Hello everyone, I want to travel to the UK. I went to apply for a passport on the seventh day of the lunar month. The passport was sent to me yesterday and I got it. I would like to ask, what else ne

Hello everyone, I want to travel to the UK. I went to apply for a passport on the seventh day of the lunar month. The passport was sent to me yesterday and I got it. I would like to ask, what else needs to be done now?

Applying for a visa

Notes on visas

Documents and materials required for visa application

Groups or individuals from various countries apply to foreign consulates When applying for a visa at the Chinese Embassy or Consulate, you must prepare all necessary documents, information, forms, photos, visa fees, etc. These documents and information include:

1. Provide a valid passport;

2. Provide an invitation letter from abroad;

3. Provide a photo of the applicant (photo should be consistent with the passport);

4. Fill in the foreign visa application form;

5. When traveling abroad for official business, it must be prepared by the foreign affairs office of the province, city, or autonomous region or the foreign affairs bureau of the central ministries and commissions A note or letter to the country’s embassy or consulate in China;

6. Prepare the visa fee.

Embassies in China have different requirements for invitation letters when applying for a visa, but they generally have the following points:

(1) The invitation letter must be sent to the mainland of the country. If you come, you must have the original letter signed by the inviter. The invitation letter must indicate the address and phone number of the inviter.

(2) The invitation letter must indicate the number of people in the group, the names of the members, the purpose of the visit (the purpose of the visit must be detailed, not just inspection and training, etc., and the specific content must be stated), the period of stay (the purpose of the visit must be specified) The time limit is to write down the arrival date in a certain year, month, or day, and the length of stay after arrival; or write down the period from a certain year, month, or day to departure in a certain year, month, or day), and who will bear the expenses of the visit. If the foreign party bears all the costs, it should be clearly stated; if the foreign party bears part of the costs, it should be stated which part of the costs is borne.

(3) The invitation letter must not be altered in any way. Even if the inviter himself modifies the content, the invitation letter must be reissued. It must not be copied after being altered, otherwise it will cause misunderstanding by foreign embassies and consulates. It may even affect the credibility of the applicant’s organization. Some countries have special requirements for entry visas. For example, groups, groups or individuals going to Japan need to provide the Japanese side with a "Reason for Entry", a "Guarantee of Personal Status", a visit schedule, etc.

Foreign embassies and consulates have the following requirements for submitting passports for visa applications:

(1) The passport must be valid. The passport submitted to the foreign embassy or consulate in China must be valid for more than 6 months. If the validity period is less than 6 months, the foreign embassy in China will not grant a visa.

(2). The license holder must sign the passport.

Visa application

1. Embassies and consulates: Most countries that have established diplomatic relations with China have embassies and consulates. The embassy is in Beijing and the consulate is in an economically developed central city. They are all responsible for visa matters to their countries. The division of labor is that the consulate is responsible for visa matters in the area under its jurisdiction, and the embassy is responsible for other areas.

The specific consulates are as follows:

Shanghai: Responsible for Japan, Australia, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and New Zealand

Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui , Jiangsu

Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Austria, Brazil are responsible

Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang

Guangzhou: United States, France, Germany is responsible for: Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan

Japan is responsible for: Guangzhou City

Canada is responsible for: Guangdong, Guangxi

Australia is responsible for: Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan

Chengdu: The United States is responsible for: Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet, Chongqing

Shenyang: The United States is responsible for: the three northeastern provinces

Japan is responsible for: Liaoning

Applying for a visa for personal reasons:

I apply to the foreign embassy in China directly or through the visa office of a travel agency. The required materials are as follows (for reference only, subject to the regulations of each embassy and consulate) :

1. Original passport: must be signed and must be valid for at least 6 months before the date of application for return to the country.

2. Several photos: 2 inches, which should be consistent with the passport.

3. Invitation letter: fax or original copy. Must be issued from the mainland.

4. Visa form: fill it out in English or the Chinese language of the country of destination, and can be copied.

5. ID card: photocopy. Some countries require the original to be submitted for inspection.

6. Family register: photocopies of front and back.

7. Company/unit employment certificate: printed in English or Chinese characters on company letter paper, describing position, department, monthly salary, leave allowed and expenses borne.

8. A copy of the business license: the registered capital is preferably not less than 500,000.

9. Two business cards: Chinese and English.

10. Company/unit brochure: reflects scale and strength.

11. Bank deposit certificate: I have a time deposit of more than 3 months, more than 20,000 yuan or equivalent foreign currency

12. Real estate certificate: The property rights belong to the applicant and his spouse or parents.

13. Car purchase invoice: All persons are the applicant and his or her spouse or parents

14. Proof of holding stocks, securities, etc. Round-trip air tickets or confirmation of 14 hotel orders

< p>15. Detailed itinerary

16. Overseas insurance certificate

17. Travel agency guarantee letter

18. Visa application fee (regardless of visa or not) Refundable, only a few countries such as the United States collect it)

Applicants for official visas apply through:

By the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Affairs Bureau (Department) of the central ministries or commissions, or the authorized and diplomatic The foreign affairs departments of bureau-level units and the foreign affairs offices of provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions approved by the Ministry of Finance shall apply. The application procedures are as follows:

1. Provide a valid official passport (signed, valid for more than 6 months)

2. Provide necessary documents (invitation letter). The invitation letter requires:

(1). It must be a letter sent from the mainland and signed by the inviter. The original or copy of the letter (regulations vary from country to country). The invitation letter must have the address and phone number of the inviter.

(2) The invitation letter must indicate the number of people in the group, name, gender, date of birth, work unit, position, purpose of visit (detailed inspection and training content), and period of stay (specific arrival and departure). date, number of days), who will bear the expenses of the visit, etc.

(3) No alteration is allowed.

(4) Countries with special requirements (Japan, Germany, etc., see relevant explanations below)

3. Photos

4. Fill in the application form ( Some countries do not fill it in)

5. The applicant must review whether the relevant approval documents, passports, invitation letters and other relevant documents and visa forms are filled in correctly.

6. The applicant shall prepare a note or letter to the embassy or consulate of the country of destination.

7. Visa fee

8. Submit and wait for visa.

Transit visa

Transit refers to traveling to a third country via that country. When citizens of a country travel internationally, in addition to arriving directly at their destination, traveling to other countries often requires passing through one or two transit countries before finally entering the destination country. At this time, you not only need to obtain an entry permit for the country you are going to, but you must also obtain a transit permit for the country you are passing through, which is generally called a transit visa.

Regulations on transit visas vary from country to country, some are lenient and some are strict, some require visas and some are exempt from visas. Some stipulate that there is no need to apply for a visa within a specified time and range. If the time limit and range are exceeded, visa procedures must be applied. Many countries stipulate that all foreigners entering a third country via that country must apply for a visa regardless of the length of stay. According to international practice, if there are no special restrictions, as long as citizens of a country hold a valid passport, an entry visa for the country of destination, or a connecting air ticket, all countries they are passing through should be issued a transit visa.

If you go to a visa-exemption country or a port visa country via a visa application country, you must hold an invitation letter from the country of destination or a port visa approval document before you can apply for a transit visa from that country. You can also apply for one-time transit, two-time transit and multiple border-crossing according to your needs. Generally, transit visas are issued according to the requirements applied for. In individual cases, transit visas may not be issued or may not be issued as required. In this case, you can take the solution by traveling to other countries or not leaving the airport when connecting flights.

In recent years, with the development of international relations, many countries have simplified transit permit procedures and adopted convenient measures that eliminate the need to apply for a transit visa within a certain time limit. For example, many countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada stipulate that if transiting foreigners hold a valid passport, an entry visa for the country of destination and a connecting air ticket, and the stay does not exceed 24 hours, they are exempted from applying for a visa, but they are not allowed to leave the terminal or airport. . If you are traveling for more than 24 hours or want to leave the airport and enter the local city, you need to apply for a transit visa or temporary entry permit. Some countries set the visa limit time to 72 hours or 2 weeks. For example, Japan, Pakistan, etc.

In addition, some countries also implement differential treatment on transit permits. Different regulations apply depending on the status or nationality of the transit applicant. For example, Thailand stipulates that citizens of most countries that have established diplomatic relations with Thailand do not need to apply for transit if they stay in Thailand for less than 15 days, which is the so-called "transit preferential treatment country". However, citizens of China and some other countries are required to apply for a transit visa if they stay for more than 6 hours.

In order to strengthen the entry and exit management of foreigners, various countries have strict regulations on transit visas. Those who should apply for a visa but fail to do so will be deemed to have entered the country illegally and will be deported and subject to huge fines.

Visa validity period, length of stay, number of validity periods

Visa validity period

Visas have certain standardized formats, which generally include visa type, purpose of entry, and period of stay. , validity date, as well as the issuing agency, issuing officer, date and visa fee, etc.

The validity period of a visa refers to the period from the date of issuance of the visa to the period after which entry is allowed. If the visa exceeds this period, the visa will be invalid.

Generally, countries issue entry visas that are valid for 3 months, and some countries issue entry visas that are valid for 1 month.

Some countries have strict restrictions on visa validity. For example, Germany only issues visas based on the application date. Transit visas generally have a shorter validity period.

The period of stay of a visa

refers to the time the holder is allowed to stay after entering the country. The difference between it and the validity period of a visa is that the validity period of a visa refers to the period of use of the visa, that is, the holder can enter, leave or pass through the country within the specified time. For example, the entry and exit visa of a country is valid for 3 months and the stay period is 15 days. Then, this visa can enter or leave the country no matter which day it is within 3 months from the date of issuance. However, from the day of entry, Until the day of departure, the holder can only stay in the country for 15 days. Some countries issue visas that require entry within 3 months, and the stay period after entry is 1 month; in some countries, the entry period and stay period are the same. For example, the validity period and stay period of a U.S. visit visa are both 3 months, that is, it is valid only if you enter the country within 3 months, and you can only stay for 3 months after entering the country. The validity period of a visa is generally 1 month or 3 months; the longest is generally half a year or more than 1 year, such as employment and study visas; and the shortest is 3 days or 7 days, such as transit visa.

The number of times a visa is valid

In addition to the validity period and period of stay, a visa also stipulates the number of times it is valid. Generally divided into one-time valid visa, two-time and multiple-time valid visa, etc. The number of times a visa is valid means that the visa will become invalid after being used once within the validity period. A twice-valid visa means that it can be used twice within the validity period of the visa. A multiple-valid visa means that the holder can enter and exit the country multiple times within the validity period of the visa. For example, some tourist visas for Australia and India allow multiple entries and exits within 3 months or 6 months. Employment visas from some countries are also valid for multiple entries. Of course, what kind of visa is issued, how long it is valid, and how many times it is valid are decided by the visa authority based on the specific circumstances of the entry applicant.

Entry Permit Certificate

Entry Permit Certificate refers to different types of certification materials issued by the immigration authorities of various countries for various entry applicants, including approval letters for immigrants to enter. , Admission notice for admission to colleges and universities, and labor certificate for entry approval for job seekers, etc. Entry permit certificate is a certificate indicating the consent of the receiving unit or competent authority, and is also an important procedure for approving entry.

Some countries implement an entry permit system, that is, the inviter first applies to the competent authority of the country of entry on behalf of the applicant, explaining the identity of the entry applicant, the relationship between the two parties, and the reason for entry. If the entry conditions are met, the competent authority will issue an entry permit certificate. This kind of entry permit usually states the applicant's name, gender, nationality, and the period of stay in the country.

Some countries implement an entry guarantee system. Anyone who applies for entry based on a relationship with relatives or friends must have a legal living guarantee certificate. In addition to indicating the relationship between the two parties, the life guarantee certificate must also state the property status of the guarantor to show that the guarantor has sufficient assets to guarantee the entry applicant, can bear the round-trip travel expenses of the immigrant, and is responsible for solving the immigration problem. The accommodation expenses during the stay in the country ensure that the immigrants will not become a burden to the public of the country of entry, and ensure that the immigrants can leave the country on time and return to the country of original residence when the visa expires. The living guarantee certificate must be notarized and certified before it is valid.

Some immigration countries issue a labor permit or work permit, which means that the future employer applies for an employment permit to the department in charge of labor for the applicant. The labor permit records the name, gender, nationality, occupation to be engaged, length of employment and remuneration amount of the employee.

Each country issues an admission notice or admission permit to applicants who enter to study abroad. It states the applicant's name, gender, accepting school, major name, registration time and place, number of years of study abroad, etc.

The specific procedures for applying for a foreign entry permit are as follows:

(1) The applicant should contact relatives and friends abroad to explain his intention to go abroad, whether he wants to travel to the country, visit relatives, or study abroad at his own expense. or work, etc., if you obtain the consent of your relatives and friends abroad, you must immediately inform your relatives and friends abroad of your detailed situation, and prepare all relevant documents.

(2) Relatives and friends apply to the competent department. Relatives and friends abroad apply to the competent authorities of their home countries according to different categories according to the intention of the person going abroad.

(3) Obtain relevant license certificates. After approval, the competent authority deems that the applicant meets the entry requirements and issues an entry permit certificate to the applicant. If proof of financial guarantee is needed, relatives and friends abroad should prepare a living guarantee letter. If you immigrate abroad, your relatives and friends abroad must apply for the immigration entry permit.

(4) The applicant should go to the embassy of the country of destination in China to apply for an entry visa with the entry permit and relevant certificates.

How to apply for a foreign visa

Most of the countries that have established diplomatic relations with China have established embassies or consulates in China. The embassy is located in the capital Beijing, and the consulate general is located in economically developed central cities, such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Chengdu, etc. Some countries that do not have embassies or consulates have established consulates in Hong Kong, or have entrusted embassies and consulates of other countries to handle consular services on their behalf.

There are generally three ways for Chinese citizens to apply for foreign visas when traveling abroad for private purposes:

(1) Apply directly to the foreign embassy in China;

( 2) Entrust the visa office of China Travel Service to apply;

(3) Foreign relatives and friends directly apply to the local immigration bureau of the country for an entry permit.

The adoption of the above three methods depends on the situation. If you are familiar with the situation and the embassy accepts personal applications, you can apply for a visa directly to the embassy or consulate of that country in China. For some countries that do not have an embassy in China, foreign relatives and friends should apply for entry permit certificates locally. After being approved, the relative will send it to the applicant. The applicant can take the passport and entry permit certificate and contact the Consulate General of the country of destination in Hong Kong or the authorized embassy of the relevant country in China to apply for an entry visa

Chinese citizens who go abroad for official duties should submit relevant materials to the following agencies to apply for visas based on their affiliation with the unit. Individuals going abroad are not allowed to go to foreign embassies and consulates in China to apply for visas on their own.

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign affairs bureaus (divisions) of central ministries and commissions, or the foreign affairs departments of bureau-level units authorized by them and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall apply to the embassy in China;

2. The foreign affairs offices of each province, municipality directly under the Central Government, and autonomous region apply for it.

When people going abroad on official business apply for a visa at a foreign consulate in China, the relevant materials for the visa application must be issued to the foreign affairs bureau of the central ministries, commissions and bureaus or the foreign affairs offices of the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. Notes or letters from the embassy or consulate of the country in China. Foreign embassies and consulates in China are responsible for processing visas to their countries. However, each country’s embassy and consulate in China has its own division of labor in applying for visas to their country.

Foreign consulates in China are responsible for processing applications for visas to their countries by persons within their consular districts; foreign embassies in China are responsible for processing visa applications for foreign personnel within the consular districts of their consulates in China. For example, Yunnan Province belongs to the consular district of the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu. People who go abroad to the United States on official business in Yunnan Province must submit relevant materials to the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, which will issue a note or official letter to the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu. The Consulate General applied.

Only a few major countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, and Thailand have consulates in China. Most countries only have embassies in Beijing. Therefore, it is necessary for those who apply for a visa to go abroad to know in advance the embassy, ??consulate and jurisdiction of the country where you are going to China.

Visa application procedures

No matter which method is used by Chinese citizens to apply for a foreign visa, whether they are entrusted with an agency or directly applied for by themselves, they generally need to go through the following procedures: < /p>

(1) Submit a valid Chinese passport.

(2) Submit for inspection various documents suitable for the purpose of application, including entry permits from the country of destination and various relevant certificates issued by my country’s notary authorities;

(3) , Fill out the foreign visa application form. Different visas have different forms, and some have to be filled out in foreign languages. At the same time, please pay a photo of yourself, which must be consistent with the photo in your passport.

(4) Meet with officials from the embassy or consulate of the country of destination in China. Some countries stipulate that all immigration applicants must be interviewed before making a decision; other countries stipulate that applicants for non-immigrant visas must also be interviewed.

(5) The embassy or consulate shall submit the completed visa application forms and necessary supporting materials to the domestic competent authorities for review and approval. The embassies and consulates of a few countries have the right to issue visas directly, but they still have to report it to the country for filing. (6) After going to the country’s competent authorities for necessary review, notify the embassy or consulate in China of the review and approval opinions. If agreed, a visa will be issued. If entry is refused, the applicant will also be notified.

(7) Approved applicants must pay the visa fee to the embassy or consulate of the relevant country in China. Generally speaking, immigrant visas cost more and non-immigrant visas cost less. There are also some countries that do not charge fees based on mutual visa fee exemption agreements.

I hope it can help you and hope you will adopt it!