Embassy report: Chinese visa in Almaty

[Dakkus]

On the page for Chinese visa you now say "Possible with the help of Serik. Perhaps also by yourself?"
I would say it should be technically possible to get the visa by yourself, but practically not. The visa application had at least four pages, perhaps more and filling it is far from easy. You must know a lot of hocus pocus on how to fill in the fields correctly. Because you are coming from such a direction to China that there is something of a semi-cold military operation going on, I would assume it to be very likely for applications to be refused.
In the end, looking through the pile of papers Serik had helped me get done, I was really happy I had not tried it alone.

But yes, in theory it should be possible to get the visa just by yourself. I just don't see much point in trying. Remember that you also need an invitation and can only use the original. Finding a good one and finding a delivery method as well, that won't necessarily be the easiest task out there.

[cedric]

Few questions about the visa in Almaty. I plan to do my visa here now because I can't apply in Bishkek with a private LOI (see my topic here.) I will try to do it without the help of Serik at first.

The visa application is the usual one or is it a special for the Almaty consulate? Because if it's the usual one it's not so hard to fill it.

Someone tries to get a visa with a LOI of a particular or knows if it's possible?

Which other documents do I need to provide?

Thank you for your answer

[steven]

Serik is the expert with the most up to date info, i would direct all specificquestions to him.

[cyclolenti]

I met Serik thursday, he prepares all the document for me (I have a french passeport). 4 days before arriving to Almaty I sent a message to Serik, so he could already ask for the invitation letter and receive the original one from China 3 or 4 days after. I apply at the chinese embassy friday morning, my name was on a list (thanks to Serik), I didn't have to wait to long. Inside the embassy I had to go alone, but they ask me very few questions, nice people, it took 5 minutes, outside Serik was waiting for me, I gave him the ticket for paying at the bank and he told me to come to his office next friday to pick up my visa. Let see on friday... I will let you know if everythink is fine.
Tiphaine

[cyclolenti]

I get my visa on friday as Serik said, perfect ! In Almaty it's less expensive than in Bishkek (25000tengué all included) and it take one week from the day you apply. I'm writing from China so everythink went fine at the border. Just to mention, one man of the kazak customs ask me 10$... I refused, said I don't have (even if I had), he didn't insist and let me go. Chinese customs very nice, didn't even ask me to open my bags.
Now, enjoying snow in Urumqi !

[laurent_rio]

May i know what is Serik email ?

[steven]

See http://caravanistan.com/visa/china/ under Astana/Almaty

[Kidp3]

I just got my Chinese visa today, after using the services of Serik. To both of our surprises, I got the 10 year (or in this case, 5) year visa that was introduced for Canadians earlier this year. The price was a bit more (15,000 Tenge vs the 6,000 for the 30 day single entry, about $30 difference), but I wanted a longer, multi-entry visa anyways (Serik thought it was not possible to get one here). So, if you are able to get a 10 year visa (Americans and Canadians are the only ones I know of), it's possible here. Or make sure you specify that you only want a 30 day visa, if that's what you want.

[kael]

Hi here,
From Bishkek and Almaty, Chinese visa sounds tricky. It seems since februry 2016 rules have changed again.

Few weeks ago we contacted Serik to have fresh news. He explained in a collective email sent to all the foreigners trying to get this visa that only ''E visa'' were now avalable. It means we need to be in a ''group'' of at least 2 persons,it is printed on a simple A4 form (nothing on the passport)and no possibility to extend it in China.

Serik pretends to grant the issue of this strange visa for 130dollars per personn and he wrote he could do it even by correspondance (by senting a passport copy and receiving the "visa form" by post after transfering money on his bank account). Well.. I was expected bizarre ways to get the Chinese visa but this one looks more than strange. As few weeks has passed, I wonder if anyone had successfully passed to Chinese border with this such visa?

By the way, from Bishkek until now, coming to the consulate didnt help us, we got as only answer that visas were only for residents. Agencies (miss Liu or all the others) couldnt do anything to get a regular tourism chinese visa. For 150dollars, they offered an (even more bizarre) ''bussiness visa" for one month! And arrival by airport only (so not interresting for all overland travellers). Many of us now are contacting Serik as a last chance, so if anyone got anything with him recently, fresh news would be great!

[steven]

Thank you! Please keep us updated if you can!