Embassy reports: China visa from Tbilisi

[steven]

Please read and post reports on the embassy of China in Tbilisi below.

We summarize all info on the China visa page, under embassy reports.

[Gavin Lewis]

Things have obviously changed radically since the previous post saying foreign nationals were unable to get a visa for China in Tbilisi. I've just done it (UK passport), and it was an absolute breeze!

The embassy and consulate are at 52 Barnov Street (Metro: Rustaveli - five minutes' walk). Open Mon, Wed and Fri 9.30am–11.30am. The consulate is closed on all Chinese and Georgian holidays. You do not need an LOI, just a booking for your first stop or two in China, which you can cancel after getting the visa. Take a photocopy of your passport, although they will keep the real thing too. You also need one passport photograph. You can download the application form here:

http://ge.china-embassy.org/eng/lsyw/t1044904.htm

The form says you have to "type" in your info; you don't, just write neatly. The visa will cost you 60 lari (£20ish) and 1 lari for the payment machine in the office which prints out your receipt, but does not take cards or give change. For 60 lari you wait four working days, so I put my application in Wed and picked it up the following Mon. You can pay extra for quicker. If you want 90+90, write it in under the other options. I did and I got it with no special pleading, such as proof of bicycle etc.

The whole process was incredibly quick and painless. I waited about five minutes to put in my application and have it checked, and another five when I went to collect. You'll be dealt with by a very pleasant and helpful Georgian lady who speaks excellent English, and a taciturn guard who does not. He may or may not help you with the payment machine, which can be switched to English (but only if you can read Georgian...)

Happy travels!

[onemoreadventure]

We also had Chinese tourist visa success in Tbilisi.
2 (married) UK passport holders, filled out the pdf form by hand (capital letters, in black ink), submitted one photocopy of our passports, one passport photo each, one print out of booking.com (for 3 nights only) between the two of us. In itinerary we also wrote the name of one other hotel for 3 nights. We asked for single entry 30-day visa (valid for 3 months from the date of issue) and got it. Paid 120 lari each (for same-day turnaround), 1 lari needed for payment machine. We submitted it at 09:30am and collected at 16:00.
Address is 52 vasil barnov street.
The consulate is open for applications from 09:30 to 11:30 Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

[VeloVera]

Since Almaty and Bishkek are no longer issuing Chinese visa we applied in Tbilisi, which turned out to be very easy. We are traveling by bicycle, so the time limit until first entry was a concern, but we got 6 months until first entry, double entry, 90 + 90 days. Perfect!

As described before the whole process is very easy going. Please bear in mind that:

- The embassy is only open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 tot 11 in the morning. There are no huge queues or anything, so no need to show up early. It is very relaxed. The girl at the counter is Georgian, very friendly, and she speaks good English.
- You need hotel bookings for your (fictional) itinerary. I booked enough rooms to cover 3 monts travel, to justify asking for a 90 + 90 double entry visa. I didn’t book every night, just a few days every couple of weeks in the bigger cities. You can do it via booking.com. Make sure you only book hotel rooms you can cancel again once you have the visum in your pocket! They won’t check again, it is only a formality. Bring the printed confirmations of the hotel bookings.
- You can mention you are traveling by bicycle, no problem.
- We paid 90 lari per person, dropped off on Friday and picked up on the next Wednesday. If you pay more you can do same day or next day pick up. You have to pay with Georgian bank notes in a machine at the embassy. Make sure you have clean new notes so the machine will eat them. You only pay when you come to collect your visa. You have to bring 1 lari coin for the transaction. The machine works in English. Search for 'other' payment services or some such and the Chinese visum payment will come up.
- You need one passport photo and one copy of your passport
- We downloaded the form via the Caravanistan.com link to the embassy website. The form is in English and quite straightforward. You don’t have to type it, just write in clear block letters.

Good luck

[cyclelust]

Just wanted also to update on Chinese Visa in Tbilis, but someone was quicker already
I can only agree with the above written. It is a very easy going process. We also asked for 6 months, double entry, 90 days, German passports. We applied Friday morning and got the Visa Monday morning, paying 130 lari for urgent processing. If you pay 150 lari, you can get it the same day.

[afishoutofwater]

Hi, just thought I would present an updated roundup of the visa process in Tbilisi as I know this can be very useful.....

Applied with a British passport on Monday morning. Embassy open between nine and eleven in the morning. Very easy to find. Vasil Barnov street. Just keep walking up with your back to from the macdonlds and you'll find it on your left after 400 metres or so.

It was such an easy process and i was in and out of the embassy within fifteen minutes. Lady speaks excellent English and was very helpful.

Turned up with: filled in application form, one passport photo, proof of hostel booking for first two nights stay printed from booking.com and that was it. Asked for a financial print out which I didn't have but said I could return when i picked up my passport and present it to them then. So easy.

same day - 150 lari, to be picked up at 4 pm
Wednesday - 120 lari, to be picked up at 09:30
Friday - 60 lari, to be picked up at 09:30

No hotel booking required apart from first couple of nights in Kashgar
No flights
No LOI
No employment letter

Asked me how I would be travelling and I told them by bicycle and that was fine.

You pay when you collect your visa and they have a cash machine inside where you withdraw your lari from - you need one lari to do this though.

Very happy man here particularly when it costs close to two hundred euros in the UK.

Jamie

[gaz457]

Good news! Do you know if a multi entry 1 year is possible there??

[afishoutofwater]

Hmm, im not sure as I didn't ask. I did write down 60 days for my length of stay but to be honest they didn't really look at my form so I have no idea if that will be accepted or if they will just give me 30 days. I did ask if I could check the date that I put on my application for when I wanted to enter China but the lady said it didn't matter as the visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. Hope that helps somewhat..

Jamie

[tyndyk16]

Sept. 2. Just learned that the embassy in Tbilisi can only issue visa's to Georgian nationals for "technical reasons" at the moment. Started this week and according to the person at the window it is undetermined how long this will be so.

[Miquel]

Sept. 2. Just learned that the embassy in Tbilisi can only issue visa's to Georgian nationals for "technical reasons" at the moment. Started this week and according to the person at the window it is undetermined how long this will be so.

Hello!
We are a couple that want to enter China and were so happy to discover that from Tblisi was possible to get visas... but this last info was very disappointing for us... so does anyone could update the information that nowadays it's not permitted to do chinese visas in Tblisis for foreigners?
Thank you so much