Need a Chinese Visa? Here's what you need to know

Want to take a spontaneous trip to China but have no idea where to start? You have found the right place then. Through some expert advice (Thanks Bingjie!) as well as experience applying for a Chinese visa, I have gathered this information for your benefit.

While the Chinese Consulate website (San Fransisco is the closest to me) had a detailed explanation how to apply, much of the wording was difficult to comprehend. Here is what I have compiled for a foolproof guide to acquiring a Chinese visa.

If you are like me and are traveling as a tourist with no Chinese descent, you will be applying for a Type L visa. As the SF Consulate states the basic documents you will need are:

1. An up-to-date passport

2. The visa application form

3. A RECENT passport photo (2"x2") taken at CVS, Walgreens, etc.

4. If you have already had a Chinese visa, photocopies of the past visa(s)

On top of these "basic documents" you will need to provide:

1. Printed receipt of a round-trip flight to and from China (will explain a way around this if you will be hopping country to country like myself)

2. Printed reservation at a hotel/hostel for the duration of the trip (have another way around this as well)

When filling out the form be sure to:

1. When asked how many times you will be entering China, choose "other" and write in "multiple entries within 10 years" otherwise you will get less time on your visa for the same price

2. When asked who you will be traveling with put none unless they are family members (writing down friends will create confusion)

Hacks on how to provide a faux flight and reservation in order to get the visa and not be bound by a round-trip flight:

• In order to meet the guidelines, you will need to buy a round-trip flight during the duration of your trip. To avoid confining yourself to only China you will need a faux flight. I personally purchased a round trip flight through United.com as they allow you to cancel your flight 24 hours after purchased, no questions asked. Print out your confirmation for the flight for the visa, then cancel the flight!

• Now for the false hotel/hostel reservation! Same idea here, booking.com. Select hotels/hostels (check before reserving) will allow you to make a reservation for the duration of your time in China and cancel for free.

After you jump through all of these hoops, you can take the above items to your local Consulate to apply for a visa. Now, if you are like me and hate the DMV, this is going to be a nightmare for you as it is essentially a more hectic,

non-English speaking DMV. Less than a block away from the San Francisco Chinese Consulate there is a travel agency (POTA USA). This agency has the option to take

your application and supporting documents to get processed at the consulate nearby. They charge between $40-50 to take your application in and will then ship all of your belongings, including your newly acquired visa, in less than a week. For the sake of time, stress and travel costs, this price was justified.

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