This information is meant to serve as a guide only. Please contact your local embassy for specific requirements.

A valid passport and visa are required to enter The People's Republic of China. Travelers arriving without valid passports and the appropriate visa may not be permitted to enter and will be subject to a fine and immediate deportation at the traveler's expense.

If you already have a visa, please check the validity of your visa before traveling to China. If it has expired or the number of entries is not enough, you must apply for a new visa.

  • Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America
  • Australian Capital Territory - Embassy of the People's Republic of China
  • Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America
  • Embassies of the People’s Republic – Asia list
  • Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Embassies of the People’s Republic of China – List of multiple European Countries

NOTE: The consulate of China has announced that rush visa services are no longer available for citizens of European Union Countries. Only regular processing will be available. If you are traveling from Europe or the United Kingdom, please make arrangements for your visa as soon as possible to avoid delays.

Other:

Immunization Requirements: Please see the Center for Disease Control for the current immunization requirements for travel to China. If you are traveling to other countries, be sure to research requirements for all countries to which you are traveling to review the immunization requirements for each.

Depending on where you are applying from, Visa requirements may differ. Please check with your local embassy to confirm conditions.

General requirements for securing a visa to China include:

  1. PASSPORT

Submit your current, valid, signed Passport. It must not expire within 6 months and must have at least 2 blank visa pages. If you do not have the proper blank visa pages in your passport, you must first amend your passport to have pages added. If your passport expires within six months, you must renew your passport and then secure your visa with the new passport.

  1. VISA APPLICATION

Submit a completed, typed, signed China Visa Application form. It must be signed with blue ink.
NOTES:

  • Your name on the application must match your name on your passport exactly, including middle name if applicable.
  • Any incorrect information (such as wrong passport info) on the application form may result in rejection by the embassy!

China Visa Application

  1. PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPH

Submit a recent passport photo. Photo should be recent, front view, in 48mm x33mm size without head covering.

  1. DRIVER'S LICENSE

[IF DEPARTING AWAY FROM HOME]If you are departing from a different city than your city of residence, submit a photocopy of your driver's license or other state-issued ID card.

  1. PROOF OF RESIDENCY
  2. BUSINESS INVITATION

Submit one of the following:

  • An Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit or a Confirmation Letter of Invitation issued by an authorized Chinese agency; or
  • An invitation Letter issued by the Chinese local governments, companies, corporations and institutions other than above-mentioned Chinese agency.
  • The invitation letter shall include the following items:
  • Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc.
  • Information concerning the invitee's visit to China: purpose of the visit, date of arrival and leaving, places to visit, relationship between the applicant and the inviter, and who will bear the cost of the applicant's accommodations in China.
  • Information of the inviter: name of the unit, phone number, fax number, address, seal and signature of the legal representative.

Generally, the invitation letter may be submitted as a fax, copy or printout. If necessary, the consular officer will ask the applicant to submit the original invitation letter, or to provide some supporting and supplementary documents, or schedule an interview.

China Business InvitationTemplate

  1. ADDITIONAL

If you were born in China and do not have a China visa in your current passport, submit either your China passport or a prior passport containing a China visa.
US citizens transiting China do not require a Chinese visa as long as they remain in the airport for less than 24 hours.
Persons who plan to re-enter China from Hong Kong or Macao must obtain visas allowing multiple entries. Contact CoreNet Global for a multiple entry visa letter.