This is a very common question that people ask me, what is it like getting a Chinese Visa? Well, I will try to explain the process as best as I can. But first, I would like to start by saying everybody has their own opinions and experiences. Some of them may be different from mine but I will do my best to describe them accurately from my experience.

US Citizens can obtain a visa to visit China for certain purposes for a limited period of time but there are also special circumstances that may allow you to live in China as well. However, first thing’s first, you want to make sure you have the right Chinese visa for your purpose so to get that out of the way we’re going to go over what Chinese visa’s are available and how long they will last.

Chinese Visa For Us Citizen

Officially known as the People’s Republic of China, this country is located in East Asia. Its neighbors include South Korea, North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, and Japan. The capital city of China is Beijing and its official language is Chinese. It has a population of about 1.4 billion people. An important aspect of the Chinese culture for centuries has been its written language which remains unchanged since the 5th century BC. The written Chinese characters are believed to have evolved from some 5,000 years ago from pictographs that were drawn on oracle bones and turtle shells.

Tourist Visa

Tourism in China requires a visa and is typically a single entry visa with a stay duration of 30 days. US citizens may be eligible for a 10-year multiple entry visa.

The tourism visa requires your passport to be valid for at least 6 months and it must have at least two blank pages. You must also have an invitation letter from a china travel agency or an individual or round-trip tickets and a hotel booking.

Regular service fee per visa:

$349

The China Embassy has suspended visa services for Tourist visas. Please contact the embassy directly for guidance on visa requirements.

• Requirements
• Fees

Passport

You must provide your actual signed passport, including one copy of the personal information page of your passport. Your passport must:

• Be valid for six months beyond the length of your requested visa (for example, if you are requesting a 12 month visa your passport must be valid for 18 months )
• Contain at least two blank visa pages for the visa stamp (amendments and endorsement pages cannot be used to fulfill this requirement)
• If requesting multiple entries, the passport must contain at least two blank facing visa pages, there can be no stamps or amendment endorsement type on the pages 
• Not be frayed, torn, separating, or altered in any other way

If your passport does not meet these requirements, please contact China Visa Service Center at 1-800-799-6560 for further details.

Photograph(s)

The Chinese Consulate requires a photograph that meets very strict requirements. We strongly recommend that you submit your photograph electronically to China Visa Service Center so we can ensure it meets the stringent characteristics mandated by the Chinese Consulate. Follow https://www.mychinavisa.com/photo-service to upload your photo.

All electronic photo submissions must be taken within the last six months against an all-white background. It must show a full frontal view of your head, face centered in the middle, the tops of your shoulders, and display a neutral (non-smiling) expression with eyes open, mouth closed, and ears visible. No background light or shadows are permitted. You may not wear eyeglasses, jewelry, or headwear except for religious purposes. Do not wear a white shirt. 

Should you elect to submit an actual photograph then it must meet all of the above criteria and:

• Be exactly 48 mm tall by 33 mm wide 
• Be printed on high-quality photo paper
• Not be affixed to your application, with no evidence of adhesive tape or staples

Note that most passport photo vendors produce photos that are 2 inches by 2 inches and are not acceptable. China Visa Service Center cannot submit applications with incorrectly formatted photographs.

Letter of Invitation

CET Academic Programs will advise you how the Invitation Letter requirement will be fulfilled for participants from your program.  Please contact CET Academic Programs if you have any questions on what you should submit to meet this requirement.

To fulfill the tourist visa invite requirement, you must select one of the following options:

• A copy of your round trip airline ticket, or
• Itinerary and airline confirmation: A copy of your day-by-day cruise itinerary, or if on a tour, your tour itinerary. In addition you must provide a copy of your confirmed airline reservations showing all segments of your flights from state of residence in the U.S. to China and returning to the U.S. to your state of residence. Your itinerary and flight information must include your full name as it appears on your passport, or 
• A copy of an official letter of invitation from a governmental agency or individual sponsor.  If you obtain a letter of invitation from an individual sponsor in China, the invitation must include the following:
  • Your name, gender, date of birth
  • Purpose of applicant’s visit
  • Date of arrival and departure
  • Places to visit, specific names of cities required
  • Details of your flight itinerary and hotel reservation
  • State who will bear the cost of the applicant’s lodging while in China
  • Information on the sponsor: name of the unit, phone number, address, copy of sponsor’s passport or ID
  • Have company or organizations seal/stamp

If your invitation is from a non-governmental sponsor your letter must include your job title/occupation, passport number with issue and expiration date. The relationship of the applicant and sponsor must also be stated. If the individual inviting you is in China on a work permit then you must provide a copy of the inviter’s residence permit

The invitation may be a copy, fax, or printout but the consular office may request the original.

Proof of State Residency

You must provide a proof of your current address of residency. The document must either be a copy of the front of your driver’s license or government ID, or a utility bill. The document must:

• Display your name as it appears on your passport
• Display the current residence address as provided on your visa application

Please note, if you must submit a utility bill the consulate requires electric, gas, or a water bill; phone and cable bills are not accepted.

China Visa Service Center Order Form

Provide the China Visa Service Center Order Form included in this kit.

Visa Application Form

One fully completed and signed visa application form. The application must:

• Be completed online
• Include answers for all required fields (NA where not applicable)
• List the name of the traveler exactly as it is written in the passport
• Be printed single-sided
• Be dated and signed in blue or black ink
• Be enclosed with all other documents in your visa application kit