Nous partons pour la Chine le 22 juin prochain. Nous sommes 4 personnes (2 adultes et 2 ados de 14 et 15 ans), tous de nationalité canadienne. Comme nous habitons Montréal et qu'on n'y trouve pas d'ambassade chinoise, nous avons mandaté un ami habitant Ottawa pour qu'il aille porter les formulaires, papiers, photos, alouette... (le chanceux! 😉).
Or, il est revenu bredouille car les deux ados doivent fournir une "déclaration sur l'honneur attestant de leur respect des lois en Chine" (en anglais bien sûr) 🤪.
Je n'ai jamais vu de mention d'un tel papier officiel pour les mineurs (car les adultes ne doivent pas fournir cette déclaration) dans aucun des nombreux sites que j'ai visités pour tenter de clarifier les formalités administratives de visa... Nous ne savons pas trop quoi fournir car la dame que notre ami a rencontré parlait un anglais assez limité et avait un micro qui ne fonctionnait pas..
Est-ce que quelqu'un parmi vous aurait entendu parler de cette fameuse déclaration sur l'honneur de respect des lois chinoises? Quels sont les éléments d'information à mettre dans cette dite déclaration? Quelqu'un aurait-il par un pur miracle un exemple de la déclaration? Doit-elle être validée par un notaire ou une autre personne?
J'ai cherché sur le net, mais comme vous, je n'ai rien trouvé.
Sauf un article sur une descente de police (il y a une année, sauf erreur) dans une boîte de Pékin et l'arrestation mouvementée de nombreux jeunes mineurs (Français, en majorité), malmenés puis mis en garde en vue sans pouvoir prévenir leur famille (ce qui n'est pas en contradiction avec la loi sur les gardes à vue) Seule la violence peut être reprochée aux policiers, d'après les Chinois.
Ces jeunes apparemment avaient contrevenu à diverses lois, alcool et drogue notamment que les autorités chinoises répriment assez durement. Cette histoire semble-t-il a fait beaucoup de bruit dans les milieux d'expatriés et il se pourrait bien que vu votre âge, cette déclaration sur l'honneur ait un rapport avec l'incident susmentionné.
Je ne sais pas quelles sont les exigences chinoises en ce qui concerne la légalisation d'un tel document, et la seule chose que je ferais personnellement, c'est que je chercherai immédiatement un traducteur chinois agréé auprès des tribunaux (ils s'appellent comme ça à Genève), et que je ferais cette déclaration qui sera traduite et légalisée par mon traducteur. Si cette fonction n'existe pas au Canada, informez-vous auprès de n'importe quel professionnel du monde juridique sinophone (avocat, notaire). Cela coûtera bien sûr le prix d'une consultation mais au moins vous aurez une réponse précise.
A moins que d'autres mineurs canadiens ayant passé par là réagissent..🙂
Un énorme merci pour votre réponse; elle est très appréciée! 🙂 Il se pourrait bien que cette nouvelle exigence soit effectivement liée aux incidents dont vous faites mention... La bureaucratie chinoise étant ce qu'elle est, ce n'est pas facile de savoir ce que nous devons fournir et les raisons qui justifient les demandes...
Je vais effectivement tenter de me renseigner auprès de spécialistes chinois... Je reviendrai partager ce que j'aurai réussi à trouver; on peut penser que ça pourra servir à d'autres...
C'est effectivement bizarre et j'ai voyagé en Chine plusieurs fois avec mes enfants ados mineurs (nous sommes français), sans qu'on leur demande un tel certificat. Des amis sont allées en Chine en décembre, avec leur fille de 17 ans, et n'ont pas eu besoin de ça non plus.
Par contre, mon fils de 17 ans veut aller passer 1 mois à l'université à Pékin l'été prochain et on me demande de lui trouver un "tuteur" résidant à Pékin et qui se portera garant. Mon autre fils avait fait ça il y a 3 ans, il était aussi mineur, mais l'université n'avait pas demandé une quelconque garantie.
Il semble en effet que tout ça soit lié aux pbs ds les bars de Sanlitun il y a 1 ou 2 ans, et que l'administration chinoise soit pointilleuse pour les mineurs venant en Chine.
Et comme vous dites, il est difficile d'avoir une règle claire, ce qui ne simplifie pas les choses.
Si vous en savez plus, aurez-vous la gentillesse de le poster sur le forum ?
Je ferai de même pour les séjours à la fac des mineurs français.
Suite de la saga du visa : notre demande a fini par être "approuvée" (je garde les guillements tant que nous n'aurons pas en main les fameux visas 😉). Notre ami a dû se repointer une autre fois à l'ambassade à Ottawa mais il a eu la brillante idée d'y aller plus tôt (donc file pas mal moins longue).
Il est retombée sur la même madame qui a regardé avec attention tous les papiers, semblant avoir la ferme intention de trouver quelque chose qui cloche. Malheureusement, tout semblait en ordre : la photo de mon conjoint avait maintenant un beau fond blanc (l'autre d'avant n'avait pas passé le test à cause de son fond légèrement bleuté; le refus avait été signalé par les mot "color", "color", "color" répété jusqu'à ce que l'ami pige).
Pour ce qui est des lettres de déclaration, elles semblaient correctes après une observation minutieuse de la dame. Nous n'avons toujours pas su le comment et le pourquoi des dites lettres... Nous les avons fournies en anglais et nous n'avons pas fait attester le tout par un témoin ou un notaire.
Je mets le modèle de la lettre pour ceux qui auraient le bonheur d'avoir à en fournir :
ACCEPTANCE STATEMENT OF CHINESE LAWS
Chinese visa requirement
Informant Recipient
Prénom, Nom China’s Embassy of Canada
Adresse
Ville, QC, Canada
Code postal
Between date départ and date retour, I will travel as tourist across Asia, up to 10 days in China and the time left will be spent in Indonesia.
I, Prénom Nom, born date de naissance in Montreal, now age years old, dwelling at adresse complete, declare that I am aware that Canadian laws are different from Chinese laws, that I do accept the Chinese laws and that I will respect them as long as I will stay on Chinese lands.
En effet... 🤪 Mieux vaut en rire qu'en pleurer, surtout quand on n'a pas le choix parce que nos billets d'avion sont déjà achetés... Ceci étant dit, je ne pensais pas que ça serait aussi compliqué pour avoir des visas... Même mon sympathique ami qui s'est tapé les visites à l'ambassade ne croyait pas voir pire que les demandes de visas russes... Semblent-ils que les visas chinois battent haut la main les visas russes.... 🤪
Je n'ose pas imaginer ce que ça doit être si on veut obtenir un visa de travail ou d'études si je pense à tout ce niaisage pour un simple visa touristique... 😛
Je crois qu'à votre place j'aurais perdu patience devant ces requêtes superflues....
En plus ce genre de document n'a guère de valeur, les promesses n'engageant, c'est bien connu, que ceux qui y croient.
Pour le comment, disons que notre ami n'a pas osé se lancer sur ce terrain après avoir été témoin des talents linguistiques de la dame. Disons que ça lui a tout pris pour comprendre le fameux "color" dont la prononciation ne ressemblait en rien à celle habituelle de ce mot.
De plus, comme la lettre semblait conforme, il ne voulait pas prendre la chance d'avoir une exigence supplémentaire en posant des questions. 🙂 Je vais lui demander de tenter de savoir pourquoi une fois qu'il aura nos visas en main même si je doute que nous puissions avoir une explication...
Ma première réaction aurait également été de les envoyer paître mais ne pouvant pas changer nos billets d'avion, nous avons joué à la maison des fous et fournis tous les papiers sans gueuler. Tout ce trouble nous a même coûté 75$ CAD chacun, faut quand même le faire...
Ceci étant dit, c'est le genre d'expérience qui fera en sorte que nous serons plus attentif sur la question des visas avant de choisir nos futures destinations. Ça ne me dérange pas d'avoir à payer un visa à un pays mais je trouve moins rigolo de me taper une saga administrative pour avoir la permission d'aller y faire du tourisme (pour une très courte période en plus). Je m'attendais à une certaine ouverture de la Chine "administrative" après les olympiques mais il semblerait que nous n'en soyons pas encore là...
Hi everyone,
I have to leave for Perth, Australia in a week, for 7 days, and I couldn’t get my international driver’s permit due to processing and delivery delays.
The information I’ve found about whether an international permit is required is contradictory. Some sources say you need one, others say you don’t.
Could anyone let me know if an international driver’s permit is necessary to rent a car in Australia (Perth), or if a French license is enough for a 7-day rental?
hi everyone,
I need to apply for a new eTA for Canada.
do I need the number from my old eTA or not?
because I can’t find my old eTA number anymore.
thanks for your replies, have a great weekend
Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hello everyone,
Could a resident of Benin (Cotonou) kindly let me know which is the best mobile phone and internet service provider?
Thank you very much,
Best regards,
Juan
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi everyone,
I’ll explain my situation.
Unfortunately, I lost my passport, and I only realized it two weeks before my departure for a humanitarian mission in Libya. I’m a nurse, and this mission really means a lot to me.
First, I applied for an emergency passport, but it was denied by the Val-d'Oise prefecture on the grounds that a planned humanitarian mission wasn’t considered an urgent reason.
So, I submitted a biometric passport application on July 20th. Since then, the tracking has been stuck, and the town hall can’t (or won’t) give me any clear information. Every time I call, I get a different story. The last update I received was that the passport had been produced since July 23rd with a status of "about to be shipped," but nothing since then.
I’ve managed to push my departure back to next Tuesday at the latest, but I’m starting to really panic.
Have any of you submitted an application around July 20th, especially in Val-d'Oise (95)? How long did you wait between the passport being produced and it being available at the town hall? Is it normal for this step to take this long?
This mission means so much to me. I had everything organized, and I’m also supposed to attend a friend’s wedding right after near the border.
Thanks so much to those who take the time to respond or share their experience. 😔
Can anyone tell me exactly if a passport "valid for the duration of the stay" is enough, or does it need to be valid for 6 months after the trip?
I checked the embassy’s website, but that info is missing.
Hi there,
I’ll be arriving in Seoul on November 18th after spending about a month in India.
Do you know if I’ll need to fill out any additional documents besides the e-arrival card?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
I’m a bit embarrassed because I need to travel to Quebec from February 27th to March 13th. I’m a regular visitor to Canada—this will be my 10th trip since 1997, plus a year as a permanent resident (2000–2001) and a cross-country run from Vancouver to Halifax in 2011. So, I’m definitely not a terrorist!
But since our last trip in July 2015, they’ve introduced this eTA thing. Seems more like a way to make money than to actually secure Canada, if you ask me, but anyway, that’s not the point.
I applied for an eTA for myself, my wife, and our two kids. They all got approved within hours, but not me! I was asked to create a GC key and then an IRCC account, which I did. Normally, you get news within 72 hours, but since Monday, January 15th, nothing!
In the "message" section of the account, it says "explanation letter (required)" with a deadline of January 25th, but I can’t find any explanation anywhere—despite searching the Canadian government website and Google. No links, nothing!
I’ve emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. I’m thinking of calling the Canadian embassy in Paris tomorrow. Even though I’m not stressing yet, it’d be a bummer if everyone else got to go without me!
If anyone’s had this issue before or knows what this explanation letter is about, I’d love to hear more.
hi there
I’m heading to Seoul in September, and to do that I need to get a travel authorization that we apply for through K-ETA....... turns out I can (barely, I admit) fill out the form up to the address of our "stay location," but every address I’ve entered has been rejected by the system. I’ve tried my hotel, the Lotte Hotel (which is well-known in Seoul), the airport—basically, I’ve entered at least 20 addresses, all rejected....
So, to anyone who’s successfully gotten the authorization, could you tell me which address you used to get that "elusive" approval?...
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
Hi there,
Just a question that’s probably been asked before (though usually the other way around for my situation :))
My wife and I are heading to the US.
On her ticket, it only has her maiden name (e.g., Martine DUPOND).
On her passport, it’s written as Martine DUPOND épouse AVRY.
No issues for travel, I hope I did the right thing with the ticket?
Then for the ESTA, is just Martine DUPOND enough, or do I need to include the "épouse AVRY" part like on the passport?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car.
I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky!
Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Best regards,
Arnale
I saw on the French Embassy in Peru’s website and the Peruvian Consulate in Paris’s site that the rule is to have a passport valid for 6 months *after the arrival date* (not the return date).
I arrive in Peru on August 13, 2019 (for about twelve days), and my passport is valid until February 16, 2020.
That’s 6 months and 3 days after my arrival date in Peru. In my opinion, I’m good to go.
But could I still be denied entry if they say I don’t cover the return date or that I’m too close to the 6-month mark?
I read on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that it’s possible to apply for a temporary driving permit in China, valid for 1 month.
I’m planning to rent a car (without a driver) to explore part of the country next August, so I was wondering:
Has anyone here already gone through this process upon arrival?
How long do the formalities take on the spot?
Is it possible to handle these steps in advance, before arriving in China?
