I just wanted to write a guide to
getting a Chinese Work (Z) visa in Bangkok. This is based on my own
horrible experiences and might not be completely correct, but at
least it'll get your further than the official embassy website:
http://www.chinaembassy.or.th/eng/
which doesn't have much information on it at all.
Here's what you'll need (and this is
order you should present it to them at the Visa Office):
- Visa Application Form A (with passport photo on)
- Visa Application Form B (supplementary form)
- Photocopy of passport page
- Photocopy of Thai visa page
- Photocopy of last Chinese Visa (if any)
- Employment letter and any other documents your school sends you
- Bank Statement
- Flight Booking
- Hotel Reservation (I didn't submit one as I was staying with a friend – but you'll need to put his/her address in the appropriate section)
- Photocopy of Medical Form (with the same passport photo as the one on your Application Form)
Process
First,
you'll need to get your documents from your school in China. They
should advise you as to exactly what they need (it may differ in
different parts of China) but generally it should be the following
items (which you'll need to scan in and send to them via email):
- Scan of passport info page
- Resume/CV
- Photo of yourself
- Scan of degree
- Scan of teaching certificate (if you have one)
- References (might not necessarily need these – check with your school)
Once
they receive these, they'll take them to be processed and then send
you the employment letter and any other documents which are needed
from their side). This can possibly take a week or two (or maybe
longer) so in the mean time get the rest of the documents together.
First,
go the Visa Application Centre to pick up the Application Forms (A
and B) and the Medical Check Form (unfortunately, these forms are not
available online). The Visa Application Centre is not the
same as the Chinese Embassy. This link explains how to get there:
http://migrationology.com/2011/07/how-to-get-a-china-visa-in-bangkok/
.
Take
the Medical Form to the nearest hospital, which is Praram 9 hospital.
It's important that you take it to a Thai government hospital and not
a clinic. Praram 9 is fine and it's the closest one. It's
possible to walk there (takes about 15mins) or you can take one of
the motorbike taxis from outside the embassy – they all know the
place. Here's a map from A (the visa office) to B (the hospital).
The
hospital will do the full medical check and have the results back to
you within a few hours. Make sure they put an official hospital stamp
over your picture and at the bottom.
Then
take this form with your passport to a copy shop. There are a few
near the Visa Office – turn left when you exit the Visa Office and
walk a while and you'll come across some. Do all the copies that I
mentioned earlier (passport info page, Thai visa, previous Chinese
visa and the medical form).
Fill in
the application forms (A and B) carefully. You'll need the address of
the school and the address of someone you're staying with
(alternatively, book a hotel but be sure to take a print out of the
booking with you for the visa application). There's also a section on
the Form B about the school's Alien Employment number or something
like that (I can't remember exactly the terminology). Ask your school
for this too.
Print
off a recent bank statement. Try to make sure you have at least a bit
of money in there otherwise they might reject it on the basis of you
not having enough money (note: this is a guess on my part. I don't
know for sure, but I heard of one guy who had problems for not having
enough money in his account – exactly how much is required is
anybody's guess!).
When
you get your documents from your school, book a flight and print off
the E-ticket. Allow yourself about a week of 'wiggle room' in case
there are problems at the Visa Office (I met a few people who missed
flights due to unforeseen problems).
By this
time you should have all your documents ready. Put them in the order
I mentioned earlier and prepare yourself for going to the Visa
Application Office. It opens at 9am but I recommend getting there
earlier. If you turn up at 9am then they'll be a huge line of people
and it'll take you a few hours to be seen. I recommend getting there
at around 7.30am – 8am. There a 3 lines outside (although people
generally don't know this so it's little chaotic). The far left line
is for Visa applications – stand here. The middle and far right
lines are for tour groups and people collecting their passports
(they'll have these little pink slips which you'll come across
later). Generally, they let the tour groups and passport collectors
in first. Don't worry – they'll be in different lines once you get
up to the office).
Once
you get let in at 9am you'll proceed upstairs. When you enter the
office, get a ticket from the machine (or if the machine is broken
you'll need to line up in front of the windows). The office has glue
for you to stick your picture to your form. When your number is
called present your documents with your passport and pray that
everything is fine. If there's a problem then they should let you
know at this stage. Stay calm and try to make sure they tell you
exactly what you need to do.
If all
is well then you'll get a pink slip which will tell you when to
collect your passport. You can choose from 1 day, 2-3 days, 4 days
processing (with various different prices for each). I recommend the
1-day processing (since the school should pay you back anyway) just
in case there are any further problems. I've seen people trying to
collect their passports only to find out that there's been a problem
with the processing (you still get your passport back but you'll need
to apply again). If you do do the 1-day processing then there's a big
shopping centre just around the corner from the Visa Office. You can
kill time there, get some lunch, coffee and generally mope around
until you pick up your passport.
When it
comes to collecting your passport, again make sure to get to the Visa
Office early to ensure you won't be waiting too long. I picked mine
up on the same day and got there 1 hour before the 3pm pick up time.
It was lucky I did since there was a long line of people behind me by
3pm.
When
collecting your passport you first go the last window on the left
(number 14) and pay the cashier. You give them your pink slip, they
scan it and tell you how much to pay. They then give you a white
receipt which you take to window 12 and use these two to pick up your
passport. Hopefully, everything will be fine and you'll be on your
way to China! If there has been a problem with the processing then
they won't let you pay and they'll make you wait at a different
window where someone should come and explain the problem.
***
As I
said before, this is all based on my extremely stressful experience.
I spent 4 days in a row going to the Visa Office trying to get my
visa sorted. Almost everyone else I met had similar problems and
issues – all down to a lack of available information on the
application process. I hope that this guide can go some way to
helping others. If there are any mistakes or things which need
updating/editing then please let me know and I'll do my best to keep
it up-to-date.
Good
luck, and remember to stay calm – it can be a very frustrating
experience.
