Chinese Visa Application Service Centre Reviews Summary

Preparation & Documentation

Pros:

• "It was clear from observing the other folks that you just need to be fully prepared with your paperwork."
• "If you understand where to go as soon as you get in, then everything it's very efficient."
• "Our experience was very positive. We arrived early and were seen 15 minutes ahead of our appointment time."
• "I followed all the instructions on the website and my application went through with no issues at all."
• "Please ready all your documents including passport, a photocopy of passport, Visa application form, confirmation of your flights and hotels in hardcopy and details of your visits to avoid chaos!"
• "If you are properly prepared the process is very smooth."
• "Fill in your application form online and bring it along with all of the other documents you need - they're all listed on the website."

Cons:

• "Staff incompetent and unmotivated."
• "Website that advises what forms to supply looks like it was just copied and pasted. Not clear or accessible."
• "The website is absolute garbage for telling you what you need to bring."
• "The Chinese visa application website you're asked to visit on the visa centre computers is quite hard to navigate."
• "The website to apply for a visa is so flakey it is unreal."
• "The website says you don’t have to book hotel/flight if you have a company letter. This is incorrect."
• "The website is outdated and doesn’t tell you which documents you need for some types of visa."

Facilities & Comfort

Pros:

• "Then sit in the comfortable waiting area to be called to a window."
• "The main hall was spacious and well lit."
• "The space had a comfortable waiting area with good lighting, Internet connection and air conditioning, plus a photo booth and printer for those who forgot some of the required documents."
• "Inside there were plenty of seats and internet access for emails and a photocopier and a photo booth, although you would have to pay."
• "Facilities: toilet, printer and photocopier, 50p/page, mini lift to go downstairs."
• "The visa centre was big and spacious and with a toilet and a disabled lift to enter such toilet as well."
• "Very friendly and helpful staff. Good amount of seating."

Cons:

• "Minus 1 star as there’s no Wi-Fi or phone signal downstairs and the toilets were on the nasty side."
• "Facilities are not comfortable. Toilets are dirty. No drinking water."
• "Men’s toilet was flooded."
• "The website looks like it was last updated 10 years ago and the air in this place is about 95% carbon dioxide."
• "The centre had no/very little air con and it was very hot the day I went."
• "The mens toilet had run out of loo paper and the Dyson hairdryer was broken with no alternative."
• "No WiFi."

Staff & Service

Pros:

• "The receptionist was ok and good at what she is doing, she asked for my name to allow me to enter and giving me a number to be called, and there's nothing wrong with it."
• "The staff are generally quite helpful."
• "Staff were super friendly and helpful, no charge for printing off an extra doc."
• "The staff are very helpful and polite."
• "Staff were polite, friendly, they chatted to me about the places I'd travelled to before."
• "The staff were really helpful, and not to mention patient and kind!"
• "The staff are absolutely lovely. From entering at security to my exit they were pleasant and extremely helpful."

Cons:

• "This service center is absolutely terrible. The staff has no compassion nor common sense."
• "Shockingly bad customer service right at the front desk."
• "Absolutely horrible experience, this visa centre is a big shame for China."
• "The lady at the reception spent her time drawing and colouring her diary but showed no smile or no greetings to the people coming to the centre."
• "The staff had bad attitudes and was not giving any helps or support at all."
• "The staff, especially the receptionist needs dumping in an ice bath and then been sacked - the rudest and most vile angry woman I have had the unpleasant dealings with."
• "While the foreign personnel dealing with the visa applications and security staff are very helpful and pleasant, all the remaining staff is extremely rude."

Efficiency & Process

Pros:

• "Things moved fairly quickly."
• "I’ve been through a lot of visa services and this one was by far the most efficient one I’ve seen."
• "The whole application part was fast and efficient."
• "Got my passport back on Friday and took me less than 20 minutes."
• "Both application and collection took less than five minutes."
• "Once at the booth all went smoothly, passport ready in 4 days."
• "I have submitted two visa applications and been out of the building both times in about 30 minutes."

Cons:

• "Waited over 4 hours and no one picked up their damn phone."
• "The whole process was slow and inefficient from filling out the online application to visiting the centre."
• "An absolute joke. Try to book your appointment for first thing in the morning or towards the end of the day, otherwise be prepared to waste hours of your life here waiting in a monster queue just to check in."
• "Absolutely horrible. The entire experience here is unacceptable."
• "The queue to get a ticket for processing took 20 minutes. The wait for the processing interview took 90 minutes."
• "Be prepared to queue for 3-5 hours and smile as there will be a staff who keeps telling people (standing in the very very long queue in a small space), to smile and be happy!"
• "Despite having to already booked a time had to wait 2.5 hrs in line."