Where do I get a visa for China? If you wish to apply for a Chinese visa which options are available?
Keep reading to find out.
Where Do I Get A Visa For China?
Are you interested in applying for a Chinese visa? Here are the available options.
At The Embassy or Consulate: The surest place to get a visa for China is at a Chinese embassy or consulate in your home or host country. Through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese government has established foreign missions in almost all the global sovereign nations. These offices handle visa applications and issue approved visas to visitors traveling to China. Embassies and consulates issue a significant percentage of visas to foreigners; however, most expect applicants to appear in person to collect their visas. They may even request their presence for an interview before the visa is issued.
Visa Application Centers: Visa application centers are other avenues for visa application form submission. While most application centers will not issue visas, they help the embassy collate applicant data which they transmit to the embassies for review. The embassy will invite only those who meet certain criteria for a one-on-one interview with an official.
At The Airport: China has a visa-on-arrival policy set aside for nationals of selected countries. If you are from any of the approved countries, you can apply for a visa on arrival once you arrive at designated airports, seaports, or borders in China.
The visa-on-arrival policy requires the eligible visitor to have a valid passport, round-trip ticket, and a travel itinerary. The immigration officers will review their documents and give them a visa on arrival form to fill out. After reviewing the form and other documents, the visa on arrival will be issued to you.
Online: The online option is limited to only a few countries and selected visas. The authorities are working on making the online process available to many more foreign nationals, but until then, only applicants from a few nations can apply for a visa online. The online method is the fastest and easiest visa application process and only requires a few minutes of your time. It is mostly used for tourist, transit, and short-term business visas.
Here is how to apply for a visa to China through an online application portal like VisaHQ.
Log onto VisaHQ
Select your country of citizenship
Select China as your destination
Choose your preferred visa
Complete the application form
Attach copies of your documents
Pay the visa fee
Submit the form
The online method takes only a few working days to process as long as you submit the right documents and they are valid. The visa will be forwarded to your registered email after 2-3 working days. Endeavor to print out the visa and bring it with you to China as evidence.
Documentary Requirements For A China Visa
Different documents are required for a Chinese visa, but here are the basic requirements for every visa on offer.
Completed Form: A completed and signed application form is required for all Chinese visas. Ensure that you only provide valid information that corresponds with the details in your documents.
Valid Passport: A valid passport with at least six months of validity and two blank visa pages is required.
ID Card: A valid government issued ID card for self-identification. A driver’s license or voter ID may be accepted.
Invitation Letter: A letter of invitation sent to you by your host, who may be an entity or an individual. The letter must be signed by them and contain information about the purpose of your trip and their address, and it must be printed on their official letterhead.
Travel itinerary: A copy of your travel Itinerary containing the arrival and departure date, including the places you plan to visit.
Reservation: Hotel and round trip ticket reservation. Your flight ticket's arrival and departure dates must correspond with those on your itinerary.
Proof of Funds: In some cases, proof of funds may be required by the embassy to prove that you possess the financial capacity to fund your trip. If your host is responsible for your expenses, the embassy may require them to provide a bank statement with a minimum required balance to prove that they can cover your needs during your time in China.
Note: Applicants will also be asked to submit their previous visa.
Types of Chinese Visas
Transit Visa – Tourist Visa – Study Visa – Crew Visa – Business Visa – Work Visa – Private Visa – Non-commercial Visa – Family Visa – Group Visa
Where do I get a visa for China? You can get w visa directly from an embassy, at the airport, or online. These different options have certain requirements attached to them.