Thread: Soooo, new Chinese visa requirements?

The new invite reg was effective Oct 1, 2012. You can still do refundable tickets for a visa. It's not a sponsor (like a business visa) , but a personal invitation letter, so I got my tourist visa w/out tickets. I'd be questioning the language on the website as in "transiting THROUGH". But, if it's a "destination", they may not allow you to even board in the US due to nonrev ticket. (no guarantee you'll be able to exit in a timely manner)
I hope you can figure it out.

Originally Posted by Tony757

Ya, I misspoke. Sponsor, invite, whatevs, means the same thing to me lol. I'm going to the Consulate here in SFO and see if I can get some answers. Who knows?

That could be a very smart move--let us know, please.

Looks like I will go to Beijing afterall!

72-Hour Visa-free Transit in Beijing

V--make sure you have an onward ticket for a third country. You cannot fly US/PEK/US and use the 72 hr transit visa. You must transit to a third country.
"1. This regulation does not apply to passengers who travel on a single return flight (e.g., Hong Kong – Beijing - Hong Kong), which means the destination and place of departure can not be the same. They need to apply for a transit visa before their departure."

BTW if you do go and need a guide, Simon works in the city as well as trips to the wall. Our rate for gas, tolls, parking and time about 8 hours, was 600RMB (about $100) Including Forbidden City. Simon does explain before but does not accompany you. (I will post Simon's info in Specialty Travel later) You pay extra for official tourguides. Tickets and cable car and FC were about $30/pax (of course, you can walk; warning--it can be steep and long). CC ride starts at tower 14 and if you want to take the luge down, that's tower 6. Just buy OWs.

I do know that from central you can take a direct bus to Mutianyu section of the wall, and you can easily tour Beijing city with a good transit map and patience. We stayed at the Marriott City Wall and it was close to the train station and a main bus terminal. (hotel was gorjus, too!) It's very close to a fairly new mall with very good small food court and a nice supermarket. You can visit a park by the in-city wall adjacent to Marriott.

I just hope you can figure a way to do it!

Tony & V, just for you -How to best spend your 3 'free' visa-less days in Shanghai | TERMINAL U | Air Travel Guide

Again--read this:
What to do when you land

When you arrive in Shanghai or Beijing, fill in the landing card and ask the airport border staff for a transit visa. You’ll need to show a confirmed onward ticket to a third country.


I am quite excited to find out what rotation Boss gets for Feb--several have PVGfor 48+hrs on his line.

Thanks, Mig--I want to do EVERYTHING, except scary heights stuff. I'll leave that to Amazing Race contestants.

Tony--you already have a visa?

Has anybody attempted to go yet?
My question is how would they know a "confirmed" ticket comapred to my "stand-by" locator.
Pretty much all ticketing these days is electronic so how would they really know?