Warning: Chinese visas in New Delhi for overlanders
Just a word of warning to any overlanders thinking of applying for Chinese visas in New Delhi, India. Don't do it!
After submitting our 'urgent/two day' applications over seven weeks ago(!!!), we have had to withdraw our applications without any visas (we didn't have to pay but we did have to pay for seven more weeks accommodation etc than anticipated). When embassy staff did pick up the phone, they were unhelpful and frankly, useless and could not give us any timeframe in which to expect the visas or other people to call. (We even had to write a letter detailing why we wanted to withdraw our applications to get our passports back!!!) Every time we called staff said the visas were still being 'processed' but the tour company we wanted to cross the Karakoram Highway with (for a mere four days in China) never heard from them so the passports were obviously just sitting in a pile for seven weeks. I guess entering by road, and therefore needing 'special visas' is just too much for these guys to handle.
We've heard the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu is ok so we should have done that earlier on our way through. We've also heard that Islamabad did it for some others recently (in one day!) as a one-off but it is no longer their policy to issue to foreigners in Pakistan so I wouldn't bank on that. Now there is not enough time for the tour company to apply for permits before the KKH closes due to the winter (they need 40 days after we get the visas) so we will go the southern way through Iran and miss the other 'stans.
So, if you need a Chinese visa, give yourselves plenty of time and avoid Delhi - or ask yourself whether it is actually worth visiting China. Maybe it is, I don't know, but we would have paid US$2,000+ for the four days for two of us...food for thought. We've heard of similar wait times for Turkenistan visas in Kyrgyz/Uzbek so possibly factor in a few extra months to your trip if you choose that route.
If you do choose to go through China, Ablimit at Kashgar New Land International Travel Services has been very responsive and helpful throughout this whole saga, although we have now had to cancel our plans with him due to the lack of visas. We paid his company a deposit of US$300 and he is now going to refund us US$250. Very good value for the amount of work he has done for us. So as for the process up until now, I would highly recommend his company. Also the cheapest tour we could find.
Hope you all have better luck than we did!
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