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
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.
All travelers to China will need a China tourist visa (also know as an “L visa”) to enter the People’s Republic of China. A China entry visa is issued only by a Chinese Consulate or Embassy. Travelers should start preparing their visa application packet 60 – 45 days prior to their departure date.
The visa application process can get a little complicated when it comes to adoptees traveling back to their birth countries. Don’t worry! We’ll walk you through every step of the process!
Once you have all of your required documents ready, you can either apply in person (if you happen to live near a Chinese consulate) or opt to use a courier service. Visit the Fee Breakdown tab for visa application costs and fees.
For Chinese adoptee travelers, you will need to prepare the following documents for your visa application:
*A detailed Adoptee Documents Guide can be found in your Travel Portal
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Make 100% sure that your passport has at least 6 months validity (meaning its expiration date is at least 6 months past your tour departure date) and at least TWO blank visa pages available. This does not include the pages reserved for amendments or endorsements.
*If your passport does not have enough validity, you need to apply for a new passport before you can apply for a travel visa*
Also, make a photocopy of your passport’s photo page and (for anyone who has visited China before) your most recent China visa. You will include these in your visa application packet.
There are two ways to complete a China visa application form.
Option 1. China Online Visa Application Form (COVA)
Log onto https://cova.mfa.gov.cn to start an online application. Each online application is assigned a unique ID number. Be sure to keep this number on hand. *As long as a COVA form is available for your country of residence, you should use a COVA form*
Option 2. PDF Chinese Visa Application Form
*Only use this option if your country of residence is not available on the COVA site.*
Download a Chinese Visa Application Form to complete and print out to include in your visa application packet. Your visa application form must be TYPED. Do not print out and hand write your answers.
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Please visit our Visa Application Form Tips below for helpful tips when filling out your application.
Two passport-photo-sized portrait photos.
- Photos need to be taken against a white or plain, solid background.
- Clear, front-facing photos. No hats, sunglasses, or anything else that covers your face are allowed.
Photo Size Requirements:
- Paper Photo: 33mm × 48mm
- Digital Photo: 400px x 520px
This is the passport that was issued to you during your adoption and naturalization. A lot of people call is their baby passport, but that may be misleading as not everyone receives it as a baby. Either way, this is your expired Chinese passport and you will need to include it in your visa application packet.
- If this is your first time traveling back to China since your adoption, you will need to send the full original passport.
- If this is not your first time traveling back to China since your adoption, you will only need to send a photocopy of the photo page of the passport.
You will need to include a copy of your Adoption Certificate in your application packet. Do not send any originals, only photocopies.
Read our ‘Adoptee Documents Guide‘ for sample versions of the Adoption Certificate if you are not sure what this looks like.
Some China consulates may require that you include a copy of your Citizenship Certificate in your application packet. Do not send any originals, only photocopies.
Read our ‘Adoptee Documents Guide‘ for information about the Citizenship Certificate if you are not sure what this looks like.
This can be a copy of your driver’s license or a copy of a utility bill, bank bill, etc.
Download and complete this simple form. Handwritten signature is required.
All travelers will be provided an official Invitation Letter from our China tour team to help verify the validity of your trip purpose. This will include:
- Information on the planned tour (departure and arrival dates, destinations, etc.)
- Our tour team’s contact information, official seal, and signature
- General hotel reservation information
Make sure to print our your roundtrip flight itinerary for your visa application packet. Itinerary needs to clearly show departure and arrival dates, times, airlines, and cities.
For travelers who were not adopted from China, you will need to prepare the following documents for your visa application:
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Make 100% sure that your passport has at least 6 months validity (meaning its expiration date is at least 6 months past your tour departure date) and at least TWO blank visa pages available. This does not include the pages reserved for amendments or endorsements.
*If your passport does not have enough validity, you need to apply for a new passport before you can apply for a travel visa*
Also, make a photocopy of your passport’s photo page and (for anyone who has visited China before) your most recent China visa. You will include these in your visa application packet.
There are two ways to complete a China visa application form.
Option 1. China Online Visa Application Form (COVA)
Log onto https://cova.mfa.gov.cn to start an online application. Each online application is assigned a unique ID number. Be sure to keep this number on hand. *As long as a COVA form is available for your country of residence, you should use a COVA form*
Option 2. PDF Chinese Visa Application Form
*Only use this option if your country of residence is not available on the COVA site.*
Download a Chinese Visa Application Form to complete and print out to include in your visa application packet. Your visa application form must be TYPED. Do not print out and hand write your answers.
_________
Please visit our Visa Application Form Tips below for helpful tips when filling out your application.
Two passport-photo-sized portrait photos.
- Photos need to be taken against a white or plain, solid background.
- Clear, front-facing photos. No hats, sunglasses, or anything else that covers your face are allowed.
Photo Size Requirements:
- Paper Photo: 33mm × 48mm
- Digital Photo: 400px x 520px
This can be a copy of your driver’s license or a copy of a utility bill, bank bill, etc.
Download and complete this simple form. Handwritten signature is required.
All travelers will be provided an official Invitation Letter from our China tour team to help verify the validity of your trip purpose. This will include:
- Information on the planned tour (departure and arrival dates, destinations, etc.)
- Our tour team’s contact information, official seal, and signature
- General hotel reservation information
Make sure to print our your roundtrip flight itinerary for your visa application packet. Itinerary needs to clearly show departure and arrival dates, times, airlines, and cities.
Travelers can make an appointment at their nearest China consulate to present their visa application packet in person or opt to use a courier service to help apply for them.
China Consulates
U.S. China consulates:
Here is a Consular district map to help guide which consulate to use in the U.S.
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- New York City
- Washington, D.C.
Canada China consulates:
- Calgary
- Montreal
- Ottawa
- Toronto
- Vancouver
UK China consulates:
- Belfast
- Edinburgh
- London
- Manchester
China Consular Visa Fee
Regular Processing Time (5-7 business days)
- U.S. Citizens: $140 USD
- Canada Citizens: $100 CAD
- UK Citizens: £85
Expedited Processing Time (3-5 business days)
- U.S. Citizens: $165 USD
- Canada Citizens: $135 CAD
- UK Citizens: £104
Rush Processing Time (1-2 business days)
- U.S. Citizens: $177 USD
- Canada Citizens: $150 CAD
- UK Citizens: N/A
Courier Service Fees vary between couriers. For U.S. travelers, please visit our List of Known China Visa Courier Services for additional information.
- 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 city or district, please call us!
- National ID Number can be your valid passport number or Driver’s License number
- Have You Ever Held Any Other Nationality, adoptees should mark Yes and choose China
- Complete all subsequent fields. Type in your given Chinese name only if you know the correct characters (cannot be in PinYin), otherwise write, “See Chinese Passport”
- Chinese ID Number does not apply to any China adoptees. Mark Not Applicable and explain, “Was adopted from China before age 18.”
- 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 Trip Arrival and then Trip Departure.
- 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!
- All information regarding Inviting Person or Organization in China will be provided to you in your invitation letter. Please call us if you have any questions!
- 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.
It’s never too early to start becoming a pro