How to apply for a visa to go abroad

There are three ways for China citizens to apply for foreign visas: I apply directly to foreign embassies and consulates in China; Entrust the visa office of China Travel Agency (generally limited to tourist visas); Foreign relatives and friends apply for visas directly to the country's immigration bureau.

No matter which way you apply for a foreign visa, whether it is entrusted or handled directly by yourself, you generally need to go through the following procedures:

(1) Submit a valid passport.

(2) Submit various documents related to the application, such as my birth certificate, marital status certificate, education certificate, work experience certificate, etc.

(3) Fill in and submit the visa application form. Different visas have different forms. Most of them should be filled out in foreign languages and photos should be provided at the same time.

(4) Meeting with officials of embassies and consulates in the host countries. Some countries stipulate that all immigrant applicants must be interviewed before making a decision; Some countries also require interviews to apply for non-immigrant visas.

(5) The embassy or consulate shall submit the completed visa application form and necessary supporting materials to the domestic competent authorities for examination and approval. The embassies and consulates of a few countries have the right to issue visas directly, but they still have to report to China for the record.

(6) After going to the competent department of the country for necessary examination and approval, notify the embassy or consulate in the country of the examination and approval opinions. If you agree, a visa will be issued. If you refuse, you will also inform the applicant. (For visa refusal, the embassy or consulate will not refund the visa fee. )

(7) Pay visa fees. Generally speaking, when submitting a visa application, you must pay the fee first. In some countries, the fee is charged only after the visa application is successful. Generally speaking, immigrant visa fees are slightly higher and non-immigrant visa fees are slightly lower. There are also some countries and regions that are visa-free.

Visa validity period

The validity period of a visa refers to the time period during which the holder is allowed to enter the country from the date of issuance of the visa. After this time period, the visa will be invalid. Generally, countries issue entry visas valid for 3 months, while some countries issue entry visas valid for 1 month. Some countries have strict restrictions on the validity of visas, such as Germany, which only issues visas according to the date of application. The validity of transit visas is generally short.