A Beijing resident surnamed Chen struck a chord on the Internet when in April he posted his experience online.
He was asked by a travel agency to provide a certificate to prove that his mother is his real mother, as he put his mother as the emergency contact when he was going through the visa process.
According to the explanation of relevant departments, almost all countries ask people to provide requested materials when entering the country, including documents about family, work, property and emergency contacts.
Wang Ge, manager of the international visa department of China International Travel Service Co.Ltd, explains why some countries also request information about relatives.
"One main reason why kindred certification is required is that some Chinese people provide false documents to go abroad and don't return even if their visa has expired."
For the purposes of administrative procedures, the State Council suggests relevant departments need to work together to streamline the process.
Qu Yunhai, deputy director of administration of entry and exit with the Ministry of Public Security, says the ministry is working to delegate more power to local levels to provide more convenience for people.
"The information system needs to be improved so that information can be checked and confirmed with a higher efficiency and people don't have to go from place to place for various government stamps. Our goal is that people can apply for entry and exit documents in the police station in their own neighborhood. "
Guo Shaochun, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry's consular department, says work is being carried out through various diplomatic channels.
"We are making more endeavors to simplify the visa process for business trips, tourists and overseas students, and so on, whose need is most urgent. We aim to create more favorable conditions for international travel by Chinese citizens."
The Foreign Ministry also warns that malpractice by some individuals might sabotage the image of Chinese citizens and create more barriers for visa application.
