Whether travelling for tourism or business, all visitors to China must obtain either a tourist visa or a business visa prior to arrival. Application is a simple and inexpensive process as long as the application is properly completed, and submitted no more than 90 days in advance of travel. The tips below should assist to avoid the common pitfalls.

Chinese Tourist Visa Application

To complete the application, the following items are required:

  • application form
  • passport
  • photo
  • itinerary
  • consulate fee.

The application can be obtained from the nearest Chinese embassy, travel agent, or downloaded from the embassy’s website. It pays to download the latest application form every time an application is made because requirements change and forms are updated accordingly. The embassy will reject applications that have been submitted on outdated forms. The application must also bear the original signature of the applicant. The embassy will not accept photocopied, faxed, emailed, or unsigned applications.