Chinese visa for entry from Tajikistan

[shapeer0]

I want to enter china at the Qolma pass from Tajikistan. I am a UK citizen and plan on cycling down towards Pakistan on the KKH. I don’t plan on spending too long in China, but need to pass through to get to Pakistan to continue my travel towards India.

I have heard the shorter transit visas are only useful at airports so I’ll need an L visa from the Chinese embassy in the UK but I have some questions about this.

When applying for the visa, how honest should I be about my intentions? I have heard that you require a fully booked itinerary that you can just cancel, but should I state that I will be entering by bicycle at the Qolma pass or should I just fabricate a story in order to get the passport stamps?

Also as I will be cycling there from the UK, is it possible to attain a visa with validity that lasts 6-8 months that will give me time to get there?

Furthermore, does anyone have any reports on how long it should take to get down to the Pakistan border any any other obstacles I can expect to face? I’ve read a few reports of needing to travel by bus on some sections of the road etc but I’m more concerned with visa related problems.

Any information or tips on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Travelgian]

Maybe your amazing trip is already underway. I passed the border from China to Tajikistan December last year. First of all, afaik China doesn't ask visas to European citizens. Chinese border officials normally DO NOT check the itinerary you stated when applying for the visa. Most of the times I enter by land but you have to submit your travel plans to enter and exit China. What I normally do is to pretend I am travelling by plane. There are even websites that sell you fake airplane tickets for about €15. I have never had any problems with this system.

[Travelgian]

Something you might want to consider is that, travelling from China to Tajikistan, I needed a special permit to enter BOTH the regions near the 2 borders in the two countries (Gorno-Badakshan in Tajikistan) and Tashkurgan (probably misspelt) in China. The pass for Gorno-Badakshan was provided without any hassle by the owner of the B&B where I was staying (for $30) via whatsapp. For the Chinese pass I have no idea, as I did it on my way from Kashgar to Kalasi. You'd probably better ask in advance.
An aside for foot traveller: I found it very hard to get lorry drivers giving me a lift at the border. The reason is that I was carrying too much luggagle. I was about to freeze so I entered (unauthorised) the Tajiki soldier barracks and at that point the soldiers helped me out stopping 2 lorries (one for me and one for my luggage). The road from Kalasi to the next Tajiki outpost is horrible. on the Chinese side it is much much better.
BTW, the reason why I took Qolma was that the Kunjerhab pass got shut in early December. Best of luck!

[poundcake99]

Hey, would you mind telling me a bit more about the Tashgurkan (however it’s spelled) permit? I’ve seen so many conflicting reports on here. Some people say it’s not needed with a Tajik or a Pakistani visa. Some visa-free visitors to China say that it’s confusing even for the officers in China (apparently someone confused them so much that the police said it’s not required). As I gather, to obtain this permit, they need your visa number, which is a “problem” if it doesn’t exist.

Anyway, my question really is, do you need it to cross Qolma into China towards Kashgar? What even is the region where it is reportedly required?

[Travelgian]

It was confusing for me as well (hardly anyone would speak English). My understanding is that IF one has the Tajiki visa then the special pass for Tashkurgan (I think this is the correct spelling) is NOT needed. However, Tajikistan does not require visa to European citizens, so I did not have it so I needed to take the Tashkurgan special permit (which cost 100 yuan).
However, one also needs a special permit for Gorno-Badakshan in Tajikistan. This permit is included in the visa, but can also be obtained indipendently. I thought I'd be fine with the visa, but it took about 2 weeks to get it so I used the pass provided by a hostel owner in Tajikistan. This was delivered by whatsapp and was accepted at the border even if I hadn't got it printed.

[poundcake99]

I see, thanks for clarifying. And you got the Tashkurgan permit at the Chinese border?

[tcol108]

First of all, afaik China doesn't ask visas to European citizens.

As the original thread owner is from the UK, I wanted to mentioned that that UK citizens are not in the 30 day visa free scheme that China has. It may change in the future but currently you would still need a visa to enter China if you are from the UK.

[Travelgian]

No, it was midway from Kashgar to Tashkurgan at an administrative building called something like Pamir Park Excursion centre. Probably the same could have been done at the Immigration office in Kashgar. My understanding is that you definitely need that pass before entering the Tashkurgan area. The pass was checked at a checkpoint soon after I obtained it. Anyway, the driver was kind enough to guide me through the process. That's why I suppose one may want to apply for the Tashkurgan pass before he/she enters China.

I see, thanks for clarifying. And you got the Tashkurgan permit at the Chinese border?