5:26 PM
Anna
Six of us grabbed these tickets from Cebu Pacific to Beijing, China off-the-cuff last June. It was easy enough. Snag tickets, get a visa, and then go! For the next couple of months we were like, "Hello, Great Wall!"
But the Universe had other plans.
Apparently, roughly a week after buying the tickets, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines decided that there were too many Filipino TNTs in China and that they needed to bring out the lawnmower. And so began the arduous quest to fulfill our Great Wall Adventure.
These days, for first time applicants to get approved of a Chinese Tourist Visa (L) in the Philippines, one needs to secure the following requirements:
1. Passport, also a photocopy of the bio (first) page and last page (with details of contact person in case of emergency). And oh, your passort must have blank pages and must be valid at least 6 months before expiration. Do not forget your signature on your passport!
2. Roundtrip plane ticket or online printout of confirmation (if not coming back to the Philippines, you must present an onward flight ticket)
3. Hotel booking/voucher or letter of invitation (from friend or relative living in China)
4. NBI Clearance, Original Copy, valid for travel abroad (the green one)
5. SSS ID or E-1 or static information or contributions info (may be a printout from SSS online). Photocopies are okay.
6. Latest ITR (include a photocopy of your TIN ID as well if you have it)
7. Latest Bank Certificate or Bank Statement (should have at least 50k), with Official Receipt (do not forget to ask for this since most banks won't give it to you unless you ask)
*Make sure your Bank Certificate or Statement is dated within the month of your application, and your Bank Statement shows a record of 3 months
8. Certificate of Employment showing salary including bonuses and benefits
9. Photocopy of Company ID
10. Accomplished visa application form with
11. One passport-size or 2x2 colored photo with white background (glue this to your application form, do not staple)
If you pretty much have all that, you're good to go. Visa Fee is P1,400 at the embassy. Usually, single entry visas are valid for 3 months. Even if you've been to China before, you'll still need to submit all the requirements if it's your first time getting a Chinese visa from the Philippines. Stamped visas will not be accepted. Unless you've got a visa sticker, you'll still have to submit all the required documents. Application is supposedly a breeze if you've been granted a visa sticker before. Multiple entry visas are a little trickier, and are not issued to first timers.
Processing normally takes 4 days, but I suggest you allot extra time and not get your visas at the last minute. While they expedite processing (2-3 days), don't count on that. Also, prepare multiple copies of your requirements, just in case. Personal appearance is usually not required unless you're 16-21 years old.
Apply for your visa at the Chinese Embassy at the 2nd floor of The World Center Building along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati, in front of the Mapua School of IT. Get there early because while they say cutoff is at 11 am, you can run out of numbers at as early as 9 am. You can have a travel agency do it for you as well. Prices for visa assistance range from P1,700-2,500, which should include the visa fee. Anything more than that is highway robbery. Just be careful about the requirements. Prepare the above documents regardless of what your travel agent says, and have them sign some sort of received form with a list of all the documents you turned in. Be extremely wary of "fixed" documents.
For more updated information, I would suggest you visit forums about Chinese visa applications to read more about first-hand experiences and how to deal with possible glitches. The Chinese Embassy seems overly paranoid these days, especially after the bus hostage incident, so better come prepared.
Visit the Chinese Embassy website at http://ph.china-embassy.org/eng/lsfw/hzqz/t171818.htm.
Our passports were released a day after our intended departure. While we got those Cebu Pacific tickets at an awesome price, rebooking fees are extremely unforgiving. You have to pay about P1,600 rebooking fee per sector plus the price difference of the new seats. Ouch. The Great Wall Adventure will have to wait.
But the Universe had other plans.
Apparently, roughly a week after buying the tickets, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines decided that there were too many Filipino TNTs in China and that they needed to bring out the lawnmower. And so began the arduous quest to fulfill our Great Wall Adventure.
These days, for first time applicants to get approved of a Chinese Tourist Visa (L) in the Philippines, one needs to secure the following requirements:
1. Passport, also a photocopy of the bio (first) page and last page (with details of contact person in case of emergency). And oh, your passort must have blank pages and must be valid at least 6 months before expiration. Do not forget your signature on your passport!
2. Roundtrip plane ticket or online printout of confirmation (if not coming back to the Philippines, you must present an onward flight ticket)
3. Hotel booking/voucher or letter of invitation (from friend or relative living in China)
4. NBI Clearance, Original Copy, valid for travel abroad (the green one)
5. SSS ID or E-1 or static information or contributions info (may be a printout from SSS online). Photocopies are okay.
6. Latest ITR (include a photocopy of your TIN ID as well if you have it)
7. Latest Bank Certificate or Bank Statement (should have at least 50k), with Official Receipt (do not forget to ask for this since most banks won't give it to you unless you ask)
*Make sure your Bank Certificate or Statement is dated within the month of your application, and your Bank Statement shows a record of 3 months
8. Certificate of Employment showing salary including bonuses and benefits
9. Photocopy of Company ID
10. Accomplished visa application form with
11. One passport-size or 2x2 colored photo with white background (glue this to your application form, do not staple)
If you pretty much have all that, you're good to go. Visa Fee is P1,400 at the embassy. Usually, single entry visas are valid for 3 months. Even if you've been to China before, you'll still need to submit all the requirements if it's your first time getting a Chinese visa from the Philippines. Stamped visas will not be accepted. Unless you've got a visa sticker, you'll still have to submit all the required documents. Application is supposedly a breeze if you've been granted a visa sticker before. Multiple entry visas are a little trickier, and are not issued to first timers.
Processing normally takes 4 days, but I suggest you allot extra time and not get your visas at the last minute. While they expedite processing (2-3 days), don't count on that. Also, prepare multiple copies of your requirements, just in case. Personal appearance is usually not required unless you're 16-21 years old.
Apply for your visa at the Chinese Embassy at the 2nd floor of The World Center Building along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati, in front of the Mapua School of IT. Get there early because while they say cutoff is at 11 am, you can run out of numbers at as early as 9 am. You can have a travel agency do it for you as well. Prices for visa assistance range from P1,700-2,500, which should include the visa fee. Anything more than that is highway robbery. Just be careful about the requirements. Prepare the above documents regardless of what your travel agent says, and have them sign some sort of received form with a list of all the documents you turned in. Be extremely wary of "fixed" documents.
For more updated information, I would suggest you visit forums about Chinese visa applications to read more about first-hand experiences and how to deal with possible glitches. The Chinese Embassy seems overly paranoid these days, especially after the bus hostage incident, so better come prepared.
Visit the Chinese Embassy website at http://ph.china-embassy.org/eng/lsfw/hzqz/t171818.htm.
Our passports were released a day after our intended departure. While we got those Cebu Pacific tickets at an awesome price, rebooking fees are extremely unforgiving. You have to pay about P1,600 rebooking fee per sector plus the price difference of the new seats. Ouch. The Great Wall Adventure will have to wait.
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