Let’s get you a visa.
China Visa Application Information
**Important: Make sure your passport has at least 6 months’ validity past your departure date.
If it does not, you MUST apply for a new passport and have it in hand before you are able to apply for your travel visa.**
China Visa Application Processing Time **Schedule your visa appointment as soon as possible. Some consulates are scheduling two months out.** Once you have sent in your complete visa application packet to the China consulate, it will generally take 5-7 business days for a regular application to be approved (if all the documents meet the requirements). If sending via courier service, applicants should expect an additional 2-4 days on either side for shipping time, giving a maximum timeline of about 2 weeks from application to receipt of your travel visa. Please note that this timeline may be longer now post-COVID. Some travelers are currently seeing 3-4 weeks.
  • If time is tight, Expedited (2-3 business days + shipping) or Rush (1 business day +shipping) application options are available for an additional cost.
Visa Application Form Guidance
Please feel free to refer to these tips when completing your China visa application form. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the form fields, please contact us!
 
  • As long as there is a COVA (China Online Visa Application) form available for your country of residence, you should use it to apply for your China visa. 
  • ALL required fields must be completed. 
  • Make sure all names match exactly what is shown on your passport (i.e. If your middle name is included in your passport Given Names, include it exactly the same in the Visa Application “Given Name(s)” field.)
  • If you are unsure of your China birthplace/orphanage city or district, please call us!
  • National ID Number put N/A
  • Have You Ever Held Any Other Nationality, adoptees should mark Yes and choose China
    • Complete all subsequent fields. Your Chinese given name must be typed in the correct Chinese characters (cannot be in PinYin)
    • Chinese ID Number does not apply to any China adoptees. Mark Not Applicable and explain, “[Traveler Name] was adopted from China before the age of 18 and was not assigned an ID number.”
  • Type of Travel Document choose Ordinary 
  • Types of Visa and Major Purpose of Your Visit choose (L) Tourism and choose Independent Tourist
  • Number of Entries we suggest choosing Multiple 
  • Maximum Duration of Longest Stay (days) you can write in any number between 30 – 180. We advise to put 30 days. 
  • Validity of Visa (months) we suggest writing in 120 months (10 years)
  • The Information About Your Intended Trip section is a bit confusing. Complete all fields as best you can. We assume that the order of dates/cities pertains first to Arrival and then Departure. It is easiest to just pick one destination address and only put that address. A full itinerary is not needed. Just in case:
    • Beijing International Airport (PEK) is located in Shunyi District
    • Guangzhou International Airport (CAN) is located in Baiyun District
    • Please call us if you have any questions!
  • Occupation choose Self-Employed if you work in a field that may be concerning to China’s politics (i.e. religious leader, politician, journalist, etc.)
  • Inviting Person or Organization in China please leave blank
  • Who Will Pay For the Travel choose Self
  • Sponsor choose Not Applicable
  • For entire Other Information section (Yes/No questions), ‘No’ is the optimal answer unless absolutely necessary to choose ‘Yes’
  • Review and verify that all information is correct. DO NOT click Submit yet.
    • Copy down your Application ID number
    • Provide your courier with your Application ID number
    • Your courier will be able to log in and review your completed visa application form via your Application ID.
    • Once the courier confirms that all is correct, you can retrieve your application using your Application ID and Submit your application
    • Print out your COVA application and sign it. Provide your courier with a signed copy in your visa application packet.

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