getting a Chinese Visa (or any other) without residence permit in Thailand

[Boatfreak]

I am in between two work permit and thus on a tourist visa in Thailand (not working at the moment). I need to urgently go to China but I do not yet have a new non-B visa. Can I get a visa for China or any other country just on a tourist visa?

[ubonjoe]

What country are you from?

Dependent upon which country you are from there many countries in the region that do not require a visa for entry.

I don't think China requires you have residency here to get a tourist visa but it could also depend upon where you are from.

[Boatfreak]

What country are you from?

Dependent upon which country you are from there many countries in the region that do not require a visa for entry.

I don't think China requires you have residency here to get a tourist visa but it could also depend upon where you are from.

I am Belgian this is what they mention on their website:

3) Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)

If you are not applying for the visa in the country of your citizenship, you must provide the original and photocopy of your valid certificates or visa of stay, residence, employment or student status, or other valid certificates of legal staying provided by the relevant authorities of the country where you are currently staying

of course they do not pick-up the phone nor reply to any e-mail.

[ubonjoe]

I think proof of legal stay is used here. If they wanted residency here they would get very few applications from foreigners.

You should apply for the visa.

[TobiasML]

I once did get mine in Australia on a tourist visa without issues. If I read that correctly you need to have a legal status to stay in Thailand. I might be wrong with this but even with a tourist visa you are legally staying in Thailand. I would not worry to much and just get the documents together you need and go to the embassy. If you are worried just go to a travel agent. Most of them will be able to assist you with the visa.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Tomtomtom69]

You can indeed apply for a Chinese visa in Bangkok (or Chiang Mai) being on a Thai tourist visa or visa exemption, unless the rules have changed recently (but this is unlikely as nothing is indicated on the Chinese embassy website).

I have seen many tourists apply for Chinese visas and most were approved if they followed the instructions and document requirements (relating to invitation letters, hotel bookings, flights or train/bus tickets in/out of China etc.)

My experience is as follows:

I applied for a Chinese tourist visa in October 2012 in Chiang Mai whilst on a Thai visa exemption (30 days) and this was after the rules changed, requiring more documents to be issued a Chinese visa (irrespective of where you apply). It was approved without any problems.

I applied for a Chinese Z working visa in Bangkok in July 2013, also whilst on a Thai visa exemption (30 days) and this was also no problem. After all, if you're going to China to work, it wouldn't make sense to be forced to be on a residence permit or similar in the country you are applying because you are leaving the country you are applying in permanently (thus ending the residence permit or long-term visa of that country) and moving to another country (China) to work!

The Chinese embassy (and consulates) in Thailand and other countries are demanding more documents such as a letter of invitation from a foreign national that lives in China or a Chinese national with proof of where you will stay, how long and who will cover your expenses whilst in China. Or you could show proof of accommodation and proof of entry/exit to/from China in lieu of an invitation letter. If you know anyone in China the invitation letter is the way to go - in Chiang Mai I only brought an invitation letter with photocopy of the inviter's ID and no other documents and I got the visa. Of course when I applied for my working visa no proof of flights or accommodation were required anyway as I was going for work.

For other countries, generally speaking you also don't need to be a resident in Thailand to obtain a visa for that country. It depends on which country we're talking about. For example, 99.5% of non-Thai applicants for Burmese visas applying in Bangkok are in Thailand as tourists and do not live here. Lao and Cambodia allow you to obtain a visa on arrival but even if you applied for a visa from one of their consulates or embassy, you wouldn't have to furnish any proof of anything. Vietnam requires a visa in advance for most, but again no need to be a resident in the country you apply (a limited pre-approved online visa is also an option). India was once a bit difficult, but I heard they are now quite straightforward when applying in Thailand or Myanmar. This is not necessarily the case if you were applying from Malaysia or Singapore - in those countries you may struggle to get even a Burmese visa as a tourist, which is why most travelers come to Thailand for that purpose.

Only nationals of some countries, such as poorer countries like Sri Lanka would be required to be resident in Thailand and meet other requirements to obtain a visa for most other countries. For example, Sri Lankan nationals can easily obtain a Burmese visa in Thailand whilst here as tourists without any proof of financials or anything else, but there is no way to obtain a Lao visa (except maybe through an agent?) as tourists - they will require proof of Thai residency, book a tour, provide proof of inbound/outbound travel etc.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Tomtomtom69