Who knew getting a China visa in Kuala Lumpur could be so easy? We needed to get our China visa in Malaysia, and it was so simple! The China Visa Service – that manages all China visa applications – is a slick machine, super efficient, on time, courteous and was possibly the smoothest visa service we’ve ever experienced. If you need to make a China visa application in Malaysia we have all the info to help you apply for your China visa in Kuala Lumpur.

NOTE: Make sure to get your VPN before you go to China. You will need it to be able to access the internet – like Google, Facebook and Instagram, plus it will protect your data and you’ll be able to watch shows and visit sites from home. Read all about why you need one here and how to get it. 

I was so nervous about getting our China visa. I’d heard it could be difficult and reading through posts I found on google didn’t make me very confident. However our experience was awesome and simple and I want to share it with you to help set your mind at ease if you’re planning on getting your visa out-of-country, or in particular getting your Chinese visa in Kuala Lumpur at the China visa service centre.

So if you’re a non-resident planning on getting your China visa in Kuala Lumpur (or Singapore) here are some tips and an outline of our experience to help you along. So don’t be scared! It’s painless and easy.

NOTE: Non-resident applications can only be made within one month before arrival in China. We tried to do ours in Singapore (before we knew) and the staff checked our documents and let us know we were too early. So we continued traveling through Malaysia and returned to Kuala Lumpur 20 days before our flight to China and gave it another shot.

How to apply for your China visa in Malaysia:

1.Your first step – go to the website.

For Kuala Lumpur visa applications go to the China Visa Application Service Centre website 

Please note you are not going to the China embassy in Malaysia for your visa. You begin the entire process online.

THEN:

2. Application form.

Download, print and complete the application form.

3. Take copies of everything requested.

 Make sure you gather all the required information including copies of passports, copies of entry stamps or visas for the country you’re applying in. We took photocopies of the Malaysian entry stamps in our passports. Don’t worry if you forget to make copies of anything as the service centre has a photocopier and printer – and a staff member to help you. It costs something like 10 ringgits per photocopy. NOTE: They do not have WIFI.

4. Book your appointment at the China Visa Service Centre.

Book a time to submit your application in person through the online booking portal. I prefer the first spot in the morning at 9.00am as there is less likely to be a lengthy queue. We got there a little earlier than opening, around 8.45am so we didn’t have much of a queue ahead of us. This is not a formal interview, it is simply submitting your application. You will receive a confirmation email for your submission time with a reference number, booking time and address details.

The address for the Kuala Lumpur China Visa Service Application Centre is:
Level 5 (submissions) and 6 (collection)
Hampshire Place Office
Jalan Mayang Sari 50450

It’s so close to the Petronas Towers you can walk to or from there – we walked over and saw a movie after putting our application in.

4. Book your flights.

Do book your flights into and out of China. When we first applied in Singapore I didn’t have our flight details out and simply wrote border crossing from Shenzhen into Hong Kong which was accepted however as we didn’t formally submit this application (as we were outside of the month) I can’t say 100 per cent whether it would have worked. By the time we applied in Kuala Lumpur I had our flight out. The copies of these flights were taken by the staff member with our application.

 

5. Book your accommodation.

We took a booking.com accommodation confirmation with us. We like booking.com because they have free cancellation and should you change your plans or decide to stay elsewhere you can always cancel the booking without being penalised. In fact, you can cancel it straight after you print the confirmation, if your plans change that quickly. If you get my drift 😉 Our booking confirmation print out was not taken by the staff member, however you need to list the address and other contact details of the accommodation in your application form.

6. The appointment.

When we arrived a staff member checked over our application and gave us a number. We moved into a bright, clean modern waiting area and within 10 minutes our number was called. A staff member checked over our application and pointed out to me where clarification was needed or boxes I’d forgotten to tick.

She was very helpful and very quickly she had taken our application, passports and photocopies of required information. She gave us a return slip – we were to come back four days later from 9am to collect our visa. At this stage the visa wasn’t guaranteed as it still needed approval but I was feeling pretty good.

7. Cost.

The cost was $188.30 ringgit per visa – around $53 Australian dollars. This is paid when you collect your China visa.

8. It takes four working days.

We put our application in on a Friday morning and collected it at 9am the following Wednesday.

9. Collecting your visa.

You can collect your visa from 9am on the day you’re asked to return. We arrived at 8.40am and queued behind around five other people. The doors opened by 9am, we were given a number and by 9.05am we had our visas.

And that was it! Simple, stress free and easy peasy. Good luck!

Please remember:

It is really important to make sure you have all the documents they ask for. If not, you’ll have to go and get them and come back. There is a photocopy machine at the Service Centre should you need to make copies of any document.

YOU WILL NEED A VPN IN CHINA!

One thing you will definitely need in China is a VPN. A VPN allows you to bypass China’s restrictions by routing your wifi through a server in another country – so you will be able to use Facebook, Instagram, Google and NETFLIX! Without a VPN in China you’ll be unable to access most – if not all – of your socials.

We’ve used Express VPN every time we’ve been in China. It’s reliable, I trust their payment system, they have 24 online help and the network is super fast and reliable – plus there are so many routers to go through, if one’s not super fast at a certain time you just use another.

Read How to get the Internet in China here.

Go check it out. It’s a small cost and you just download the app onto your phone or ipad or log in on you computer. It’s a definite must have.

Where to stay in Kuala Lumpur near the China Visa Service Centre.

You can get anywhere easily in Kuala Lumpur, but if you want to stay super close to the visa centre here are a few options:

Le Apple Boutique Hotel KLCC is just around the corner and is a very nice hotel with big rooms and only around $66 AUD per night. Check out availability here.  It’s close to KLCC Petronas Towers and the myriad malls round KLCC.

If you’re after something a little more fancy then check out the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur where you can snag rooms for as little as $150 AUD for a complete five star experience. It’s also close by and you can check prices and availability here. 

One of our fave places to stay in Kuala Lumpur with unrivalled views of Petronas is The Face Suites. They’re a little further away but worth the early morning Grab rides! Check them out here. 

And finally – if you’re travelling to China with kids here are our Top 10 Places to Visit with Kids in China.

HAPPY TRAVELS XOXOXO