Michael Tyler

After filling in the app. yesterday, queing up and submitting it, it was refused due to the lack of photograph and the non-chinese medical.

Sunrise Visa Agency

Better than re-queiing after the lunch break, I decided to visit the Sunrise Visa Agency which is located in the same building.
This clarified a few things for me:

• That my documents were wrong: Unless you happen to be able to read Madarin, you wouldn’t have spotted the fact that the 2 documents required for the agency, (invitation letter, experts certificate), were not matching.
• That the Visa agency would not issue me with a Visa from China without a medical from China.

After chatting to the bloke at the Sunrise Visa Agency, I saw the queue was huge, and decided to take him up on his offer to do a 90 day tourist visa for the same price as a 30 day.

I got the Visa within 1 day and have no complaints about the service.

It’s a 90 day single entry Visa.

View China Visa Agency Map in a larger map

The agency sent through documents for two different processing addresses, so one is for London, the other is for Hong Kong. Either way, once these are changed to match, I can look out for forking out another fee for a Chinese medical examination certificate.

Medical in Hong Kong

This is virtually impossible to obtain. If you’re wanting to get your Z-Visa processed in Hong Kong rather than in your resident country, the medical that the visa office in Hong Kong will be asking you for is the CHINESE MEDICAL. They WILL NOT accept a medical from another country.

For this reason, it’s not worth expecting to arrive here, leaving the office with a Z. That’s not going to happen. (unless your employer is in Hong Kong).

Since earlier this year, it’s been a requirement for Chinese Visa Authorities to ask for a medical examination IN ORDER to apply for your experts certificate. It costs £250. And, whatever happens, not matter what the results of your test or where you get it done you’ll need a new one from your employer in China to get your Z.

The best way to do it is to arrive in China. Sort a 90 day visa out with a visa agency. Get ONE medical done, the Chinese one. Go to Hong Kong, Beijing or one of the other Chinese passport offices. Get your passport submitted there. You will save yourself £250. Tell your employer that, or ask them for the cash up front if they want you to fork out for the medical in your own country.

Some employers will ask you to get the medical up front. If this happens, like with me, you need to hang around in your own country and get the Visa done. Don’t go anywhere until it’s done.