Applying for a China Tourist Visa as a Foreigner in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tweet

There is a lot of very confusing and conflicting information available on how to successfully apply and receive a tourist visa for China. We will share what we believe to be a typical experience, as always your experience may vary.

TIMELINE:
Allow yourself at least two days to prepare the necessary documents to take to the Embassy to request your visa. To be detailed below.

There is a 4-business day processing period, so apply on a Monday and avoid adding the weekend days to the total if you can. We found out we would be without passports for 6 days because we applied on a Thursday. Keep in mind they will hold on to your actual passport during the processing/application period. This will very much limit your mobility in KL/Malaysia as your passport is needed for hotels, cell phone service (SIM card), etc.

By law, all foreigners are required to carry their passports at all times in Malaysia. Keep a photocopy of the photo page and the entry stamp into Malaysia of your passport. You will get an official document/receipt from the Chinese Embassy to show authorities but it feels like a grey area to me. We did see police checking foreigners for passports near our hotel but appeared to be looking for illegal workers, not tourists, but nonetheless keep this in mind.

On the China Embassy website they note a “rush” option where you can pay a fee for same-day service, however as we found out the hard way this is not available to foreigners, only to Malaysians. We scrambled to change our plans as we had scheduled to leave the next day to Georgetown, Malaysia before leaving for China. We cancelled the hotel we had booked in Georgetown and extended our stay in KL at the hotel we were already checked into as we couldn’t check into a new hotel without our passports. Luckily the room was available.

Keep this timeline in mind as you will have to prebook your China flights and hotels which may be non-refundable. Give yourself some leeway with your travel timeline.

 DOCUMENT PREPARATION:
As they decide whether or not you can enter their country they can ask for just about any information they want, such as proof of income, bank statements, background checks, etc. and all these are listed as things that may be required. Based on our research and personal experience applying for and receiving the China tourist visa, the following will typically suffice:

Photocopies of your passport -  Two photocopies each of your passport photo page and entry stamp into Malaysia (one copy of each is for yourself as you will be without your passport) 

Visa Application form - Fill out the forms from the China Embassy site, in full, if something is N/A mark it N/A. This will take you less than 1 hour. We did not have to supply our proof of employment, bank records, anything unreasonable or difficult.

This is the online form, type it out, review it, print it and sign/date it:

http://www.visaforchina.org.my/KUL_EN/howtogetavisa/quickaccess/index.shtml

Remember leave no question unanswered, put N/A if it's N/A.

Flight Itinerary - Provide photocopies/printouts of your receipts for flights in and out of China. Most airlines will send you a web itinerary to your email, look for a link that lets you print out a receipt. It's a subtle difference but we have read they may differentiate between the two.

Hotels - Provide photocopies/printouts of your receipts for your hotels in China.

Most sites like hotels.com will send you a web itinerary to your email, look for a link that lets you print out a receipt. It is a subtle difference but we have read they may differentiate between the two.

We were not asked for receipts for flights or trains between cities within China.

Passport Photo - Bring passport/visa photos to give them (1 photo per applicant). There are detailed specs on the China visa site about the sizing.

http://sa.china-embassy.org/eng/hzhqz/P020120626563401168381.pdf

This sizing is impossible to find in KL, the camera/photography shops will say yes they can provide those specs but will give you some thing similar but not the same. We tried twice, once at a high end mall and another time at a Kodak centre catering to many internationals but even they just gave us something sort of close. We gave up searching and hoped for the best. It turns out it was not a problem at all. In fact we brought the two different sizes and they said we could use either. Still I would not risk it, get as close to the requirements as you can as your experience may vary. Get some glue at 7/Eleven to affix your photo to your application.

Fee: You will need to bring cash 158 RM per person (not sure about children). This will be required when you pick up your passport on the third visit.

THE PROCESS:
Where you go to apply! This can be just as confusing as there are 2 or 3 different addresses mentioned on the internet. In fact you will visit two locations over three visits. They are very close to each other. Once your application is ready...

Note:  both (locations) the Hampshire Office building and Bank of China (Plaza OSK) building are within walking distance of the KLCC train station/Petronas towers. Both buildings are on Jalan Mayard Sari but at opposite ends of the street and opposite sides (about 7-10 min apart walking). If you are on Jalan Ampang, you will see the Bank of China building first. 

First you will go to:

Address: HAMPSHIRE PLACE OFFICE
Level 5, 157 Hampshire Place on Jalan Mayang Sari, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

Jalan Mayang Sari intersects with Jalan Ampang 

(you will notice this by the Bank of China aka. Plaza OSK building on the corner)

NOTE: Jalan Mayang Sari is 2 blocks EAST of Jalan Mayang

We visited on a Thursday morning, and was in-and-out in about 20-30 minutes. Everyone was incredibly helpful, professional and pleasant. Once you are on the 5th floor, go to the desk immediately in front of you, they do a quick paper check and give you a number.  Once your number is called (see wall display), go the appropriate counter and the clerk will take your documents, passport, photos, etc., and check them over to ensure everything is in order. He allowed us to change our mark from “rush” to the regular 4 day option and initial it. I was worried they would wholesale reject the application on the smallest error but this was not the case at all.

You will get a receipt (do not loose this as it is required to pick up your passport), and be advised when your passport will be ready along with the time of your in-person interview for the next day at “10am”. 

Step Two: 
Address: Plaza OSK aka Bank of China building 

First floor, 114-116 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Corner of Jalan Ampang and Jalan Mayang Sari

This sounds like an appointment at 10am but it is not really, it is when they start interviewing people. Take the elevator to the first floor.  Show the security guard the receipt you got the day before when you dropped off your application, and he will provide you with a number. We arrived at 9:30 am which put us 4^th in line. Go up to the window when your number is shown on the display, we were called at about 10:10am. The interview is very simple, and again they were professional and pleasant to deal with. They asked us if we had been to China before, where you are going in China, and why. So for us that was Chengdu to see Pandas, Xi'an for Terracotta Warriors, etc... No need to break it down to detail. They double check you have flights and hotels and send you on your way. The interview took about 7 minutes if that. She reminded us to come back on Wednesday to the 6th floor of the Hampshire building to pick up our passports and our visa will be pasted inside. We thanked her and were on our way. The lady was so kind she called us back as we were leaving to make sure we got a map of China to take with us.

We had the interview on a Friday and picked up our passports with visas first thing Wednesday morning.

Step Three:
Return to the first building you went to apply at:

Address: HAMPSHIRE PLACE OFFICE
Level 6, 157 Hampshire Place on Jalan Mayang Sari, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Exit the elevator on the 6th floor, and head to the desk ahead. Show your receipt to the clerk/security guard, and they will give you a number. Wait for your number to be called on the display, then proceed to the appropriate wicket. It is now time to pay the 158RM per visa. Cash only. Then the clerk gives you a proof of payment slip and advises you of another wicket to visit. Head over there with your receipt, where the clerk will get you your passport(s). This took all of 10 min.

Congratulations you now have your passport back and your visa to China.

It sounds complicated but for as complicated as it sounds it was actually not a bad experience, the Chinese embassy was very organized and pleasant to deal with. 

Your Mileage May Vary!

- Jason and Christine

 Please comment on your experience or ask us questions below!