QUESTIONS:

1. Does the Embassy accept mail-in visa application?

2. What are the steps one should take if one really needs to apply for the visa by mail?

3. When should the mail-in visa application be sent? How long does it take to apply by mail? How many days does the Embassy need to process the application? Does the Embassy provide expediting service?

4. What are the important tips on applying visa by mail?

5. What are the consular districts served by PRC missions in Australia?

6. What are the addresses of the other Chinese missions in Australia?

Table 1: Remaining validity of passport needed for visa application

Table 2: Visa application fee

 

 

CONTENTS:

1. Does the Embassy accept mail-in visa application?

The embassy strongly recommends that you apply for visa in person (by yourself or someone else, namely your friends, relatives or travel agents) due to the long processing time and the likely risks of documents' safety if you send the application by mail.

Only under special situations when you are unable to apply in person, can the embassy accept your mail-in visa application providing you are an ACT, South Australia, or Northern Territory resident and able to submit all the necessary materials at once.

Upon sending the mail-in visa application, you shall be fully aware of the risks you are undertaking. The embassy is not responsible for any loss, damage or delay of your passport or documents during the process of mailing, and is not responsible for any delay or costs incurred by change of your planned trips due to longer-than-expected processing time of your mail-in visa application.

 

2. What are the steps one should take if one really needs to apply for the Chinese visa by mail?

You should choose EXPRESS MAIL, REGISTERED MAIL or DHL, TNT to send in the following materials to the embassy (mailing address: VISA OFFICE, EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, 15 CORONATION DRIVE, YARRALUMLA, ACT 2600):

(1) Passport with at least two blank pages, and sufficient remaining validity (Please find details in Table 1).

(2) Completed Visa Application Form with one photograph attached. Mobile phone number is preferred for the embassy to contact you in case questions arise. If you were born in China, please provide your Chinese name in CHINESE CHARACTERS in the required space.

(3) Relevant supporting documents (Please find details in INFORMATIONS ON VISA APPLICATION).

(4) A pre-paid, self-addressed return envelope. EXPRESS MAIL, REGISTERED MAIL or DHL, TNT is acceptable.

(5) Visa fee. Please find details in Table 2.

(6) Handling fee: $10.00 per package(maximum 4 passports per package).

Please note: 

 VISA CREDIT CARD, BANK CHEQUE(COMPANY CHEQUE )or MONEY ORDER is acceptable. The "payee" should be CHINESE EMBASSY.

Please be advised that if you choose to pay by credit card, a surcharge of A$1 will be added to the total amount less than A$100,

or A$1.5 or the amount more than A$100.

3. When should the mail-in visa application be sent? How long does it take to apply by mail? How many days does the Embassy need to process the application? Does the embassy provide expediting service?

Since the validity of a single entry visa is 3 months, it is high time to send your mail-in visa application 1 or 2 months before your planned entry date of China.

Generally speaking, if you have prepared all the necessary materials in question 2, and using EXPRSS MAIL, DHL or TNT services, you may expect to get the visa and your passport back in 8 working days, of which 4 working days are for the embassy to process your visa application (upon receiving the application). Normally, it takes 4 working days to process a visa application. The embassy also provides expediting service for the second day or the third day release, and additional fees apply: A$50 extra per visa for the second-day release, and A$30 extra per visa for the third-day release. However, due to technical reasons, the embassy is unable to provide the same day service to the mail-in visa application. So please leave enough time for the processing.

 

4. What are the important tips on applying by mail?

(1) The mailing address should be located in ACT, South Australia, or Northern Territory. If you are from the states other than those, you should send the visa application to the appropriate Chinese mission. Please find details in question 5.

(2) If you haven't provided sufficient and correct materials, the embassy will stop processing your application, or send the application back.

(3) It takes longer to apply for visa through mail than in person. Therefore, you should carefully arrange your travel schedule.

(4) For mail-in visa application, the embassy can only mail the passport and visa back. Personal pick-up is not welcome.

(5) If the applicant doesn't receive the passport (and the visa) back in 10 working days after the application was sent, the applicant may make an inquiry to the embassy in written or telephone. In the written inquiry, the applicant shall provide full name, date of birth and information about his mail-in application, etc. and then fax it to the embassy at 02-62739615. Telephone Inquiry Hours of our embassy are from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday on 02-62734783.

 

5. What are the consular districts served by PRC missions in Australia?

The consular districts of the Embassy of PRC in Australia are ACT, South Australia, and Northern Territory.

The consular district of the Consulate General of PRC in Sydney is New South Wales.

The consular districts of the Consulate General of PRC in Melbourne are Victoria and Tasmania.

The consular district of the Consulate General of PRC in Perth is Western Australia.

The consular district of the Consulate of PRC in Brisbane is Queensland.

 

6. What are the addresses of Chinese missions in Australia?

The embassy of the People's Republic of China in Australia

15 Coronation Dr, Yarralumla, Canberra A.C.T. 2600

Tel: 02-62734783, Fax: 02-62739615

Website: http://au.china-embassy.org

The consulate-general of the People's Republic of China in Sydney

39 Dunblane Street, Camperdown, NSW 2050

Tel: 02-85958000, 85958002; Fax: 02-85958021

Website: http://sydney.chineseconsulate.org

The consulate-general of the People's Republic of China in Melbourne

75-77 Irving Road, Toorak VIC 3142

Tel: 03-98220604, 98220605; Fax: 03-98220320

Website: http://melbourne.china-consulate.org

http://melbourne.chineseconsulate.org

The consulate-general of the People's Republic of China in Perth

45 Brown St, East Perth W.A.6004

Tel: 08-92220300, 92220321, 92220302; Fax: 08-92216144

The consulate-general of the People's Republic of China in Brisbane

Mailing address: P. O. Box 12126, George Street, Brisbane QLD 4003

Office address: Level 9, 79 Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Tel: 07-32106509; Fax: 07-30128096

Website: http://brisbane.chineseconsulate.org

 

 

 Table 1: Remaining validity of passport needed for visa application

 

 

 

Table 2: Visa application fee

                     Mail handling fee (Agent lodgment fee): $10.00 per package.