Visitors must present their original passport with at least six months' remaining validity and at least two blank pages for the visa.
Do you need a visa for China?
The first thing to do is to check whether you need a visa to visit China. You will generally need to apply for a Chinese visa unless you meet the criteria of one of China's visa-free policies. For example, if you are travelling through China, you may be able to take advantage of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy.
Find out which visa you need
China offers a number of different visas, and you'll need to choose the one that applies to your situation. If you're planning to go on holiday to China, apply for a Tourist Visa (L Visa).
Prepare the required documents
The following documents are usually required:
Basic documents:
- A valid passport — must be valid for at least 6 months when you enter China.
- A completed visa application form and a recent passport-sized photograph.
- Proof of legal residence (for applicants not applying in their country of citizenship).
Additional documents:
- Details of your planned visit (arrival and departure dates, itinerary, accommodation).
- Evidence of your flight reservation (round-trip) and hotel reservations.
- An invitation letter issued by a Chinese travel agency or an individual in China.
Where to submit your application
In many countries, you need to apply for your visa at your local Chinese Visa Application Service Centre via visaforchina.cn. Submit your application at least four weeks in advance of your planned arrival date.
Invitation Letters
The invitation letter is one of the main supporting documents you need to submit when applying for a visa. The letter serves to explain your reasons for travelling to China and provides details of the planned visit. The invitation letter should be issued by a Chinese travel agency, company, or educational institution in China.
China Visa-Free Transit Policies
Visa-Free Transit (240-hour)
The stay duration for foreign nationals eligible for visa-free transit has been extended from the previous 72/144 hours to 240 hours (10 days). 21 ports of entry have been added, increasing from 39 to 60. The number of provinces that can be visited has increased from 19 to 24.
Eligible countries (55 countries)
Schengen: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Croatia, Norway.
Other European: Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Monaco.
Americas: United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile.
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand.
Asia: Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia.
Unilateral Visa Exemption (30-day)
Nationals holding valid ordinary passports of 50 countries are exempted from visa requirement if coming to China for business, tourism, family/friends visits, exchange and transit. They can stay for no more than 30 days without a visa.
Collecting your visa
Once your visa is approved, you will generally have to return to the centre and pay the visa fee to collect your passport and visa.