While in China, it’s not unusual for expats to pick up a Chinese girlfriend, boyfriend, or even fiancé during their stay. It can have its advantages – instant Mandarin lessons, an insider’s knowledge and perspective on this lovingly crazy country… But what about when you want to bring them back to your home country and share your own cultural experiences? How does your Chinese significant other get a tourist visa to visit your old stomping grounds?

Photo: Micah Sittig

It can be difficult for Chinese to get visas abroad. Depending on the country, the requirements can be quite stringent and take a long time to fulfill, necessitating that you start planning your trip several months in advance. It’s important to keep in mind that these requirements are for a tourist visa. Study, work, spousal visas and green cards all have their own procedures, which vary from country to country. Immigration laws and procedures also change so it’s important to check the details before you start pulling together the necessary documents. As with any visa, patience and keeping a cool head will help; getting frustrated only causes problems.

Obviously each country has its own rules and regulations, so it’s important to check your country’s Chinese embassy website (more info on this at the end of the article). You can usually find the exact requirements there. But most countries have at least a few similarities in common:

First and foremost, they need a passport. This is the golden ticket everyone needs to get anywhere out of the country. Very basic and very easy to get. If they don’t have one already, they can stop by their local police station to ask about specific requirements for a passport (it usually just requires a passport photo, completed application form, ID card, book of household registration, also known as a Hukou, and the application fee). If they already have a passport, make sure it’s valid for at least six months beyond their intended stay.

They will then have to complete the visa application form for your home country. This will ask for basic information such as their name, home address, company name and company address. They will have to pay a visa application fee no matter which country they visit but some countries require the fee receipt to be glued or taped onto the visa application form itself. The application fees vary from country to country, but they can range anywhere from 340rmb (Australia) to 705rmb (Britain).

All countries require you to include a passport style photo (this is usually larger than a typical ID photo and measure 2x2 inches) with your application, and most countries require that you have a letter of invitation from the person of that country (aka: you).

Some countries have additional requirements. For example, Britain also requires things such as proof of at least 10,000rmb in frozen assets, proof of salary and an employment letter from their work, proof of permission to take leave from their boss, a copy of the passport page of the person who is inviting them to visit, and an itinerary (in English) of their stay in the UK. The US requires them to include any other US visa they’ve ever had, even if expired, and proof of any property or business investments. They must also be interviewed face-to-face, a process that can take quite some time. Make sure they call ahead because the wait for an interview can be a few months. I’ve heard that if your Chinese SO hesitates even the least bit in answering any question, or aren’t 100% honest, their visa request will be immediately rejected, so it may benefit you both to practice potential questions beforehand.

The process of getting your Chinese SO a visa to your home country can be a long and expensive one. But the chance to show them where you come from, and to introduce them to your friends and family back home make it worth the extra hassle. And remember to contact your home country’s embassy here in China if you have any questions about specifics. Good luck!

To find information on consulates in your city, select your city from the City Guides page, click on Travel Guide” in the menu bar and select “Useful Numbers”. Scroll down for a full list of consulates.
 

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