factors. In this article, we want to review the China visa process and the factors that influence the speed of visa issuance. After reading the information, you will be better positioned to decide the best route for your visa application.
Regular Chinese Visa Processing Time
When you submit your application for a Chinese visa, you may need to wait for a few days or several months to get the visa. This is because visa application processing takes time. After all, many embassies handle thousands of applications every month. Furthermore, the China tourist visa application process doesn’t start until the embassy receives your documents. After receiving your documents, they will go through them before inviting you for an interview where necessary. This process may take several days to weeks before it is done then you may have to wait a little while to get the visa. On average, an application timeline may take five working days or up to 2 months, depending on the situation.
Factors That Influence Visa Application Timeline
Type Of Visa: The visa you apply for may affect the processing timeline. This is because some visas take longer to get than others because of the extended vetting process involved. For instance, a tourist visa application process will take longer than a work visa because the latter requires extensive documentation while the former does not.
If An Interview Is Required: Another factor that affects the length of time for visa applications is if an interview is required. Most long-term visas, like work visas, study visas, and retirement visas, require the applicant to appear before the Chinese visa officer on a set date. This affects the speed at which the visa can be issued. Visas that don’t require interviews are issued on time.
Online Applications: Can the visa be applied for online? This is another factor that affects processing timelines. Online applications require limited documents and are processed in a matter of days. The fact that the applicant doesn’t need to appear at the embassy also hastens the process.
Number of Documents: The number of documents also required matters. Visas that require extensive documentation take more time before they are ready, as visa officers will have to vet them one after the other.
Season: The period you submit the application may also influence processing timelines. During certain times of the year, when the Chinese embassy may handle many visa requests from travelers, officials are overloaded with so much paperwork that they may not process visa requests as quickly as they should. If you want your visa ready on time, consider applying during the off-season.
How To Get A China Visa Fast?
You may need to apply for an express service to get a China visa fast. Express services are available to applicants at Chinese embassies. Those who want to get their visa as quickly as possible and apply for an express service may get their visa in 1 or 2 working days, but this is not a guarantee as the discretion rests with the visa officer.
An express service costs a special fee different from the normal service fee that you pay. Under this arrangement, the embassy will treat your application as an emergency and place it at the top of the list. To encourage the officials to make it a priority, you must also give them reasons why you need an express visa, such as a medical emergency.
Another way to get your visa fast is to apply for a visa on arrival if you are qualified. If you are a citizen of a country on China’s visa-on-arrival list, you can travel to China and apply for a visa at the arrival point in the airport. However, only a few countries are on the list, so do your due diligence to see if your country makes a list before taking the risk of traveling to China without a visa.
Other Ways To Apply For A Visa Quickly
Another way to apply for a visa is an application by mail. If you use VisaHQ’s mailing service to send your express China business visa application to the embassy, it will save you a lot of time if you cannot do so yourself. Consult their mailing service to see if you qualify for this method.
Applying Online
If your country qualifies for an online visa to China, you are in luck, as you will not waste any time getting the visa. Just do the following.
Visit VisaHQ
Select China as your destination
Select Your country of citizenship
Choose the visa you want
Complete the Chinese visa application form
Attach the travel documents
Pay the visa fee
Submit for approval.
How fast I get a China visa depends on all the factors highlighted above.