Chinese Visa in Central Asia - HELP!
 

Hi,

Our Chinese Visa application in Tehran has been rejected, and we're now getting a little nervous about getting it in Central Asia. Paperwork for the bikes is already organised, so no problem there... only the visas for us (1 German, 1 British/Australian).

Has ANYONE got any rumours or personal experience from getting the visa in Tashkent or Dushanbe at the moment? (What kind of paperwork was involved? LOI? Letter from your own embassy?...)

Any hints or tips or guidelines/experience would be MUCH appreciated!

Thanks very much!
Bjorn

Shouldn't the tour co. that organised your bike docs also take care of your visas? That's what happened with our Tibet/Yunnan trip.

Got the Chinese Visa in Tashkent/Uzbekistan
 

... once you know how to play the game, it's quite easy. If you need any advice, please send me a PM.

Other than that:
As of July/August 2008 it is NOT possible to get the Chinese visa in Kyrgyzstan. (I met a tour operator who lives in Kyrgyzstan and even he came to Tashkent for it).

There are rumours that Chinese visa is possible in Tajikistan, but I'm not sure.

Bjorn,

the Chinese have stopped issuing visa's to anybody that is not a resident in the country of application. This is due to the Games. It effects a lot of people as nomally a chinese visa is available anywhere and quickly, but they have tightened the rules since about April and it will last until probably end of September.

I have been following this situation carefully as I travel there for business often, it has become impossible to get a visa unless I go back to the UK, even then they will only issue a tiurist visa valid for single entry.

Sorry for the bad news.
Dean

Does anyone know if the Chinese have relaxed the issuing of multiple re-entry vizas since the Olympics?

I'm planning on going through Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet and would like to apply for my viza but I'm not sure if I should wait until I get to Laos or if I should do it from my home in Australia.

Do it in your home country to avoid any disappointment later. As a non Chinese national, you need a special permit for Tibet, I think you can only get it with a Chinese travel agency.

Newspapers carried reports last week saying that in Hong Kong the rules would be relaxed as of 16th Oct. and multiple entry visas would again be available.

But only Hong Kong was mentioned, in Singapore travel angencies have not been informed of the relaxing except for Singapore nationals. So still seems sketchy. Common concensus is that it will happen soon, but not much concrete info. out there. Par for the course.