I will be heading to Hanoi to change my L-Visa over to a Z-Visa and was curious if anyone here has done this. I plan to take the bus to Hekou and then the train from Lao Cai to Hanoi and then back the same way. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. For example, what does it cost to get the visa? How many days does it usually take? What documents/paperwork will I need? Any recommendations on places to stay in Hanoi? etc. Regards, prd34

Oh Yes, And from what I understand, one needs to catch Bus # 60 to get out to the Eastern Bus Station to get the bus to Hekou or other destinations in that direction. Does anyone know where to catch the # 60 Bus in Kunming or where I can get that information? prd34

hey there,
It's not that easy as you imagine .First the Consulate in Hanoi doesn't deal foreigners visa to china its almost for local Vietnamese,however its the other Consulate in Huchimen city in the south .No reports before that some people have done that there.Good luck

I also heard that the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi makes life difficult for non-residents of Vietnam (for some reason); I'm not sure if holding a 3-month business visa (multiple entry) would qualify you as a resident of Vietnam, but this visa is what you would need to apply for in the first instance if you wanted to work or study in Vietnam and is enough to apply for a local driver's license etc. The reason I am bringing up this issue is that anyone who doesn't mind paying 900 Yuan can get this visa at the Vietnamese consulate in Kunming and it *may* be acceptable for proof of Vietnamese residency (needed to apply for a Chinese visa in Hanoi). I can't guarantee this, but I do know that any other visa (usually tourist) with a shorter validity period would definately not be accepted as proof of residency.

However, I am assuming that anyone can apply for a Chinese work visa in Hanoi IF the applicant's sponsor specifically sends the paperwork for that applicant to Hanoi and the embassy there knows in advance that the applicant will apply there. Make sure this will be the case with your prospective employer first and I think you will be fine.

Alternatively go to Hanoi and submit your paperwork through a travel agency who will either submit your application via Hanoi (if they are satisfied your application will be accepted there) or Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) otherwise; you don't have to go to Saigon, but you would need to wait for your application to get processed and be sent to/from there, which will take some time given the large distance between the two cities. Expect a wait of roughly a week, possibly as long as 10 days (unless you are given the option of paying extra to speed things up) if your application gets sent down to Saigon instead of Hanoi.

In Hanoi, stay around the Hoan Kiem lake area. Many nice hotels and hostels in the backpacker quarter there, which is essentially right in the middle of the old quarter. Try the Allura hotel (US$25/night), Hanoi A1 hotel (singles around US$25, try bargaining to this price if they initially want $30). Alternatively there is a backpacker hotel for around US$9 per night for a private room I believe (i haven't stayed there but i hear it's near the Allura on Hang Bac). Depends on your budget but there are many options. Be aware of taxi scams from the airport; either get your hotel to pick you up (possibly for a fixed fee) or use the Vietnam Airlines bus (or even a public bus if you don't mind) to get into the city and then catch a cab from wherever you are once you arrive. Keep in mind that there are virtually no road signs of any kind in Hanoi and as such getting around will be difficult (especially for first time travellers). It's even possible to get completely lost in the old quarter and end up a km or more from your hotel without even realizing it. Invest in a city map for about 20,000 dong once you're there and always carry your hotel's business card with you. Taxis are easy to catch unlike in Kunming, they follow you rather than avoid you like in Kunming...plus they are new, spacious and comfortable (unlike the small, old cabs you get in Kunming).

Thanks for the information. It sounds like more trouble than it is worth. Unfortunately, at this point, I will seemingly have to get another L-Visa because someone at the university that is hiring has not done his work and gotten the paperwork ready for me. Which means I will have to leave, come back, and leave again. I wonder if it is worth it? Really! TIC or TIFC! Anyway, what is the deal with Hong Kong these days? I heard that it is no longer possible to make visa runs there now. What does that leave one? Laos or Thailand I guess!

I thought Hong Kong was the main place to do visa runs for China. A teacher I know in Kunming who had to convert his visa from L to Z before the start of his contract was given a choice between Hong Kong and Bangkok, and he chose Hong Kong (this was late last year, around November or so I think). He had no problems in getting his work visa there.

Looks like in your case you aren't sure or you feel that your company won't be willing/able to make arrangements for you to convert your visa in Hanoi. If this is the case, I guess you'll need to consider another embassy or consulate that can. Try Chiang Mai, Thailand, or Vientiane, Laos (as you have suggested) as the next closest alternatives. Saigon, Vietnam is still an option and if a travel agency in Hanoi can help you (even if they need to send your passport down to Saigon as I have already mentioned) then you might as well still head down to Hanoi and wait there, but of course bring all your paperwork with you.

For L tourist visa applications, head down to Hanoi, where the travel agencies will be able to process your application, but likely send it down to Saigon for this purpose. Alternatively, consider getting an extension on your L visa in Kunming. Price is 160 Yuan and takes 5 days, except for American citizens who pay something crazy like 940 Yuan for the same service.

The information I've given in my post above relates to Z working visas specifically. In regards to L visas just apply anywhere oh and btw, consider getting your application processed through a travel agency (in Hanoi this is a must, but consider doing so anywhere you apply). They offer an efficient service and you don't have to deal with the beaurocrats yourself. I originally got my initial Chinese L visa in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and I got it done through my hotel. Application was handed to my hotel manager at 8am and my passport was returned at 5pm on the same day (for an extra fee). Otherwise 3-4 days is the norm in most countries. 1-2 day service is usually possible in all locations for an extra fee.

I think visa.tuntravel.com/apply-vietnam-visa answer that you are looking for.Hope that it will be useful to you.

If you have not extended your L visa before, you can probably extend it for 30 days locally

is this easy for working permit in Vietnam .