The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Kingdom of Norway has started using China Online Visa Application (COVA) system and collecting fingerprints from visa applicants from 1 July and 22 October 2018 respectively. According to corresponding requirements, applicants must fill out application forms and make appointments online first and attend the Consular Section of the Embassy in person to lodge their applications and provide fingerprints.

The Embassy recently received some complaints from visa applicants about the complexity of application process and the difficulty of making online appointments, and therefore would like to state the following:

1. China has always been committed to opening up and promoting facilitation of personnel exchanges between China and other countries. China welcomes people from other countries, including those from Norway, to visit China and would provide as much necessary assistance as possible in this regard.

2. It complies with international common practice that China makes adjustments to specific visa requirements to meet the changes and needs of different situation. In recent years, biometric visas have been implemented in many countries with Norway included. It is hence a necessary measure for China to implement biometric visas based on Chinese laws and the principle of reciprocity, which does not raise the policy threshold of Chinese visa. Comparing with most other countries in the world, the procedure of Chinese visa application remains uncomplicated and easy to follow.

3. Since applicants must attend in person to provide fingerprints for biometric visas, and there are different procedural as well as technical requirements, some applicants may see a long queue at the Consular Section or have a hard time making online appointments. The Embassy has been trying to solve these issues by opening more timeslots for online appointments and more windows to handle visa applications. Additional measures are also on the way to help provide a better environment for visa applicants.

4. The Embassy kindly reminds visa applicants that the online appointment system is open to all and works on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Applicants are therefore advised to make appointments at an early date in due time, so as to prevent themselves from possible miss of travel.