Queuing & Security Check

1. Applicants are required to go through security check before entering the Passport and Visa Office. Cell phone calls, taking photographs, videotaping and using laptop computers are prohibited in the hall.

2. There are usually more applicants on the first two days following holiday closure and after 10 am on weekdays. What's more, the number of applicants peaks on Monday and Tuesday, falls by a small margin from Wednesday to Friday. Applicants are suggested to find a suitable visit time. However, major Chinese or US festivals and events, traffic conditions, weather and school holidays can also make an impact on the number of applicants.

3. Passport and Visa Office is open to applicants ONLY. Security guards are entitled to deny irrelevant visits.

4. Please maintain order in the hall of Passport and Visa Office. The security guards are rightfully entitled to take away from the scene those who make public disturbance in the hall and cause inconvenience to others.

Queue Managing System

1. Once you complete security check, please take a number at first floor entrance of the visa hall. When your number is called, please proceed to the window indicated to begin your application. If you fail to show up when your number called, please get a new number.

2. There are 10 windows on the first floor of Passport and Visa Office. Their functions are listed as below:

Window #1, Application for notarization by Chinese passport holders

Window #2 to #7, inquiries and application for Visa, Entry Permit for Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR, Authentication, Living Certificates.

Window #8 to #10, Pick-up form drop off, Payment and Visa/documents pick-up. Please show the orginal copy of your pick-up form at these windows.

3. There are 6 windows (Window #11 to Window 16) on the second floor of Passport and Visa Office. Their functions are listed as below:

Window #11 to Window #14, application for passport and travel documents by Chinese citizens.

Window#15 to Window #16, visa application by registered agents.

4. The function of each window is subject to change without prior notice.

5. Should queuing managing system breaks down, please follow instructions by the consulate staff.

Submitting an Application

1. Please note that submission of documents only means the application is accepted by the Visa and Passport Office. It does not necessarily lead to approval. The final decision will be made by consuls in charge according to laws and regulations of People's Republic of China.

2. The Consulate staff member at each window is rightfully entitled to return application documents to applicants if documents are incomplete or not in order.

3. The Consulate staff member at each window is rightfully entitled to deny application by those who behave in an unreasonable manner, make public disturbance and cause inconvenience to others. In some cases, the security guards are authorized to take the applicant away from the scene.

4. The Visa and Passport Office only accepts the 2013 edition of the "Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China". The application form must be completed by a computer and should be clearly and completely printed out. Incompletely filled-out forms, hand-written or altered forms are not accepted. Security guards will check application forms. For more information and downloading, please visit http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/zlbg/bgzl/lhqz/P020130828561586361528.pdf.

5. Visa and authentication applicants may entrust someone else or a travel/visa agent to submit application at the visa office on their free will. However, applicants must sign on the visa application form in person. In above-mentioned cases, the Visa and Passport Office will not bear responsibilities should any troubles or inconveniences occur. Applicants are also required to come if the Visa and passport office asks for an interview.

6. Applicants for Chinese passport or travel document must come in person. If the applicant is under 16 years old, not only does he/she have to come in person and submit all the required documents, but also his/her parents or legal guardian(s) have to show up and sign on the application form and provide documents as per requested. For further information, please visit: http://newyork.china-consulate.org/chn/lsyw/lszjxx/sbhzlxz/

7. Please note that all applications for passport/travel documents are subject to approval. Submission of documents does not necessarily lead to approval.

8.Application for a lost passport replacement cannot be cancelled or withdrawn under any circumstances. Once a lost passport replacement application is filed, the lost passport cannot be used anymore even if it is found. In such cases, the applicants should report and hand the lost passport over to Chinese embassies or consulates for cancellation. Otherwise, the applicant has to bear all the related legal liabilities.

9. Passport applicants are suggested to visit http://newyork.china-consulate.org/chn/zjfw/hzlxz/. Visa applicants are suggested to visit  http://newyork.china-consulate.org/eng/lsfwss/P020161212824469479701.jpg.  Applicants should prepare qualified photos before coming. The Passport and Visa Office is strict on photos used for application. Due to unqualified photos, some applicants have to have their photos retaken. Meanwhile, there is a photo booth on the 2nd floor for the applicants' convenience.

10. Due to the complicated nature of notarization, more than one consul will review notarization paperwork. Please cooperate if the Passport and Visa Office asks applicants to provide additional documents or re-write letter of authorization or statement after submission.

11. The Visa and Passport Office will take punitive action on applicants or agents that provide fake application documents.

Express and Rush (Same day) Service

1. If application documents are in order, visas can be picked up on the 4th working day after submission. If the applicants request for express service, visas can be picked up on the 2nd or 3rd working day after submission. The Visa and Passport Office does not provide same day service except out of humanitarian considerations (please see below). Applicants may request for express service upon submission. However, the decision of approving the request or not will be made by consuls.

2. Same day visa will only be issued out of humanitarian considerations, that is, urgently visiting a critically ill relative or attending the funeral of a relative in China. In addition to invitation letter and two-sided ID photocopy of the inviter, applicants have to provide proof of kinship with the inviter, air ticket booking record as well as critically condition notice or death notice issued by hospital. The documents mentioned above may be in the form of original, fax, photocopy or computer printout.

3. If application documents are in order, Chinese passports can be picked up on the 10th working day after submission. However, this time frame will be delayed if Visa and Passport Office asks for supplementary documents from applicants or consult its counterpart office for passport verification.

4. There is no rush or express service for passport application.

5. There is no rush service for travel document application.

6. If application documents are in order, travel document can be picked up on the 4th working day after submission. If the applicants request for express service, travel document can be picked up on the 3rd working day after submission. If the applicants request for rush service, travel document can be picked up on the 2rd working day after submission. Applicants may request for express or rush service upon submission. However, the decision of approving the request or not will be made by consuls.

7. There is no rush service for authentication application.

8. If application documents are in order, authenticated/notarized documents can be picked up on the 4th working day after submission. If the applicants request for express service, authenticated/notarized documents can be picked up on the 2nd or 3rd working day after submission. Authenticated documents for commercial use can only be picked up on the 4th working day after submission because they are always lengthy. Applicants may request for express service upon submission. However, the decision of approving the request or not will be made by consuls.

9. Applications submitted before 12:00 PM each day is regarded as accepted that day. Applications submitted after 12:00 PM will be regarded accepted the next day.

Collection

1. In most cases, pick-up date is indicated on your pick-up form. Please collect visa/passport/documents on the date as directed. For those applicants whose pick-up dates are not indicated, Visa and Passport Office will make phone calls to them when their visa/passport/documents are ready. Or applicants may write email to visaoffice.ny@vip.163.com for inquiries.

2. Instead of coming in person, applicants may ask others to pick up visas/passports/documents with the original copy of pick-up form, which is the only recognized certificate for visas/passports/documents pick-up.

If losing the pick-up form, applicants must come in person with a photo identification card such as ID, driving license or birth certificate. If applicant is unable to come, he/she has to issue a notarized letter of authorization.

3. Please check your visa/passport/documents in detail after picking up. Please report to consuls immediately if you have any questions.

4. If you find any errors such as name, date of birth etc in the visa/passport/documents, please request for corrections at the windows.

5. Issuing visas is an expression of a country's sovereignty. It is the international practice that the issuance of visa, including the category, entry times, validity period and duration of stay, is decided by the consuls, not at the request of applicants. Applicants may not argue for alteration when visa does turns out not what they asked for.

6. Applicants should pick-up their visas/passports/documents on time. Visa/passport/documents remain uncollected over 90 days will be disposed as unclaimed documents.

7. The Visa and Passport Office does not provide mail service. Please do not mail application document to us. The Visa and Passport Office will not mail visa/passports to applicants either.

Payments

1. Living Certificate is free of charge and can be picked up on site. For other applications, applicants should pay upon collection.

2. Applicants who come to pick up, please proceed to window 9 to submit pick-up form, and then proceed to collection window (window 8 or 10) to pay and pick up your visa/passport/documents.

3. Please pay by Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay only), money order, cashier's check, WeChat Pay, Alipay. Cash or personal check is not accepted. Please make checks or money order payable to "Chinese Consulate General".

4. For your convenience, please find a list of nearby banks, post offices, pharmacies or groceries where you can buy money order. (Reference only)

CVS Pharmacy (500 W 42nd Street, Mon-Fri 9:00-21:00)

Chase Bank (471 W 42nd Street, Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00)

CITI Bank (401 W 42nd Street, Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00)

Post Office (340 42nd Street, Mon-Fri 10:00-17:30)

7-Eleven (345 W 42nd Street, Mon-Fri 24 Hours)

Our Facilities

1. There is a photo - taking equipment at the second floor.

2. There are two self-service photocopiers respectively on the first floor and second floor of Passport and Visa Office (0.25$ per page). Please prepare coins.

3. There are Men's and Ladies' restrooms on both floors.

4. The Passport and Visa Office provides free Chinese and English magazines on both floors of the visa hall. Magazines can be taken away unless otherwise indicated.

5. There is no elevators in the visa hall.

Surroundings

1. The main entrance of Visa and Passport Office is located at the corner of 12th Avenue and 42nd Street, Manhattan, NY, facing 42nd Street.

2. Public transportation is recommended since there is no free parking area nearby.

3.The nearest MTR metro station is Port Authority Bus Terminal (1.5 miles). There is a M42 bus stop near the entrance of the Passport and Visa Office on the 42nd Street. There is a M50 bus stop near the main entrance of the consulate on 12th Avenue. For more information, please visit www.mta.info.

Other matters

1. The inquiry hot line of Visa and Passport Office is open from 9:00AM to 12:00AM, 1PM to 4PM, Monday to Friday. The line is usually busy with lots of inquiries. For information regarding visa, passport, notarization or authentication, you are strongly recommended to visit our website before coming.

2. Applicants may also write email to visaoffice.ny@vip.163.com. This email box is for passport, visa, notarization and authentications applicants only, not for other purposes. Before writing, please check our website closely. The Passport and Visa Office will not reply to questions that are already clarified on the website.

3. The People's Republic of China currently maintains 1 embassy and 5 consulates-generals across US. Each mission holds jurisdiction over specific states or territories. Please be advised that sending your visa application or documents(s) to the incorrect office may result in complication or delay in processing. The Chinese consulate general in New York hold jurisdiction over the state of Connecticut,Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Applications from states other than listed above will not be accepted. For further information, please visit http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/zmzglj/t84176.htm.

4. Neither Chinese Embassy nor consulate-generals in US provide marriage registration service.

5. For affairs on certificate for the returned overseas Chinese students or waiver of the exchange visitor two-year home country physical presence requirement, please contact the education office of the Chinese consulate general in New York or New York Service Center for Chinese student Fellows. Inc. Tel: 212-835-5520.