Chines Visa Tashkent

Hi !
Being in Uzbekistan we need to apply for a chinese Visa as we are told its better than Bishkek. Anyone recently applied for chinese visa in Tashkent? Perhaps someone can give some details about costs, and more important time we need?
Thank you very much....Sandra

I don't know if this is still relevant to you, but I spent time in both Tashkent and Bishkek trying to get a Chinese visa last year, and it was easier in Bishkek (though in neither place was it easy!).

This was about a year ago, so things might have changed. But at that time, getting into the Chinese embassy in Tashkent was a nightmare (I don't know any foreigner, of about 5 including me, who ever managed to get in the first day they turned up - and the embassy's only open 3 times a week, so that's time consuming), and ordering a visa independently was very difficult (you needed flights, hotel bookings, and all kinds of nonsense). Effectively the only way to get the visa was through a travel agency - I know of one person who did this, and he paid nearly 200 USD for his visa and was only given a 20 day visa with some odd restrictions about extending it. It took him a few days to arrange.

I got my visa in Bishkek. Again you had to go through a travel agency (though getting into the embassy and asking details of the consul was straight-forward) because the embassy was asking for a Letter of Invitation from an Urumqi travel agency. Go and talk to Kyrgyz Concept - they were on the ball about what the Chinese embassy needed, where as other Bishkek travel agencies (including the two recommended by the LP) were not. I paid 110 USD and the visa came through in about 10 days. It was a standard 1-month visa. I know several other people who had similar experiences in Bishkek.

Anyway, that was the situation a year ago. Good luck, you'll need it wherever you apply.

Giora

Thanks for your message , so it"s still a hassl to get the chinese visa :-(
If someone else has some more informations we really appreciate....

Hello! Good luck with the visa! Please keep an update of how it is going! We are going to have to deal with the exact same thing in a month from now..

Update on Tashkent Chinese Embassy 28May 2010
Friendly service- easy and straight forward procedure. Be there early at around 8.30h, a copy of your passport, a foto, and another copy of the passport to get a stamp saying that the origin is at the Chinese Embassy. ( As we have heard it is possibel to apply with the copy for the Kirgise Visa). New USD for Payment when you collect your Passports with the Visa (no need to strees before if you run out of Dollar arriving in Tashkent)
We did apply on Monday for a Double Entry 2x60 days Visa - 60 USD, finished in 5 days, quicker would have been possibel, even same day.(German)
Others applied for the Express 30 days in the morning, finished in the afternoon-80 USD. Regular 5days- 30USD (Dutch, Belgium, Swiss, Italian, British)
BUT: French people need a letter of invitation. The embassy gives a contact number of an agency where you can arrange everything including delivering your passport back to your hotel ...5 days in total, price-sorry.
Hope that helps for a while...until they change again everything.
Save travel Sandra

That is a much, much easier process than when I was in Tashkent! Glad to hear things have changed for the better.

Giora

Hi
I am going to be in tashkent soon, and would be travelling to China from there. I hold an indian passport, you think it will be easier for me as well. Or would I be treated differently. Thanks