CHINA VISA FOR BEGINNERS Most of foreign residents in Macau probably already have Chinese visas in their passports with dozens of entry stamps, but this is a guide for newcomers, especially those that consider being stuck in tiny and expensive Macau and Hong Kong not so great. There are three options for obtaining China visa while in Macau if you are not a Chinese national. 1) One day group visa to visit Zhuhai, eg. for cheapo shopping and sightseeing. Any Filipino travel agency around SanMaLou can arrange that visa, you only need to show your passport (no need to be Macau worker or resident, anyone can get it), and the cost is 90 MOP total. But minimum 2 people have to go together and come back the same day, single traveller cant use this option. You can only cross at Gongbei border gate from 8am and have to be back before 10pm. This visa is best to obtain at least 1 day in advance, same day service is charged double, on Sundays even more. Most African nationals need blue card in Macau. 2. Visa on arrival in Gongbei port - you simply cross through Macau Immigration and go to the visa office in the in-between zone just before reaching Chinese Immigration. They will take photos on the spot. The visa is valid for 3 days and cost about 180RMB for most nationals but USA or other unfriendly nation passport holders may need to pay up to 5x this, or can even be refused this visa altogether. But dont worry, you can always turn around and come back to Macau if the fee is too much. Have RMB in cash ready. 3. L-visa or standard tourist visa, this has to be arranged at least a few days of travel, at the CTS (China Travel Service) Macau, first floor. If you are Macau ID or Blue Card holder you can apply for 6 months to 2 years multiple entry visa where each stay in China can not exceed 30 days. The cost is around 1000 HKD. Just fill in the application the lady gives you, pay the fee, photos will be done on the spot, and leave your passport with them for a few days. Then you can play in China as much as you please, and believe me, despite of what the Macau locals say, you WILL LOVE the mainland. If you only have a tourist visa for Macau (no blue card or resident card, e.g. when waiting for residency approval) you can apply in the same place (CTS) but for only one time entry visa. You need to print out hotel and flight bookings for them (random reservations are ok, no need to be prepaid). The cost vary between nationalities, from 3 hundred HKD to two thousand (how friendly is your government with China?). Visa will be granted for 14 or 30 days and you can go anywhere but Tibet or other hotspots. It cannot be reused and to go again you need to pay again. I hope the above clarifies the issue of going to China. Hope to see you there!
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 11:03:10 +0000