Chinese Consulate

Bad experience.
Website: prepping for this visit is tough! Their website is all over the place so you kind of have to dig around to find all that you need. I didn’t find that it mentions to make a COPY of your passport anywhere but when you arrive at the consulate there are signs saying you need a paper copy of it. Their photocopy machine was also broken (go figure). So unless you get a forgiving rep behind the window to make a copy for you, you’re SOL. Also, be careful not to confuse general office hours with VISA office hours.
Phones: I called several times to check status of my visa, confirm hours, etc. and never managed to get a single person to pick up the phone. No automated voice system, nothing! Just rings and rings endlessly until it finally automatically hangs up on you.
General Service: FORGET ABOUT IT. Don’t expect any of the reps to be friendly with you or even say a single word for that matter. You have to go there to apply and come back 4 days later to pickup. Our visas were scheduled to be ready for pickup as early as Thursday, so we decided to go on Friday before Labor Day. When we got there, we found a small piece of paper taped to the building saying they would be closed Friday. Their website did say they would be closed on ⁹⁄₇ for Labor Day but made NO mention of Friday, ⁹⁄₄. I even called all week to confirm office hours, but again no answer. Super frustrating considering we took off time from work and drove 3+ hours at 4am to get there and beat the crowd. You would think a government agency that only exists in like 9 places in the entire USA would be more professional in how they run their business.
On a positive note, if you get there at or before their 9am opening time the waits aren’t unreasonably long. I guess their lack of friendly conversation keeps things moving along. I’m happy we finally got our visas after 19 hours of travelling to and from Houston, but if I can avoid ever having to come to this place again, I will.

We went on a Tuesday around 10:30 AM CDT. There were only three people in line picking up their visa and passport. It was quite efficient. The customer service is nonexistent. The passport and the visa were tossed under the window. It seemed a bit rude to me.
The going back to pick up your passport and visa is a real inconvenience especially if you live far away. I hope they’ll look to change this rule going forward.

It’s not like I LOVE coming to the Houston Chinese Consulate. It’s one of 5 in the US, so that’s interesting… I guess.
Anyway, while the address is on Montrose, the entrance is on Harold. Parking really isn’t a problem, but make sure you’re not parked in a tow-​away zone — just look for the signs.
Here is what you need for a tourist visa if you have never been before (even if you’re visiting family, just apply for the tourist visa… it’s so much easier than having to get their letter, photo, etc):
* Form V.2013 (
) — TYPE THIS, DO NOT HANDWRITE. THEY WILL TURN YOU AWAY IF IT IS HANDWRITTEN.
* A passport-​sized color photo to slap onto the application above (if you forget this — why would you??? — there’s a Walgreens just down Montrose)
* Proof of travel and accommodation (flight + hotel)
* Your passport that is valid for at least 6 months
* A color copy of your passport (if you forget to bring a copy, you can make a copy here for a quarter)
* $ 140 per visa. You can now pay with Visa and Mastercard!!!
* At least 1 week before your anticipated travel dates — it takes them 5 days to stick the visa in your passport. They have a sign saying they will not expedite the process, so don’t go in thinking you can (easily) pay more to have yours done faster.
To drop off my application, I came on a Thursday morning at around 8:45 and left by 9:15. There are 2 – 3 people working drop off.
To pick up my passports, I came the following Tuesday at around 8:55 and left by 9:40. There is only 1 person working pick up.
If you have at least a year remaining before your passport expiration, you will be automatically granted a 10-​year visa, even if your passport expires before then.
Good luck!

If you don’t want to pay someone to get your visa, this is might help you out. Not too much of a headache or troublesome for me because I knew what paperwork was needed and I didn’t have too many questions. NO CASH, CREDIT CARD, or PERSONAL CHECKS.
For an extended stay, such as study abroad, here is what you’ll need for them to process your application:
1. JW202 form & a copy of the JW202
2. Admissions Notice
3. Passport (valid for at least the next 6+ months) & a copy of your passport
4. Printed visa form. Fill it out online! (Form on the consulate website)
5. A letter from your invitee stating your intention of visit; this could be many things, just depends.
6. 2×2 passport photo
7. Cashier’s check or Money order ($ 140)
There are copy machines in the office for you to use. $ 0.25 cents for one copy.
You leave all of it at the Chinese Consulate office and then they give you a «pick-​up receipt.» Like what you get for dry cleaning or the like. You pay with cashier’s check/​money order when you pick up your finished application!!!
They will tell you the estimated date you can pick up your paperwork. Do not do this a day or the week of or even the week before you need it.
Addition tips: The building really stands out from its surroundings. Parking sucks. Don’t bring in a handwritten visa form. Be patient.

What to bring:
— Passport (which they will keep until you pick it up with your new visa)
— TYPED UP application
— Invitation letter
— Invitee’s photo ID
— COLOR photocopy of your passport (ID page)
— COLOR photocopy of your drivers license (personally I make a copy of the front and back)
— Copy of your travel itinerary and hotel if applicable
Also be mindful of where you park. There are tow trucks who sit and watch for prey like a lion in the Sahara…

I know no one is expecting to have a pleasant experience when dealing with a government agency, but this was downright harrowing and made me lose faith in humanity.
My uncle died a few days ago, and he’s being buried in China. I went to the consulate to try and obtain a visa to attend his funeral, and even though I brought every document (passport, letter of invite from a Chinese citizen, proof of citizenship, naturalization papers for myself), I was sent on a chase for additional documents after documents. After 3 days and seven different courthouses doing everything the consulate clerk asked, I ran into one little snag, a typo on one document that I could not rectify. After countless hours and at least half a dozen visits to the consulate, after being forced to produce autopsy photos of my dead uncle, I still don’t have a visa. I’m finally throwing in the towel. If I could renounce my Chinese citizenship again, I would. I don’t think I’m ever going to visit the country of my birth.
Sorry, that was more of a personal anecdote than a review. My review is this: the consulate is the ninth circle of hell, run by sociopaths who don’t flinch when you show them pictures of dead bodies (at their request). Gouge out your eyes before visiting this place if you wish to save your soul. Oh, but parking was never a problem :)

There is no such thing as an embassy/​consulate that has impeccable service… or at least I have not had the pleasure in my life to experience this myself. Either way, I ended up needing to come here to help a friend apply for his tourist visa, as he and his friend hail from a state that does not have a Chinese consulate. Needless to say, I was full of dread.
First off: thank you so much for all the tips! Both my friend and I read through everything before I finally made the trip this morning to make sure we had all of our bases covered. Here was what happened:
— I arrived at around 8:07 AM. The doors open for people at 9 but the staff/​personnel actually start coming in around 10 to 15 minutes before. The nice security guard that people mentioned came in around this time as well.
— There was plenty of parking directly outside of the front doors at this time and I ended up being the second one in line, but people soon trickled in and by around 8:20 AM, you will need to go hunt for your parking spot.
— There are no signs outside of the main doors (facing the side street — NOT Montrose). You only know the people on the right of the door are for drop offs and the people to the left of the door are for pick ups if you look on here (or if you ask them and they know of this). There was actually no one in the «drop off» line (so everyone was on the right side) but someone had a FedEx envelope with a large rock on top to save their spot. She later arrived about 20 minutes before the doors opened and was still the first one.
— Once it hits 9, the doors open and the guard will look to the left first and call in the people for pick ups and tell you where to line up inside. He will then look to the right and ask if anyone else has to pick up. Before you go in, you have to show him your pick up ticket. Then, the same for the drop-​offs. Before you go in, he checks your papers for you (make sure you have the correct version. in my case, the one from 2013).
— This place is not known for customer service. I was still the second one in line, but we stood there for around 5 minutes or slightly more before someone actually started to take care of us. Just cross your fingers the person in front of you only has one or no more than 3 or 4 passports to get visas for or else you’ll be waiting for a while. Though the people were not rude, they weren’t friendly either — straight forward and to the point. They wanted you to come in, do what you need, and leave. No smiles.
— When it was my turn, I had 2 passports to take care of. It didn’t take long. Everything was already clipped together by the individual (they do it one at a time). Here is a tip: DO NOT MAKE COPIES ON ANYTHING BUT BLANK SHEETS OF PAPER. One of my friends accidentally made copies on the back of a handout and they wouldn’t accept it so I had to go make copies. There is a copy machine in the room that you can use; it’s 25 cents per page. I also didn’t have change but I went around with a dollar bill asking for change and people were nice enough to help. (Thank you awesome Asian lady!!) I was terrified that I would need to go to the end of the line, but I just stood by the window until she was finished with the guy that took my spot. She immediately turned to me when he was done. I gave her the newly copied papers and she wrote out a ticket for pick up. I was done. Almost.
— I also had to help him do a pick up for a friend who had applied earlier but couldn’t pick it up. I just walked straight out of the drop off line to the pick up line, much to the amusement of the people in the room, and I waited some more. Thank goodness, it was a lot faster (there were around 5 people in front of me). Some got little slips of paper to call them back up and they sat down in the chairs. I thought I would be doing the same, but they just took my ticket and money order and then handed me the passport.
All in all, I was in and out in 30 minutes. Not too bad!
Just know what you’re doing and be prepared. Good luck!

* Their hours are 9:00 — 11:30 and 1:30 to 3:00. They take additional Chinese holidays– check their calendar before you go.
* Parking is available on the side street and in a restaurant lot north of the consulate building. Do not park in another business’s lot unless you want to get towed.
* Plan to arrive between 8:00 and 8:30am to beat the crowd
* The Visa entrance faces the side street, not Montrose
* There are two lines– the drop-​off line forms on the right side of the door and the pick-​up line forms on the left.
* They will call for pick-​ups when they open before letting in the drop-​offs.
* They will not let you in to drop-​off if your form is handwritten or the wrong version.
* Enter the building and get in Lane 5. Present your paperwork and passport together. They will issue you a pick-​up ticket to bring back– don’t lose it!
* When you return for pickup, line up in the pickup line.

Thank you everyone with the suggestions of what to bring and what to expect. I hope my experience will be helpful to others, too.
I filled out my application twice at home before printing. I signed it while I was here waiting in line.
I made sure I had a copy of EVERYTHING related to my Beijing trip just in case. This included my Texas driver’s license, the travel guide itinerary, the hotel and flight, travel insurance, color passport and paid confirmations of everything.
I was still petrified the entire 50 minute wait. There were a few people getting turned down. 4 that I counted from my line.
When my turn came, it was pretty much one word sentences/​questions; ‘Application. Passport and copy. Picture. Hotel and flight information.’ I had not affixed my little picture, so the receptionist did it for me. My heart skipped a beat when she asked for the hotel information again. I told her the flight and hotel were booked together. She looked over it again and then started filling out a receipt. Whew!
So, all I was asked of was the passport and color copy, the hotel and flight info and the application. But definitely cover all your bases. (Bring a book, too, for your own entertainment. My phone network was lost in the building.)
One thing I hadn’t read anywhere was that they keep your passport until you pick up the visa. Make extra color copies of your passport for your own records.
I go back in four days for pick up and I’ll be set for my trip. I can’t wait!!!

A review of a bureaucracy is like finding the best VHS tape in a Goodwill bin, the quality is still going to be terrible. If you are going here, its likely because this is the only place to do trivial things, like oh say getting a visa to enter a foreign country. Considering you have to pay for your entire trip prior to requesting a visa, there is undoubtedly a high level of trepidation accompanying your visit. Topping it all of is the stoic, remorseless way in which you are interrogated– uh– questioned about your trip and any conceivable document not included (read: it feels like filing taxes). However, given all these aspects, they will do right by you if you do right by them.
Come with all your documents, even those you don’t think will be needed. If its associated with the trip, bring it. Make sure everything is filled out, and know your itinerary like the back your hand. If you do that then the wheels will stay on the wagon and you’ll get to where you need to go– literally.

Just dropped off our visa application. No lines, awesome. I’ve heard some terrible things about the place so I was quite worried. I think for us, it was more about the REQUIREMENTS for applying. Here are the things that I needed as a person that was born in Taiwan with US Citizenship and has never before gotten a China Visa AND newly married (name change).
Applying for regular Tourist Visa:
1. US Passport and COPY of the passport
2. Most recent Taiwan passport (expired, not expired, whatever) (mine was from middle school, brought back the good olé days)
3. Copy of marriage certificate just to prove I changed my name for a good reason.
4. Copy of Itinerary
5. Proof of Hotel Reservations
6. The application that is TYPED, CANNOT be written!
Everything got turned in smoothly and was told to come back in 6 days to pick up. Hopefully everything is okay.

I’m not even going to China, not this time anyway. Sigh… My other half and his business partner are going for business, but, I have the time and I work for an airline, so flying’s not an issue, so off I went…
After 3 weeks preparing and waiting for the correct forms, I was still a little apprehensive that I wouldn’t have the right stuff. And now living in FL, we HAVE to apply at the Houston office. NYC, DC or LA would have been more convenient and desirable, but I didn’t dare go to any of those. Especially since 3 weeks of phone calls and emails to all the locations produced not even 1 answered call or email.
I flew in the night before so I could get there at opening time. Fairly easy to find. Parking may be an issue, but I was ok. It was the first day they opened after a Chinese holiday, so the line outside was long. No worries, this was my sole objective. I was there to apply for two Chinese Visas, using express, same day service, so I can happily go home to Florida.
First glitch… the security guard calls out to ‘those applying for same day service’, that’s me! Do I get to go to the front of the line? No such luck. Apparently that service is no longer available as of… wait for it… today! Woohoo! I get to fly back to Houston whenever they tell me my visas will be ready.
Glitch #2… I finally get to the front of the line outside, when the security guard tells me I need COLOR photocopies of the picture page of the passports. Granted, I did see this on the Consulate’s website, but to me it read that it was only required if a previous Chinese Visa had been issued. I don’t carry change or cash with me, so I couldn’t use the copy machines they have inside, off I went to Walgreens two blocks over, got the copies and back to the BACK of the line once again.
So here we go… once I got inside I waited for my turn at the window, the clerk looked at all my paperwork, and handed me a slip with a date of 5 business days later to pick up the passports. And you pay upon pickup. Visa or MasterCard are accepted.
Whew! I was so nervous, but apparently dotted all my Is and crossed all my Ts. Apparently half the people who were on the line with me got turned away because they used the wrong form (the new one is online along with the older one, why can’t they just remove the old one?), it MUST BE TYPED, this is a big one. And yes, they guy with the laptop and printer in the minivan is still outside eagerly awaiting anyone willing to pay him. Quite entreprenurial, but thankfully I didn’t need his services. So here it goes…
1. Passport must be valid AT LEAST 6 MONTHS past your intended stay. I would have at least a year, just to be safe. Plus one color photocopy.
2. If you have a foreign passport, bring your Permanent Residence Card, and one color photocopy. They will not keep the card, but make sure they have the copy.
3. Photocopy of driver’s license or state ID. For proof that you reside in a state assigned to that particular Consulate. They will turn you away. If you are applying for people from mixed location, they will turn away those applications not assigned to their location even if some other’s are assigned to them.
4. TYPE information into Visa Application. You do not need Chinese name. Make sure you type your itinerary in the appropriate place. I included addresses and phone numbers, just in case.
5. Passport type picture must be attached to Visa Application. I stapled them to the application in the appropriate box.
6. Printout of flight/​transportation information. I included copies from all airlines involved.
7. Printout of lodging information.
8. Printout of ‘invitation’. My guys were going for a trade show, which requires an invitation. A girl on line was turned away because she is visiting her grandmother and they required her to have a letter from her grandmother inviting her to China. Don’t know how that turned out…
So basically, photocopy the hell out of everything, it’s better to have extra information, than not enough. You’re already going to have to go back to pick it up, don’t add another trip to the mix. Who can afford all this? As mentioned, I work for an airline, so flying is not an issue for me. I can’t even imagine those people who told me this was their 4 or 5 trip because of some requirement they didn’t fulfill.
The clerk was friendly, and happy to answer my questions. I guess I got the happy one, cause the others looked glum. But, overall, everyone seems to be efficient.
I’ll be joining the team on the next trip in April 2014. Hopefully the procedure will remain the same. Otherwise I’ll let you know!
Good luck!

Horrible!!! I hate chinese bureaucracy!
This is my second trip and I’m not even close to dropping off my apps.
1– They did not say the application must be typed. I always had my visa’s at San Francisco consulate prior to moving to Houston, and there was never a problem there. The security guard asked me to goto some ghetto guy’s car in the parking lot and pay a fee to have it typed off. I opt out b/​c I dont feel comfortable to have a random person enter my private info such as my passport number, drive license and etc. Dont’ do it! This is so corrupted! I bet the ppl there get s kick back from that guy who charges to type it up for you.
2. I finally downloaded the right software for my computer to print out the chinese applications.
3. They required me to write my name in Chinese even though I don’t know how to write it! Just because my parents gave me a name in Chinese doesn’t mean that I am literate in chinese! Ugh!!!
4. Since my reason for travel is to visit my aunt, they required a proof of residency of my aunt as well as her ID card with a letter of invitation! WTF, my aunt is old and fragile, how on the world is she going to find a computer, type a letter, and email/​scan it to me!
My husband and I travel a lot but I have never encountered such inconvenience in the Houston Chinese Consulate!!! If it wasn’t for my relatives, I seriously doubt I’d go to China for leisure.

Not enough frustration in your life? Then come on down to the Chinese Consulate on Montrose, and get your weekly dose!
I think I’ve come to this location over a dozen times. That number was very necessary, because it takes on average 3 to 4 trips just to get a visa approved. At the minimum, it’ll take two trips — one to deposit your paperwork and one to pick up your passport, each with a frustratingly long wait in line.
But in reality, I’ve never quite been able to get a visa on the first try. Now much of that may in fact be due to incompetence on my end, but in my defense, I would add that the rules seem to change every year.
One year, they started to require proof of travel. The next, the application needs to be typed instead of handwritten. Yes, urine samples are not far away.
Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough, check their calendar before you try and go. Otherwise, like me, you may show up on Tomb-​Sweeping Day, and wonder why on earth the consulate would be closed on a random weekday.

BIG THANKS to Nicole S. and Mary H. for their informative reviews… it saved my butt!
I re-​did my visa applications (4 total including family members) after reading their posts, and did not have any issues getting approval at the consulate. What I learned to do:
1. TYPED all the applications (except for the signatures of course). I downloaded and saved the forms first (link:
), then typed in all info using caps just to be safe. For our Chinese names, I used an online pinyin site (link:
).
2. Made color photo copies of our passport info page, previous Chinese visa page, and applicable old Chinese passport info page.
3. Printed out our flight and hotels confirmation. They are sufficient for tourist visa.
Note that I did not check the family visit box because I simply do not have that much info on family members there.
I didn’t get to the embassy until 2:45PM, and panicked slightly because the sign on the door says visa hour stops at 3PM. But the security guard was very nice and told me which window to hurry to. The young lady doing visa was neither rude nor friendly – just matter of fact. She flipped through all my papers in about 20 minutes, and gave me a receipt and sent me on my merry way.
I have gotten visas at the same consulate before the policy changes, and this time was by far the smoothest and least stress-​free. Thanks once again to the previous Unilocalers. Hope my experience will help someone else get this done quick and easy :)