Get a Travel Visa for China

How Americans Can Apply for a Chinese Tourist Visa

Nov 6, 2009 Bridget Coila

American travelers to China are required to have a Chinese visa issued by the authorities at the Chinese consulate. Getting a travel visa for China is fairly easy with the help of an online visa agency, but they can also be obtained in person.

Type of Visa Needed for Travel to China

American tourists wanting to visit China will need to apply for a tourist visa, the L-type visa. The Chinese government also issues other types, such as business, student, journalism and work visas, but these are not available for the casual traveler.

The L-type tourist visa is generally issued for 30 days with a single entry into mainland China allowed. Regulations are different for Hong Kong, where travelers from the U.S. do not need a visa but are automatically given a stamp in their passport letting them stay in Hong Kong for up to 90 days.

Travelers can apply for a longer visa of 60 or 90 days if they plan on traveling within China for a longer period and have documentation showing airline or hotel reservations for more than 30 days. They can also apply for a double-entry or multi-entry allowance on the visa, which is useful if the visitor plans to enter and exit China more than once.

How to Apply Online for a Travel Visa for China

There are many agencies that can handle acquiring a visa online for China. These travel visa services will require the traveler to send in:

• the application form required by the Chinese consulate

• their passport with six months validity and one free page for the visa

• one passport-size photograph

• the fee for the visa, generally between $100-200 U.S. depending on the specifics (single or multi-entry, 30, 60, or 90 days, etc)

Depending on the state where the traveler resides, there may be additional requirements, such as a copy of the airline tickets or itinerary or proof of income.

How to Apply in Person for a Travel Visa for China

Travelers applying in person must travel to one of the six cities with visa-issuing Chinese consulates. They then must bring their passport, visa application, photo and payment to the consulate and wait in line, usually for most of a day, to get everything processed.

Applicants who show up in person are less likely to obtain 60 or 90 day visas and less likely to get double or multi-entry capability. This is especially true during periods of sensitivity, when visas are limited due to events going on in China.

Tricks and Tips for Getting a Chinese Visa

At certain times, the regulations for obtaining a Chinese visa become stricter. This occurred leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the government's 60th Anniversary celebrations in 2009. At such times, multi-entry visas have been limited and stays over 30 or 60 days were not allowed.

After these planned events were over, visa restrictions were relaxed again. An online visa agency will be able to inform potential travelers of particular restrictions in effect at a given time or even things that might be upcoming that could affect visa requirements.

Another important thing to remember when getting a Chinese visa is that the traveler's home jurisdiction matters. There are currently six Chinese consulates issuing visas in the U.S. – New York, Washington D.C, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Some jurisdictions have more stringent requirements than others, and some enforce their jurisdiction, meaning that only people from that state and surrounding states can get their visas there.

Many seasoned travelers choose to send their visa application to an agency in a different region that doesn't enforce jurisdiction if the requirements are lower there. For example, when requirements were tight at the New York Chinese consulate just before the Beijing Olympics, some travelers from New York obtained their visas through the Los Angeles agency instead, which had less strict rules. It is also possible to obtain a mainland Chinese visa in Hong Kong, through local visa agencies.

Extending a Chinese Tourist Visa

Once in China, visitors can choose to extend their L visa if they decide to stay longer than their original plans entailed. Visa extensions are granted through the PSB office in the city where the traveler is staying and are usually for 30 days. Most PSB offices will extend the visa up to two times. Anyone wanting an extension should appear in person.