China is a fantastic country that offers a plethora of
fascinating destinations. I've always had a deep appreciation for China and have visited the country several times. During my last visit, I travelled to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, famously known as the “Avatar Mountains” due to its mesmerising landscape featured in the first "Avatar" movie.
Chinese Visa Requirements and Application Process from Indonesia
Although obtaining visas for several countries in Indonesia
typically requires a KITAS (Indonesian limited stay permit), this isn't
necessary for China. As a tourist in Indonesia, you can easily secure your
Chinese visa without involving intermediaries. Here's how:
- A passport valid for more than 6 months with at least 2 blank pages.
- 2 colour printed photographs (photo specifications available here), along with one in digital format.
- A completed and printed application form.
- Printed tickets from Indonesia to China and an onward ticket out of China are required. These tickets must be in English or Chinese.
- Printed hotel reservations for a minimum of 3 nights are required. Multiple reservations are acceptable if you plan to stay fewer than 3 nights at each hotel.
- A printed itinerary in English or Chinese detailing the dates and cities you plan to visit.
- Passport copies including the main page with your photo, the first page, and pages with previous Chinese visas, if applicable.
To start, you should register on the Chinese visa centre’s website and
complete the application form, which is detailed yet easy to follow. Begin by
having a photo ready for uploading.
Applying at Bali Visa Centre
Once all your documents are ready, visit their office at the Grand Palace
Hotel in Sanur. It's located to the right of the main hotel entrance,
near the motorcycle parking area. Document submissions are accepted on weekdays
from 9 AM to 1 PM.
During my visit, I was asked to provide photocopies of my old passport
containing Chinese visas. Since I didn't have these copies, the staff at the
visa centre directed me to a nearby photocopying and printing service.
The visa fee was 745,000 IDR, payable only in cash.
After making the payment, I received a receipt specifying that passport
collection was scheduled for 8 working days after submitting my documents.
Challenges and Solutions
The following day, I received an email from the visa centre requesting
copies of my flight ticket from Turkey. This request was prompted by the fact
that the departure stamp from Istanbul in my passport was blurry and
undecipherable. I promptly emailed them back the ticket, and my application was
forwarded to the Chinese Consulate in Surabaya for decision-making.
It seems that my visit to Turkey raised concerns at the visa centre.
Apparently, there are unspoken rules, such as staying in Turkey for more than
30 consecutive days or working in media-related roles, that might lead to visa
rejection. A friend of mine who was planning to travel to China with me got his
visa rejected, presumably because he indicated that he was a journalist.
Amazingly, we were still able to secure his visa on time by reapplying. That
involved a lot of legwork, but it was all worth it in the end.
We consulted a staff member at the Bali visa centre, who suggested trying
again at the Jakarta visa centre instead. This option was viable because the
visa centres operate independently without a shared database, so visa refusals
are logged internally at each centre and are not marked in passports.
Applying at Jakarta Visa Centre
My friend promptly submitted his application to the Jakarta visa centre,
stating this time that he works as an administrator in a private company. He
decided not to include copies of his old passport with entry stamps from Turkey
in the documents he submitted.
He swiftly flew to Jakarta, checked into a hotel near the visa centre, and
queued up by 9 AM the next morning to submit his documents. Despite the large
number of visa applicants at the Jakarta visa centre, the process was
well-organized, and he didn't have to wait long. He chose expedited visa
processing, which takes 3 working days and costs 1,302,000 IDR, payable by cash
or credit card.
Please note that expedited visa processing is only available at the visa centre
in Jakarta, not in Bali.
Conclusion
Eight working days later, I collected my passport with the Chinese visa. My
friend also received his passport in time for our scheduled flight to China.
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