Where to best get Chinese visa now?

[steven]

Got this via e-mail:

So we are two french bikers, Lucie and Pierre on The silk road (we leave Iran for Turkmenistan on tomorrow) Our plan was to go, after Central Asia, to China, Mongolia and come back with the transiberian and Russia. We planed to apply for our russian visa in Tashkent because it looks easy.

But as you now, since one month we can't apply for a 3+3 visa in Teheran anymore. So we leave Iran without chineese visa.

One B plan can be: go to Kazakhstan, take a transit throught Russian, go to Mongolia, apply for Chineese visa there and then China and way back with transiberian. But the problem is that we don't know if we can apply for a turist visa in Tashkent and then apply for a transit visa in Kazakhstan (before the turism visa validity) ? Ask two visas (one tourism and the other transit) in the same moment looks risky also? We didn't see any report about Mongolian Embassy in Tashkent so we don't know if it is possible to apply there...

What do you think about that? Have you ever heard about this kind of situation ? What do you suggest us? Should we forget China ?

*******My answer******

It is a challenging time for travelers. 2 new developments today could make things more difficult: a car bomb exploded outside the Chinese embassy in Bishkek, and the president of Uzbekistan has died. Also, until the 5th of September the G20 is hosted by China, and this might be the reason Chinese visas are rejected in Tehran. You might still be able to apply if you are there after the 5th of September.

So...

You can try getting the Chinese visa in Tashkent. There have been no recent reports, but it was possible last year. You can get the Russian transit visa as well as a tourist visa as a French citizen in Almaty, and a Mongolian tourist visa is also not a problem in Almaty. Ok to get multiple visas at the same time. If you do not succeed in Tashkent with the Chinese visa, you can try in UB. If you do not succeed in UB, I recommend cycling to Vladivostok and taking the boat to Japan or Korea.

1. Apply in Tehran if you are still there after 5th of September
2. Apply in Tashkent
3. Get Russian, Mongolian visa, apply in UB
4. Go to Japan instead.

Hope that helps!

[bwv812]

In 2012 the Chinese embassy in Seoul would only accept applications from registered residents of Korea. I believe the embassy in Tokyo would have accepted my application but they told me it would take a week and I didn't want to spend that much time there (and thought I would be able to get it in Korea). I ended up having to fly from Seoul to Hong Kong (with a stopover in Beijing, ironically) to get my Chinese visa.

[Fiestje]

Any idea of Hong Kong is still the emergency exit? We have the impression that Chinese embassies a bit everywhere are closing their gates, so maybe Hong Kong as well...? We're thinking of flying there from Ulaan Batar, Mongolia, but if it might not be possible to apply there we are stuck again...

[Petipatapon]

Hello!
We are a couple traveling the silk road throught iran, Ouzbekistan, Kirghizstan and China. We are currently in Iran and we couldn't have the Chinese visa in tehran. According to the last updates, it seems impossible to get it in tashkent or bishkek.
We are a bit confused now. The best option is may be flying to Hong Kong to have the visa, but in this case we will be far away from Xinjiang. Are there some other travelers experiencing the same issues ?

[DAEMO79]

Reconfirming it's not possible for tourist visa to China in Almaty.
They will only issue visa for residents and foreign residents and foreign students.

They lady we spoke with at Almaty China embassy confirmed visas are being issued in Astana.

My 2 cents done

[thomasbike]

As far as i know it is possible to get Chinese visa in south Korea and in Japan when staying in these countries as a normal tourist.
Procedure via china visa center
Also possible in bangkok with china visa center

(I met people who were successful in the listed countries in the last 6 month)

But it depends on your traveling background.. turkey iran stamps might highly be a problem
.embassy might delay the visa procedure for more than a month

I posted a report on busan center

[CortoSinese]

Will Kazakh stamp be a problem?

We always mention Turkey and, since recently, Iran stamps as being unwanted. But what about a Kazakh one?

I had some Turkish stamps in my old passport and I traveled a few times to China. They always stopped me to ask some questions at the border and a visa agency in Hong Kong warned me about it too. This time I have a new, empty passport (feels so good). I plan to use this opportunity and travel to China (and maybe some other stamp-racist countries) first. But I will cross Kazakhstan to get there... May this one single stamp influence my future extensions / new visas?

[bwv812]

People aren't going to/through Kazakhstan for the purpose of terrorism, so I don't see why it should be a problem.

[BakuBound]

You will need to show your old passport when applying for a new Chinese visa, so they will still see those stamps. No need to show the old passport when entering China, though.

[Jealgu]

From my own experience, and what I hear the old passport rule is not always used anymore. This is not to say that there are no places where they will ask, or that at sometime they might start doing it again.