Chinese Visa

I went through the process of getting a visa to visit China as a tourist over the past week. I chose to use a travel agency out of Chinatown in Boston named Feti Travel. They are on Harrison Ave.  I had to make my way into Boston on one Friday and with rush service by the Chinese embassy in NYC I was able to pick up my passport with the visa inserted by the following Friday. The visa itself costs something like $140-$160, I am not exactly sure. With Feti Travel's basic service it would be $185 and with the rush service there is an extra $50 surcharge making the entire rush service option cost $235 plus the cost of the trips into Boston. Unfortunately they do not issue the visas in Boston and the passport has to get to NYC where it is issued and then get back. I am sure that it was less expensive to get this service through Feti Travel than it was to go to NYC myself and do it.  There are services like Travisa but they really don't double-check things as well and make sure everything is OK on the forms as the travel agency might have I think.

The visits to their office were quick. I emailed them first and they didn't respond to the email. Then I filled out their online form and was contacted same day so that appears to be the best method to start communication. Since I am actually flying to and from Hong Kong and not mainland China and I am not certain I definitely will get into China on this trip they helped me with sorting that out. I did have to book reservations in a hotel in China but I can cancel them later.  I chose reservations without prepayment to facilitate cancellation as needed.  They were quick in responses to emails after this starting point and had everything corrected and ready for me to print and sign in short order. I traveled into Boston with the signed paperwork and passport and they sent it off.  I did not have to pay until the process was completed when I picked it up on the following Friday. She notified me it was ready on the Thursday before I went. If I had time on Thursday I might even have been able to get it on Thursday.  I filled out the check on site and was in and out in no time at all.  They were quick, honest and easy to deal with.

Why get the visa at all? I went with a 1 year multi-entry visa because if I can get into China for a weekend during this trip (based on cost and other factors) Daniela and I will try to do so.  I figure with the 1 year multi-entry we can attempt to go later in the year or early next year based on expenses instead. I would obviously like to see China and maybe we can get in to Beijing and see a couple of the major items or do a tour that hits several of them such as the Forbidden City or the Great Wall or the Summer Palace or whatnot but  I do feel that a 2.5 day visit is not going to provide enough of China to say I have seen what I want to see. I am interested in other locations in China besides Beijing.  So, if we can make it in for this trip then great for a couple days but maybe we can go back later in the year to see more. I guess some of that would depend on what our initial experience is like too. For the type of visa for tourism I chose to get there is the same basic cost no matter how long I get it for and whether it is single or multi-entry so I decided I would just do the most I could for the same basic cost. This would hopefully make it easier to change plans as needed.  It is important to pay attention to what you are asking for. It is best to get multi-entry if you are expecting to visit Hong Kong or Macau or anywhere else in the vicinity as part of your trip. I think even if you are just going into China and want to stay the whole duration for the trip in China that it still makes sense based on pricing to get a multi-entry visa.  The main scrutiny seems to be whether you will pay for it and whether you belong to any activist groups or the like. It is not difficult for them to approve you for it but there is a bit of formality that goes along with it.  I am hoping that we can make it in. I am also hoping that we can do more later before the visa expires. We will see though.