Having to send passport for a China visa -how long?

[PossomInAPearTree]

Dd is going to China in august. Trip leader wants her passport by 15th of June so they can send off for visas. But we're going to Tenerife on the 29th of June, are we likely to have her passport back in two weeks?

Does anyone know if you can send an old passport rather than a current one for a visa application. The .gov website seems to think this is a possibility but trip leader wants current passports.

Or is getting Dd a second passport the most sensible thing?

Have realised she csnt have a second passport. It's for business purposes only and you need a letter from your company explaining why you need one.

I don't think you can have a second passport. I wouldn't send off a passport you will need to use either

Fuckity fuck.

Dd will kick off and refuse to come to Tenerife. She'd rather go to china.

should be four to five working days for regular service, 3 days for express for it to be processed so would suggest a week, that's if all visa applications have been done right (if it's going in a group booking?)

info here: www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/visa/qzxz/t1021833.htm

scroll down to part 4

apologies if they are applying by post 10 working days

www.visaforchina.org/LON_EN/generalinformation/visaknowledge/263899.shtml

that's the official chinese embassy processing page info

also, just a thought, does she have a driver's license as the airline you're going to tenerife with may accept that as ID?

Thanks, that's really helpful.

No drivers licence but if it's a ten day turnaround she should just be ok.

Will just have to keep my fingers crossed.

hope it all works out ok, enjoy your holiday!

We got ours in 2012 - also travelled to China during August so same time of year as your DD - and it only took about 2 weeks so you should be fine so long as you send it off as soon as you are back from Tenerife.

Trip organiser wants to send it off on the 15th of June. 19 days before we fly to Tenerife.

14 days even. I think it's likely this is going to fuck our Tenerife holiday up to be honest!

Could it not be sent off earlier?

Try asking Trailfinders. They have an express service. We got ours within 7 days through the Kensington High St branch (London) Phone them perhaps?

You can make an appointment to go to the embassy yourselves (without the organizer). If you have all the correct paperwork, photographs, letter of invitation or whatever is needed in your case, your passport will be returned the same day. I did this a month ago.

Alternatively you can get assistance from Chinese Visas Direct - it's a well known agency and they charge a fee for their service. You send them your paperwork and passport and they check if everything is in order. If it is, they go to the embassy on your behalf. If it's not, they will tell you by email exactly what you need to provide. They will courier your passport back to you.

Just send it individually now rather than on June 15th

It's a group visa, so I assume all passports need to be sent off together.

She might be able to get an individual one I guess if the trip leader lets me have letters from sponsors, hosts, etc. I'm up north as well so a trip to London for this will be a ball ache.

Will see what the trip leader suggests. He does a lot of china visas for trips. Thanks for the info about the agency though. It never crossed my mind you had to send your actual passport away for a visa!

Don't think they can be sent any earlier because the letter has only just come out to all parents saying to send the stuff back by the 15th. Unless trip leader will ring everyone and say actually I need paperwork back by Friday!

I've also used the agency I mentioned in the past and they are very reliable. Good luck - hope the trip is fun.