How to Apply for a China Visa
Planning to visit China, but don't know how to apply for a China visa? We're breaking it down for you with our step by step guide, follow the steps and get your China visa efficiently.
The visa information we provide is for reference only. We are a travel agency. If you book a trip with us, we can provide you with the invitation letter when applying for a tourist visa.
We are pleased to inform you that China has officially announced the resumption of all kinds of visas, including tourist visas (L Visa), from March 15th, 2023. If you possess a 10-year China Visa obtained before COVID-19, and it remains valid, you can enter China without applying for a new one.
If you don't have time to get a visa, or if you find it cumbersome to apply for a tourist visa, you could consider traveling to China through a port visa. Port visas can be applied for a group at least including 2 people. It allows a stay period of 1 to 2 months. The port of entry and exit must be the same. Applicable ports include Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Guilin, Xi'an, Chengdu, etc.
We would be honored to tailor-make your flexible private China tour. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time to discuss your travel plans.
1. Find out if you need a visa
The first thing is to check whether you need a visa or not. You usually need to apply for a Chinese visa unless you meet one of China's visa-free policies. 72- and 144-hour visa-free transit offer great convenience if you have a layover in China.
2. Find out which visa you need.
There are many types of China visa. Choose a visa type that applies to your situation. If you are planning to go on a vacation in China, apply for a Tourist Visa (L Visa).
3. Prepare the required documents.
The following list of documents are required for any China visa application:
- A valid passport. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months when you enter China.
- A complete visa application form (The visa application form can be downloaded from the Chinese embassy website or from our website. You complete it by computer, print and sign it. In some countries such as UK you should complete an online form. On the form, you might find an item "Serial number of invitation letter of the authorized organization", you may skip this item if you don't have an invitation letter, or the invitation letter is not of this type.)
- A recent passport-type photograph (head and shoulders only, front view, with a white background, approximately 48mmx33mm)
Along with the aforementioned generally required documents, several additional documents are required depending upon the type of China visa applied for.
For instance, if you are applying for a tourist L visa, you need to prepare an air ticket booking record (round trip) and proof of a hotel reservation OR an invitation letter issued by a Chinese travel agency. (An invitation letter could be provided by us without extra charge if a China tour of 3 days or more is booked.)
An invitation letter can replace the air ticket and hotel booking if you are planning to stay with friends or family who live in China and can't provide the hotel confirmation, or if your travel is being organized by a travel agency (or other duly authorized organization) in China. We can provide you with the invitation letter if you book a tour with us.
4. Submit the application.
You may submit the application to the Visa Office at Chinese embassies or consulates, or China Visa Application Service Centers (also called CVASC) if they are operating in your country.
Starting from 2018, visa applicants from more and more countries (including the U.S., the UK, and Canada) have to make their visa application in person and have their fingerprints collected.
The regular service processing time is 4 days, and the rushed service takes about 1 day. The latter is only available in extreme emergencies pending a consular officer's approval.
5. Pay the fee and collect your visa.
Go to the place where you apply for China visa, pay the fee and collect your visa.
The fees vary enormously depending on your nationality and number of entries. Here we listed China visa price for some countries for your reference. It may change based on the updated policies.
Nationality | Number of Entries | Regular Application |
---|---|---|
US Citizens | Single Entry Double Entries Multiple Entries for 6 Months Multiple Entries for 1 Year & above |
USD 185 |
UK Citizens | EUR 151 | |
Canada Citizens | CAD 100 | |
Australian Citizens | AUD 60-180 |
The fees shown in the table are only for the cost of visa. If you apply through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center, the service fee and tax are required.
98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+
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Amazing Great Wall tour with Helen
We did the great wall tour from Jiankou to Mutianyu with Helen.The tour was very well organized from the begining until the end.The treckking through the great wall was amazing and challenging. Helen took very good care of us and took as many stops as we needed to rest, drink water,have a snack or take pictures. She also explained us many things about the great wall and helped us with all our questions. After the long walk Helen took us to a local restaurant where the food was delicious! She managed everything perfectly so could have all the food ready when we got to the restaurant. Very recommended experience! more
May 2023,
Marta
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Great tours!
I had an amazing two trips on the Great Wall and the Forbidden City with the guide Ivy during my stay in China. She was very helpful and answered all of our questions with an enthusiastic approach. I have nothing to say but to highly recommend the trips they offer on the Great Wall hiking/camping and also the in-depth Forbidden City tour! Thank you Ivy and China Highlights. more
May 2023,
Serhat Altay
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Amazing First Time to Beijing with China Highlights
Tom, my private tour guide was there when I landed and accompanied me all the way through to sending me off at the airport after check-in at the end of my trip. Zhao the driver, who also did all the driving during my trip, was calm, confident and knowledgeable in taking us around. Both Tom and Zhao were punctual too. The Great Wall of China Hike I wanted to do started in a very remote, unrestored part of the wall. This would not had been possible without Tom problem solving many issues we had on the way up and I could not have done this on my own a a foreigner. It was well worth the effort and probably the highlight of my trip.The remainder of the tour around Tiananmen Square, Forbidden Kingdom and The Temple of Heaven was paired with a detailed commentary by Tom of which I learnt a lot. more
May 2023,
Munsie
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Beijing - city of surprises
A fantastic guide was waiting for us - Jack, who told all the stories with passion and commitment. He also fulfilled those wishes that were not in the plan. I highly recommend visiting Beijing with this guide. more
May 2023,
Joanna i Piotr Kuzebscy
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Liu Yuan was a superb guide and a lot…
Liu Yuan was a superb guide and a lot of fun to spend time with during my first visit to Beijing. It was a wonderful intensive three days. more
May 2023,
Pam S.
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Great weather and a good trip out with Lily!
Many thanks to my guide Lily for customising the trip to make it as efficient and enjoyable as possible. She arranged to start an hour earlier to beat the crowd and I got to enjoy the Great Wall before the crowd streamed in and while the weather was cool. I requested to switch the next attraction to visit from Temple of Heaven to Ming Tomb and she not only accommodated the prompt request, but made all the necessary arrangements even before the trip coordinator managed to reply! Kudos! Our driver was jovial and friendly, always on top of traffic conditions and took detours to beat slow moving traffic. Hassle free day and I wouldn’t have been able to cover the two attractions so easily and comfortably without them! more
May 2023,
Meibao
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This was our first time traveling to Beijing
This was our first time traveling to China, so we really wanted to experience some of the major historical sights of Beijing together with a tour guide. Our itinerary was very carefully planned out according to our interests and tailored to our needs. First, we went camping on the Great Wall and hiked from Jiankou to Mutianyu, and the next day we got an in-depth tour of the Forbidden City as well as a tour of the Temple of Heaven and a taiji experience in the gardens. Our tour guide, Ivy, was truly wonderful in preparing and organizing our personalized itinerary. She is very friendly and knowledgeable, and she was always able and willing to answer all of our questions. Ivy provided us with a truly amazing first visit to China and I would warmly recommend China Highlights for everyone who wishes to travel to China and I would especially recommend Ivy as a tour guide for your trips! more
May 2023,
Annalina Wheeler
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Tom is the BEST tour guide EVER!
Just had the most AMAZING tour with Tom. He was beyond knowledgeable, so generous with his time and made me feel so at ease which was super important as I am travelling by myself. Thank you Tom for the best day-you have totally made my China trip a fabulous experience, one I will never forget! more
May 2023,
SHARRYN HINCHLIFFFE
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Superb service and wonderful time in Beijing
Superb service from Jack who were with us for 4 wonderful days in Beijing. Jack was clearly knowledgeable about the history and able to deliver insight information to us about places. He was also kind and accommodating to my mother who has bad knees. Both China Highlights and Jack were flexible about the itinerary to ensure that we enjoy the best of Beijing. We'll definitely use China Highlights' services again for our next trip to China. more
May 2023,
Chani
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Amazing Trip
First time booking a trip with China Highlights and was fortunate to have Sunny as my private tour guide. We went to the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall, then arrived and walked around Gubei Water Town, and then visited the Simatai portion of the Great Wall at night. Was a very enjoyable trip as we were able to see a night time drone show in the sky, ride a private boat through the canals of the Gubei Water Town, and eat a delicious lunch at a local restaurant along the way. Sunny is super knowledgeable when it comes to the history of the Great Wall and took the time to explain various interesting facts and stories which made the trip very meaningful. The driver we had was also a very nice man who was always on time and eager to help. Was an unforgettable experience and would highly recommend Sunny and China Highlights :) more
May 2023,
Allen C
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Tour to the great wall from the airport
My guide Tom was ver kind and knowlegable, he explained everything to me about the great wall and even went out of his way to help me the next day at Bejings downtown! amazing service!!! thank you so much Tom! more
May 2023,
Fer Villasefior
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Great tour, fantastic guide!
This tour was fantastic! I loved hearing about the history of the Forbidden City and admiring the views at the Great Wall. William was a fantastic tour guide. We were a group of families with several young children, and he was very accommodating and flexible with timing and arrangements. I totally recommend this tour and William as a guide! more
May 2023,
Ryan Corless
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Four excellent sightseeing days in Beijing
We had wonderful four days in Beijing. The entire trip was tailored exactly to our wishes. From experiencing local food, to exploring the major sites of the city up to hiking the great wall of China. Additionally, we had two amazing guides Ina and Fan taking care of all the tickets and coordination required. Also, they could not only tell us everything about the sights we visited and give us an insight to local customs and traditions, but they did so in perfect German. The chauffeur service from Mr Chang was also excellent, getting us from A to B without any hazzle. The past couple of days were one of the most carefree trips we have had so far. more
May 2023,
Katha
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Great tour from William
Great tour organized by China highlights, our tour guide was William - his knowledge was impressive, his English was great and he was always on time. We did the four day tour including the wall and forbidden city - would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an English tour guide. more
Apr 2023,
Lawrence
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Beijing 2 day private tour
The tour itself was great, private driver to and from, my guide Ivy was great English speaking guide. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about her country. Was a great time exploring the Great Wall of china and then my second day did a city tour (forbidden city, hutong tour, summer palace). Felt extremely safe, and was confident having an English guide. Thank you china highlights. (Provide them what you want and they’ll make it happen). Prices are reasonable as I looked at a few places but for private tour, my own schedule, and confidence of getting around safely you can’t go wrong. more
Apr 2023,
Mark
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Very enjoyable
Everything was to the vest standard, the history all very well explained by the Tour Guide in Beijing, Ivy. Really enjoyed it, and appreciated the time. more
Apr 2023,
Jonathan
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Amazing Beijing Experience
I had an amazing time in Beijing and glad Tom was my tour guide. He went above and beyond and I’m truly grateful. Tom did all that he could to ensure my stay in Beijing for two days was pleasant and thanks to him, I say that it was. The driver was also nice and courteous, I called him Jon. The company is blessed to have a good tour guide like Tom on their team so if you are planning to come down to Beijing, make sure you ask for Tom. Thank you Christy and Kimmy for replying all my emails with questions that I had. more
Apr 2023,
Pedro V
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Great experience
We had a great experience with China Highlights and Roger was highly efficient and helpful planning our itinerary exactly how we needed. more
Apr 2023,
Brenda Sarmanho
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Excellent service and tour guide!!
Excellent service and communication from the travel agent Roger Li and amazing tour and experience of Great Wall of China from our tour guide Amber. Highly recommended! more
Apr 2023,
Evangelos Athanasopoulos
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Maggie was such a tremendous help for…
Maggie was such a tremendous help for our recent Beijing trip. Very prompt and helpful in helping us plan and adjust/amend to our requests. more
Apr 2023,
Hi
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When to Apply for a Visa
It is important to get your visa early, but not too early because it is only valid for 90/180 days for single/double-entry visas from the issue date.
It is usually recommended that you apply for the visa one or two months before the intended travel.
Apply for Special Permits, If Necessary.
If you are planning on traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region, you will need to get a Tibet Travel Permit from a Chinese travel agency. As a travel agency based in China for more than 20 years, we can help you apply for the Tibet Travel Permit.
Check the most popular Tibet tours.
Apply for China Visa in Hong Kong
If you are already in Hong Kong and want to visit Chinese mainland, it is possible to get a China visa in Hong Kong. Read our step-by-step guide.
Tailor-Making a Private China Tour
China Highlights is your China tour tailor-making expert. See the recommended tours below for inspiration or check out our ideas and suggestion on How to Plan Your China Tour.
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- 13-Day Beijing – Xi'an – Guilin/Yangshuo – Hangzhou - Suzhou – Shanghai Private Tour - Riches of China
- 13-Day Private Tour: Beijing – Xi'an – Chengdu –Yangtze Cruise – Shanghai A Close Encounter with Pandas - China Essence and Panda Tour