Passport Information

The Chinese government requires that your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the expiry date of your visa.

You'll need at least one-entire blank page in your passport for the visa. Your country's embassy or consulate can usually add additional pages to your passport if need be, but you'll need to check this out first.

Losing your passport is very bad news indeed. Getting a new one takes time and money. However, if you will be staying in China or any foreign country - for a long time, it helps tremendously to register your passport with your embassy. This will eliminate the need to send telexes back to your home country to confirm that you really exist.

If you lose your passport, you should certainly have some ID card with your photo many embassies require this before issuing a new passport. Some embassies will accept a driver's license, but others will not - an expired passport will often save the day.

Visa Information

General Requirements for Applying for a Chinese Visa:

1. A completed Visa Application form. Form can be obtained from the local Chinese Embassy or Consulate, or you can download it from the official website of the Chinese Embassy in your country.
2. Two 2" X 2" passport photos showing applicant's full front face.
3. Current Passport that is valid for a minimum of six months from the date of travel. The passport must also have a more than two blank visa pages.
4. Submitting documents which explain one's reasons to enter China.

General Notes:

It is vital that you have the necessary documents with you when you travel to China otherwise entry will be denied.

Fees for Visas can vary from one country to another but details can be obtained from the web site of the Chinese Embassy in your country. Please contact us for details of Chinese Embassies.

Overseas Visa Authorities are: Chinese Embassies, consulates, visa offices, the consular department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in HKSAR and other agencies abroad authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

Visa validity: A single or double entry visa is normally valid for three months form the date of issue. Multi-entry visas can be valid for either six months, one year, or two to five years.

Duration of stay/number of entries: Duration may vary and it is possible to extend the period of your stay when appropriate. It should be noted that entry into China from Hong Kong or Macao is subject to a special permit.

Passport requirements:

A) There must be at least one totally blank page in the passport. Pages for endorsements or amendments cannot be used as a visa page.

B) Single or double entry visa requires a passport valid for at least 6 months. For multiple entry visas, a passport should be valid for at least 9 Months.

Accompanying person using the same passport

The photo of the accompanying person using the same passport should be affixed to the form. The full visa fee will apply.

How to apply for your Visa:

Applicants in person or through a third party (e.g. Travel Agent or Tour Operator) : apply for the Chinese visa during office hours 9 -12 am in Chinese Embassy / Chinese Consulates-General in the country you live.

Usually, the processing time is about 5- 7 working days.

Applications by Mail: It takes 2 weeks to process the application, so there is no same day or express day service. It is advised that your passport(s) should be sent by registered post for security and proof of posting needs to be kept. Please enclose a self-addressed envelope, the visa application form and payment (visa fee and service fee---see item: visa fee).