FAQs

Welcome to the website of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Houston.

Chinese Consulate General in Houston covers a consular jurisdiction of eight American Southern states and a self-governing commonwealth: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico. The consulate is committed to the exchanges and cooperation between China and the above-listed states in the areas of economy and trade, science and technology as well as culture etc., protecting the rights and interests of the Chinese citizens in its consular areas according to law and offering the services like approving and issuing visa and appropriate papers.

It is my sincere hope that the website would be able to provide you with accurate information about China and convenience for you learning China.

Thanks for the visit.

Qiao Hong

Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Houston

What's New from the Consulate

· Large Quantity Tents Needed in Quake-hit Areas

· Notice of Mourning for Earthquake Victims

· Announcement of the Chinese Consulate General in Houston on donation to the quake-hit area in China (updated)

· Office Hour and Holidays Schedule for 2005

More...

Home > FAQs

Some FAQs concerning visa, passport, notorization and authentication

Q:I plan to travel to China, when should I apply for a Chinese visa?
A:Visa application should be submitted one month before your departure date, but no earlier than 3 months.
Q:My Chinese visa says ENTER BEFORE Apr 20th, 2000 with DAYS FOR EACH STAY 30. However, I plan to enter China on Apr 18th and stay for 19 days. Therefore, the date of my exit, which is May 7th, exceeds Apr 20th. Will there be a problem?
A:No, there will be no problem. The validation of a Chinese visa, which appears on the visa as ENTER BEFORE, designates the period it may be used for entry into China, not how long a visitor can stay. How long a visitor can stay in China after his entry is determined by duration of stay of a Chinese visa, which appears on the visa as DAYS FOR EACH STAY. Therefore, if your Chinese visa says ENTER BEFORE Apr 20th,2000 with DAYS FOR EACH STAY 30, you can enter China before Apr 20th, 2000 and stay in China for no more than 30 days after entry.
Q:My Chinese visa says DAYS FOR EACH STAY 30. However, I will possibly stay in China for 45 days. What shall I do?
A:If you realize before entry into China that your duration of stay in China is longer than what is designated by your Chinese visa, you should indicate clearly how long your are going to stay and apply for a new visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate. A consular officer will take both your need and relevant laws and regulations of China into consideration and decide whether to cancel the previous visa and issue a new one. When applying for a new visa, you have to prepare all the paper work again and pay the fees. Generally speaking, a single entry visa is valid for 3 months with duration of stay 30 days. A double entry visa is valid for 3 to 6 months with duration of each stay 30 days. A transit visa is valid for 3 to 6 months with duration of (each) stay 7 day. If requested by the applicant and approved by consular officers, the longest duration of stay for single entry visa , double entry visa and transit visa can be 180 days, 90 days and 10 days respectively.
Q:I am a U.S. citizen planning to fly from United States to Hong Kong. After staying in Hong Kong for 5 days, I will pay a visit to Guangdong Province and other cities in mainland part of China. Following that, I will return to Hong Kong for a short stay and then fly to Beijing. Do I need to apply for a visa for Hong Kong and a visa for mainland part of China respectively and how many entries should I apply for?
A:U.S. citizens with a valid U.S. passport enjoy visa exemption for traveling to Hong Kong for business or tourism purpose with a duration of stay no more than 90 days. However, U.S. citizens must have a valid Chinese visa for traveling to the mainland part of China. According to your travel plan, you do not need to apply for a visa for Hong Kong. However, a double entry visa for traveling to mainland part of China shall be applied for. .