China Visa Office

Foreign citizens generally need visas unless they want to visit the Chinese mainland except for visa free entry. American citizens must obtain a visa before they arrive in China and are not eligible to apply for a landing visa. But a visa is not a guarantee to enter China. Whether or not to allow entry into the country shall be decided by the Chinese border control organ at the port of entry in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations.

If you have received a visa, but your travel plan has changed, do you need to apply for a change of visa type or validity?

Once your visa application is processed and approved, you will not be able to change the type of validity of your visa unless you ask the visa office to void your visa and apply for and pay for a new visa. If you have entered China, you should apply to the local public security organ for changing the visa type or extending the stay or validity period. The public security organ will review your application in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of China.

How to read and understand your Chinese visa?

"Entry" refers to the number of times you have been allowed to enter China. It can be a one-time entry, double-entry, or multiple entries and is valid for the duration of the visa.

The validity period of the visa ("pre-entry") shall take effect from the date of issue and shall remain valid until 24:00 Beijing time on the "pre-entry" date unless the number of times of entry is exhausted or the visa is revoked by the Chinese government.

Each stay is the maximum number of days you are allowed to stay in China each time you enter the country, calculated from the date of entry. During your stay in China, you may find that your date of departure from China will exceed the "before entry" date. As long as your total stay in the country does not exceed the "per stay" limit, you will not be penalized.

Where is the China visa office? Where should I apply for a visa? Do I have to be there in person to submit the application? Can I use a visa service?

You can apply for a visa according to your country of residence. You need to fill in and sign the visa form, prepare the necessary supporting documents, and ask your friends or visa service agency to help you submit your application. You don't have to be present in person unless requested by the consular officer.

How long does it take to apply for a visa? When is it appropriate to submit my visa application?

Generally speaking, it takes 4 working days to process visa applications, but some applications require longer processing time. You will inform you of the expected collection date on the bill of lading or later by phone. It is recommended that you submit your visa application one month before the planned date of your trip to China.