04.07.08
China Visa Restrictions Imposed
On April 6 the South China Morning Post offered the most solid confirmation to date (subscription required) of the recent rumors that China visas are going to be harder to obtain until after the Olympics:
Beijing has stopped issuing multiple-entry visas, risking major inconvenience to foreigners who travel to the mainland regularly, especially on business. Hong Kong travel agents say the ban will stay in place until after the Olympic Games.
Travellers are now restricted to single- or double-entry visas valid for 30 days. Multiple-entry visas that have not expired are still valid. . . .
One travel agent who declined to be named said: “People have been asking to renew their multiple-entry visas but no one can get more than a double-entry visa. We were told this was because of the Olympics and that the ban would be lifted in September after the Games had finished.”
The restrictions will apparently be in place well after the Olympics:
Agents said they were told of the move on March 27. Hong Kong-based China-visa agency Forever Bright says on its website the ban will apply until October 17.
Visa costs are rising as well, though it’s unclear if these are temporary or permanent:
Travel agents also said the cost of single- and double-entry visas had risen.
The typical cost of a single-entry visa obtained through a travel agent for a British passport holder is now HK$850 for a single-entry visa and HK$1,050 for a double-entry one. At the end of last year, a six-month multiple-entry visa cost HK$1,080.
Australians, Canadians and most Europeans can expect to pay HK$500 for a single-entry visa and HK$600 for a double-entry one. Six-month multiple-entry visas for these nationalities previously cost about HK$450.
One would think that the Chinese government could have this news published in the China Daily at the time the policy is impemented, in order to give its own explanation of the situation and attempt to reduce the flood of complaints and negative media reports that are likely to follow in the coming months from the tens of thousands of people who will be affected. One would be wrong, of course. A China Daily site search for “visa” shows no articles in 2008 on the matter.
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