Obtain Your Chinese Visa Photos Online

Most foreign citizens must obtain a visa to enter China. Only citizens of the following countries may enter China without a visa for the duration of time stated:Armenia Austria Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina San Marino Vietnam Mauritius Bahamas Barbados Belarus Dominica Ecuador Fiji France Hungary Germany Grenada Ireland Italy Luxembourg Mongolia the Netherlands Qatar Serbia Suriname Seychelles Spain Switzerland Tonga United Arab Emirates Brunei Japan Singapore

A foreign citizen can also enter China without a visa under one of the following circumstances:

When holding an ordinary passport issued by any of the following countries and if they join a tourist group organized by an international travel agency registered in Hainan with the approval of the China National Tourism Administration to visit Hainan Province and their stay is no more than 15 days: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the UK, Ukraine, and the United States of America.

Citizens of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Turkmenistan who are travelling as part of a tour with a tour company which is registered in both countries. A representative from the tour operator must be present during the trip.

When transiting through China by air, and they will stay at the airport for less than 24 hours and have a valid connecting ticket to the destination.

When transiting through Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Chengdu within 72 hours.

When having passports issued by countries with diplomatic relations with China and if they are already in Hong Kong or Macao and join a tourist group organized by a travel agency with registration in either Hong Kong or Macao for a trip to the Pearl River Delta region for no more than 6 days.

Citizens of Germany, the Republic of Korea, and Russia may join an international tourist group (of 2 or more persons) and can stay up to 21 days.

Holders of a valid APEC business travel card.

Holders of a Foreigner’s Permanent Residence Card Holders.

Holders of a Residence Permit for Foreigners issued by the Ministry of Public Security.

If you are from a country that has reached a bilateral agreement with China.

Keep in mind that if you want to go to Hong Kong, you have to apply for a Hong Kong visa. The reason for this circumstance is that Hong Kong has its own entry regulations as a Special Administrative Region (SAR).

You should apply for a China visa at the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate by following these simple steps:
1. Choose which type of visa you need to apply for. Determine which visa type you need depending on the purpose of your visit to China, and check whether you are eligible for it.
2. Book an appointment with the Chinese embassy or consulate. You must locate the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate. You should make an appointment weeks beforehand because, depending on your nationality, the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate might be in a neighboring country.
3. Complete the application form. You can find the application form online. Choose which application form is applicable to you depending on the type of visa you are applying for. Download the form and fill it out truthfully. Then put it together with the other required documents.
4. Collect the required documents. The list of documents will depend on the type of visa you are applying for, but the standard list of documents can be found in the section under “What Are the Requirements for a China Visa?”.
5. Attend the visa appointment. At the appointment, you will have to submit the application form with the required documents and have collected your biometric information. In addition, certain applicants will go through an interview. Children under the age of 14 and adults above the age of 70 are not required for biometric information collection. All documents will be mailed back to you in the return envelope.
6. Pay the application fee. The visa application fee depends on the type of visa, the number of entries, and your nationality.
7. Wait for a decision from the embassy or consulate. The processing time for a China visa is approximately 4 working days. But, if you pay extra fees for express service, you can expect your visa to be processed in 3 working days.
8. Collect your passport and visa. After your application has been approved, you can go back to the embassy or consulate and get your passport, which has your China visa.

The list of documents you need to have when applying for a China visa includes the following:

A valid passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the length of your requested visa and contain at least two blank pages for the visa stamp. Moreover, it should not be frayed, torn, or altered in any way.

One fully completed and signed visa application form. The application must be completed online, be printed single-sided, be date-stamped, and be signed in blue or black ink.

A passport photo. You must provide one color passport photo taken within the last six months against an all-white background and printed on high-quality photo paper. The dimensions must be 48mmx33mm.

Proof of legal stay or residence status. You must provide proof of your current residency address. The documents you can use are either a copy of the front of your driver’s license, government ID, or utility bill.

Previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas (if applicable).

Certificate of covid-19 vaccination.

Proof of round trip flight or departing flight. The documents must state the dates of entry and departure.

Proof of accommodation. You need a rental agreement, a lease, or any other document that proves your accommodation.

Documentation detailing the itinerary plans for the trip.

The processing time for a China visa is approximately 4 working days, including the submission day. However, if you pay extra fees for express service, you can expect your visa to be processed in 3 working days.

It is advised that you apply for a visa one month before the date you plan to enter China, but not three months beforehand. If you apply too early, your visa might expire before the date you plan to depart for China; but if you apply too late, you might not be able to get a visa in time for your planned departure.