Place of Origin: | Hongkong, China (Mainland) |
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Chinese Visa Application Guide Executive Business Services Chinese Invitation Letter
Need help getting a Chinese visa?
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This article is a complete guide to getting a Chinese VISA. Keep reading to find out the answers to the following questions:
Yes, generally speaking, you do. However there are several exceptions. You don’t need a VISA if:
If you have all the necessary documents and hold a passport with at least six months validity and two blank pages, it should take between two (if you apply for the express service) to four working days to get a Chinese VISA.
Note that the rush service (one business day) is only available in some countries (the US, for instance) and only for cases of extreme urgency, upon the approval of the Chinese Consular Office.
The best time to apply for a Chinese VISA is between two months and fifteen days before your departure. You can’t apply for your VISA too early because if you don’t use it, the VISA will expire after 90 days (or 180 days, in some cases), starting from the day you obtained it.
The price varies from 30 to 140 USD depending on your nationality, the type of VISA, the country where you apply and the number of entries.
Usually it’s cheaper for European people, whereas American people are usually required to pay the full fee of 140 USD.
In many countries, including the UK, Australia, Canada and EU countries, you must apply through the CVASC (Chinese VISA Application Service Center).
However, if in your country there is no CVASC (click on the link above to see the complete list), you shall still apply at the Chinese Consular Office that serves your province. This is also the case of people living in USA (you can click here to see where you shall apply if you are a US resident).
If for some reason you don’t want to, or you can’t show up personally, you can use an agency to get your Chinese VISA. This will have a supplementary cost, but it may still be cheaper than the cost of the trip to the nearest CVASC or Chinese Consulate).
In this case you’ll have to send your passport (and other necessary documents) to the agency and they will handle everything. To apply for a VISA service through an agency you can use the form on the right sidebar of this page.
At the moment we recommend VISA HQ, a reputable agency that charges 79 USD for its Chinese VISA service. Click here to learn more!
People that are already traveling or working in Asia may also apply in Hong Kong (at the moment, only through an agency, as applying for a VISA at the consular office is only possible for Hong Kong residents). Click here to read our guide to getting a Chinese VISA in Hong Kong.
Keep in mind that the government may abruptly decide to restrict or change VISA requirements in any moment, just like they did in 2008 (before the Olympic Games in Beijing) and in 2013. I don’t want to scare you; just be prepared to deal with the unforeseen.
In practice, you can also apply in other countries, but do so at your own risk, as it’s possible (probable?) that your application will be rejected. It also depends on your passport: Italian and German people, for example, seem to experience much fewer problems than French and American people. It usually depends on how good (or bad) the relationship between China and your country is. Since July 2013, even in Hong Kong, they have started to reject a lot of applications. Click here for the details.
The basic requirements for getting any kind of Chinese VISA are the following:
WorldVillage Intl Co.,Limited [China (Mainland)]
Business Type:Manufacturer
City: Shenzhen
Province/State: Guangdong
Country/Region: China (Mainland)