Do I need a China Visa?

If you are planning to travel to China, you need a visa to enter the country if you’re not a Chinese Citizen. Here are the general steps for applying for a China visa:

What Type of China Visa do I need?

Determine the type of visa you need:

There are different types of visas depending on the purpose of your trip, such as family reunion, business, study, or work. Refer to the table below to find out which type of visa you need.

VisaType	Applicable Situation	Required Documents
		Basic Documents	General Documents
M	Issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities.	Invitation Letter issued by the trade partner in China	1.Passport (The remaining validity must be more than 6 months with at least 1 blank visa page) 2.Photocopy of the personal information page of the passport 3.COVA Visa Form. Please log on to https://cova.mfa.gov.cn to fill out the form online 4.Photocopy of the latest Chinese visa or the Chinese Residence Permit 5.Proof of Residence (e.g. driver’s license, utility bill, bank bill) 6.Where You Stay Form (Please see Annex, handwritten signature required)   7.If the applicant is a foreigner in the US, he/she needs to provide a photocopy of green card, visa, I20, or I94 to prove their legal residence in the US.   8. If the applicant was of Chinese nationality, this application is the first Chinese visa application after naturalization in a foreign country, please provide a photocopy of the personal information page of the Chinese passport. In addition, the last physical Chinese passport is needed for the visa application.   9.If the applicant’s name has been changed, and it is the first time to apply for a Chinese visa after the name change, a photocopy of the name change document is required. 10. For the visa application by a minor of Chinese origin born in the US, please follow the guidance.
F	Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities.	Invitation Letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China
Z	Issued to those who intend to work in China	Valid “Notification Letter of Foreigner’s Work Permit” or the original “Foreigner’s Work Permit”
X1	Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of more than 180 days.	1.Visa Application for Study in China (original JW201 / JW202 Form) 2. The original Admission Letter issued by a school or other entities in China.
X2	Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days.	The original Admission Notice issued by a school or other entities in China.
S1	Issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners working or studying in China to whom they are spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18 or parents-in-law, or to those who intend to go to China for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days.	1. Invitation Letter 2. Photocopy of the personal information page of the inviting  individual’s passport and Residence Permit ( or photocopy of Z visa / X1 visa application documents) 3. The original proof of kinship between the applicant and the inviting  individual (e.g. Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate etc.) *In case of private affairs, relevant supporting documents shall be provided upon request.
S2	Issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China, or to those who intend to go to China  for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China is no more  than 180 days. “family members” refers to spouses,  parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters,  grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law.	1. Invitation Letter 2. Photocopy of the  personal information page of the inviting  individual’s passport and Stay or Residence Permit or visa 3. The proof of kinship between the applicant and the inviting  individual (e.g. Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate etc. ) *In case of private affairs, relevant supporting documents shall be provided upon request.
Q1	Issued to those who are family members of Chinese citizens or of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence and intend to go to China for family reunion, or to those who intend to go to China for foster care. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. “Family members” refers to spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law.	1. Invitation Letter 2. Photocopy of the inviting  individual’s Chinese ID card or the personal information page of the foreigner’s passport and photocopy of the Chinese Permanent Residence Permit 3. The original proof of kinship between the applicant and the inviting  individual (e.g. Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate etc. ) *In case of foster care, relevant supporting documents shall be provided upon request.
Q2	Issued to those who intend to visit  their relatives who are Chinese citizens residing in China or foreigners with permanent residence in China. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days.	1. Invitation letter (which proves the relationship between the inviting individual and the applicant) 2. Photocopy of the inviting  individual’s Chinese ID certificate or the personal information page of the foreigner’s passport and photocopy of the Chinese Permanent Residence Permit
R	Issued to high level foreign talents	“Confirmation Letter for High Level Foreign Talents” * spouse or minor child (under 18 years of age) submits proof of kinship (e.g. Marriage Certificate, Birth  Certificate) to apply for S2 visa.
C	Issued to crew members	1.Guarantee Letter from transport company 2. Photocopy of crew member ID (both sides) if any
D	Issued to those who intend to reside in  China permanently.	The original Confirmation Form for Foreigners Permanent Residence Status
G	Issued to those who intend to transit through China.	An onward air (train or ship)  ticket with confirmed date and seat to the destination country or region.

Gather the required documents:

The required documents will vary depending on the type of visa you need, if have questions about what type of required supportive documents you need please contact us, we can help you determine and share the samples letter with you.

Frequent Ask Questions & Common Mistake on filling out the China Visa application form online

1) Log in to https://cova.mfa.gov.cn which is the official China Online Visa Application system issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

2) Choose the language and location of your residency.

3) Upload your photo, the photo must meet the requirements (click for detail), thus it can be upload successfully, if you have trouble to edit the photo, please let us know, we can help you edit and upload the photo accordingly.

4) Enter your personal information according to your current passport, make sure your family name and given name are 100% match with how it spell on your passport, the most common mistake of filling out the application is the name & passport number does not match with the passport information, which lead to automatic rejection.

5) Once you entered your personal information, the system will generate an Application ID for you, please print or write down this important number, because you can use this number to retrieve your information on the system and continue to fill out the rest of the form next time.

6) On Section #4 (Work Information), please enter all the Current and Past work experience you have since you graduate (or at least last 10 years history). Also please fill in your position and duty of the job you have.

7) On the Section # 5 (Education), please input all the school information (including high school and college information). This is very important.

8) After you finished entering all the section, on the last step before you submit your application, please let us know your application number and passport number, so we can help you review and make sure all the information is enter correctly before we submit the application on the system. Which will save you lots of time, cause after you submit your application all the information can’t alter anymore.

What is the processing time for China Visa?

Wait for processing: Processing times can vary, but it currently takes around 4-5 weeks for a regular visa application. You may be asked to provide additional documents or attend an interview, depending on the type of visa you are applying for.

Collect your passport: Once your China visa has been issued, you can collect your passport from our offices, or it will be returned to you via USPS Priority mail or FedEx (extra mailing fee applied).

Important Notes:

*It’s important to note that visa requirements and processes can change frequently, so it’s always best to check the Chinese embassy or consulate website or contact us for the most up-to-date information.

* The China Consulate will make the final determination as to the type of visa or passport, how quickly it will be issued and for what duration it will be issued. Prior to approval, the issuing authority may ask for additional documentation. The China Consulate may reject any visa, passport or other travel document application for any reason.

* Citizens of certain countries may be exempt from visa requirements for short stays or for specific purposes, such as diplomatic or official travel. However, it’s best to check the Chinese embassy or consulate website or contact them directly to confirm the visa requirements for your specific situation.