Chinese Visa Invitation Letter

If you are traveling to China independently (without an official tour group), you may need to obtain a Chinese Visa Invitation Letter when applying for a Chinese tourist visa or an "L" visa. This letter is a document inviting visa applicants to visit China. The Chinese Visa Invitation Letter requires specific information. For independent travelers, it's a little trickier than traveling with a team or business. Travel agencies provide letters for their travelers, and business travelers can get invitations from a company they are visiting. Tour groups usually issue joint visas for tourists to China.

The Chinese tourist visa (L visa) is issued to those who intend to travel, visit or visit friends in China. Generally, each visit can stay for up to 60 days. Visas are available for one or more entries, at a cost of $140 for U.S. citizens.

What should be included in the Chinese Visa Invitation Letter

If you visit or know someone in China, they can write you an invitation letter. This letter needs to include the travel date and the scheduled stay time. It should be noted that you can change your plan after you get your visa. The letter is a statement of intent, but Chinese officials will not check the information after the visa is issued. So even if you're in the planning stage, you can ask your friend to write you an invitation that you'll live with him or her, and then you can change your mind and learn the details after the visa is issued.

Use of visa agency

If you are Backpacking or traveling alone and no one writes to you, you can use an agency to help you get an acceptance letter. One of the recommended agencies is a panda visa (this agency can also apply for a Chinese visa for you).

Submission of visa applications and correspondence

If you do not use an agent to obtain a visa, the visa application will be submitted to the Chinese embassy or consulate based on your country of residence (list of visa offices by country). You can submit your application in person or use an agent (no legal authorization required). The Chinese embassy does not accept mail applications. Consular officers may request you to come to the visa office in person for an interview if they deem it necessary.

It usually takes 4 working days to apply for a Chinese travel visa. For express service, an extra charge of $20 will be charged for two to three working days. For emergency services, an additional $37 will be charged for the same day services approved in extreme emergencies only.

The Chinese consulate requires you to pay by draft, promissory note, or credit card (Visa or Mastercard only). No cash or personal/corporate checks will be accepted. Cashier's check or draft should be paid to "Chinese embassy"

How long does it take to get an invitation letter from China?

Normally, it only takes 2 days to 1 week to have it approved. You will probably need to submit your passport info or a passport photocopy to the Chinese company. No, you just need one of them. A qualified invitation letter from a Chinese company or institution is acceptable as well.