Visa rules for
Chinese tourists
to the UK
to be relaxed

23 September 2014

In a move to appease UK business leaders and Chinese authorities, amendments to Britain’s currently tough visa rules for Chinese migrants have been announced.

After claims from UK industry chiefs that Britain’s complex and restricting visa system was treating Chinese citizens like criminals, it has been declared that the concept of a ‘Single Visa Application Centre Visit’ will be introduced. This aims to reduce the sum of 1.2 billion pounds that the UK is estimated to be losing each year under the current regulations.

At the moment…

Chinese visitors to the UK are forced to have their fingerprints taken and to go through a far lengthier visa application process than visitors to other European countries. Even if Chinese tourists travel to Europe via connecting flights in the UK, they must obtain an expensive transit visa despite staying within the confines of the terminal building during their visit. This is in addition to the European Schengen Visa which tourists need to obtain when visiting Europe, granting them access to 26 European countries, of which Britain is not one.

A ‘One Stop Shop’

The supposed changes, as outlined by the Home Secretary, indicate that the previously obligatory transit visa will be scrapped for Chinese tourists who are already in possession of the Schengen visa. Additionally, the Home Office plans to streamline the visa application process by creating a ‘one stop shop’ for potential Chinese visitors. This entails a UK application centre wherein submissions for both a Schengen and a UK visa can be made at the same time. It has also been promised that customers will then receive their decisions back by courier, thereby avoiding the need to return to the application centre. It is hoped that these steps will encourage a greater number of Chinese tourists to include the UK on their travel itinerary.

Previous improvements to the visa system in June 2014 failed to appease UK businesses who accused government officials of trifling at the borders and of preventing thousands of tourists from visiting the UK, thereby stunting economic spend.

Actions speak louder than words…

This time however, the measures extend to increasing visa staffing in China, improving customer service and speeding up key applications from large Chinese companies with the potential to invest in the UK.

Grant Hearn, chief executive of Travelodge, has said it is “great news” that the Government appears to be listening to business. But, he said: “We will be watching closely to see what steps are taken, as failure to act will impact upon job creation, growth and investment”.

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