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Tourist Visa's killing me softly

Sandy92 (4 posts) • 0

HI everyone, I'm going trough a lot of troubles to get a tourist visa in Italy (because I don't have an italian passport, I guess) and I need a Duly Authorized Invitation Letter to get the visa,
Does anybody know how/from who can I get one?

P.s I'm NOT applying for a business visa but the embassy wants me to have a duly authorized invitation letter anyway; an Invitation Letter it's not enough even if it is from a company and the company I was in touch with cannot provide a DAU for me.
I need Help!!!

Thanks.

neddy (277 posts) • 0

For a tourist visa, any Chinese person can write the letter. But, they must say that you will be under their care, and they must agree to provide for you financially if needed. But anyone can write it.

faraday (213 posts) • 0

In a country other than your legal domicile, as far as i know, you can only get a 1 month visa. At your domicile, you can get 3 months, assuming you have everything in order. In principle you shouldnt need an invite, but should have a detailed itinerary with hotel bookings etc. as well as your work contract. Any discrepency and they will throw the book at you. China does'nt seem to be prepared to accept backpackers anymore, so unless you have a reason for applying in italy (ie you have a home/job/spouse there) they are going to be tougher. I definitely think its become harder to enter china from europe in the past year. Hope it works out. Obviously you could pay somebody to invite you (eg a school).

Haali (1178 posts) • 0

Faraday exaggerates when he says China doesn't accept backpackers anymore, but I think it is going in that direction because there are so many more Chinese tourists than say 5 years ago that the hostels and scenic spots can manage without backpackers.

voltaire (225 posts) • 0

Faraday is incorrect: different consulates have different rules and it also depends on your application and circumstances, phase of the moon, etc.

But yeah, China are really not welcoming these days... at all.

Sandy92 (4 posts) • 0

I live in Italy and I do work and study here but the fact is that since I'm not holding an Italian passport but an african one (a nigerian one) they want me to get this duly authorized invitation letter that can be submitted only by companies etc. that have to request the form for the invitation letter at a municipality office in china and then send it to me filled and with the company stamp on it, it's really 麻烦. I've been to china several times and now they're making all this mess only because I'm going there by my own and not with a scholarship. I thought of paying for the invitation letter but till now the only price I've found for it is 3500 yuan... and 400 euros only for a letter are too much.

Kernalpanx (74 posts) • 0

For tourist visa you either need a invitation letter and/or copies of your booked return tickets and/or copies of your intended hotel reservations. I knew more then a few people that lived in Beijing on tourist visas working illegally for 5 or 9 years. One of them worked as a foreign expert/consultant at a State run company and they never questioned his visa nor his legality. Most of what they are doing is to get the illegal worker situation under control as well as to centralize the visa rules.... End result is every PSB office understands the rules differently and applies different things to each.

For example (personal bone to pick) as a holder of 9 years worth of permanent resident visa from beijing with my last one being a 5 year.... I was told Dali PSB could not renew it... Since it was from Beijing and now I must start over. So I must leave the country and get a invitation letter and return. Did that ... Came back and by a different person I was told I needed medical letter.... Got that returned ....ooh now criminal record check... The company I was affiliated with in canada had me get them every year through the RCMP and Interpol ( worked in education at times as well as government ). Got this police clearance from the RCMP .... Dali PSB tells me it must be from the police of my hometown where I have been residing in Canada. So I tell them I have been living in Beijing for the last 9 years. 30 minutes of all of them talking. They tell me they have given me the wrong information. Now I have a Q1 visa I got in Hong Kong when they asked me to leave and return. Hong Kong gave me 2 years open visa. Dali PSB said I must return and get the Q1 turned into a permanent resident visa asap. So they cancelled my two year and gave me 6 month. When in Beijing my wife and I went to her friend at the PSB ... They had no idea what Dali had done... Looked at my house license property license marriage certificate ..... Etc etc ... Gave me a 5 year in 24 hours and made it so on passport renewal it was transferable. I was not living in Beijing but still own a apartment there so it they were quite helpful. Thank you for listening. Not trying to hijack the thread.

CaeruleusCaeruleus (51 posts) • 0

Invitation letter is dead easy. Anyone living legally in China can usually write it. When I have had family and friends come to visit I have just written it myself (I'm Australian with a working visa).

Just be aware that whoever writes it essentially is responsible if you violate your visa, so be considerate to whoever you ask and follow the rules.

JanJal (1243 posts) • 0

Caeruleus, that is the normal invitation letter suitable for (most) private visits for family and friends.

What Sandy92 describes, "duly authorized invitation letter", is different. It is usually associated with business visits, but in Sandy's case the requirement seems to be extended for tourist visa as well.

"I'm NOT applying for a business visa but the embassy wants me to have a duly authorized invitation letter anyway; an Invitation Letter it's not enough even if it is from a company"

Could the problem be, that you are applying for tourist visa with company invitation?

Perhaps the the fact that it's a company invitation, triggers the requirement for duly authorized invitation letter, regardless of the type of visa.

Sandy92 (4 posts) • 0

Exactly JanJal, anyway I was NOT applying with a company at first, but when they started to ask for the duly authorized invitation letter I had to contact a company to get it, but at the end the company was not able to provide that type of invitation letter for me.

The problem is that since I'm a student, they're afraid that I won't come back ( this is what they told me) and somehow the duly authorized invitation letter can guarantee that I'm coming back (i don't know how... ). the point is that i just want to get back to kunming pack some things that i left there greet my friends and come back but without this letter I can't!

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