Applying A Visa to China

In accordance with "the Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit of Aliens" and other relevant regulations, all visitors who travel to China mainland, whether for business or pleasure, require a visa. No Visa is required prior to enter Hong Kong; a Visa will be issued upon arrival. If you travel beyond Hong Kong, even for a few hours, you will need a China visa to enter China.

The Methods of Obtaining a China Visa

First you should know that you obtain your visa before leaving the country where you live.

The costs and the length of time to process a visa are different according to different countries. You could check the website of Chinese Embassy in your country to find the information applicable to you. Application forms can usually be downloaded from the web site.

The Documents needed to prepare when you applying for L Visa or F Visa

There are four documents to apply for both L Visa and F Visa. Besides, when applying for an F Visa you need a Visa notification issued by an authorized Chinese unit.

Passport: your passport with a few blank pages. While the validity of your passport is at least 6 months.

Application Form: to apply for a China Visa, you need to complete an application form. You can download the application form on the official website of China embassy in your resident county.

Photo: You need to glue a photo on your application form. This photo should be the same with your passport.

Round Trip Air Tickets and Hotel Reservation: the hotel reservation should include your check-in and check-out time and the round trip air tickets should include your arrival and departure time. If you want to live in your friend's home, you need to provide your friend's passport number or ID number. If you want to live in your family member's home you need to provide your family member's passport number or ID number. Besides, you need to prepare a certificate of kinship.

The types of visa

You should apply suitable visa according to your own needs.

Single-entry China visas are usually valid for 3 months after the issue date, and will permit you to stay in China for a maximum of 30 days. This visa will allow you to travel as a tourist or conduct general business activities. Most people need only to apply for a single-entry.

If you need to leave and re-enter mainland China you should apply for "double" or "multiple" entry Visa. Please keep in mind that even when you leave for Hong Kong, Macao from mainland China, you still need to have "double" or "multiple" entry Visa.

When to Apply for Visa to Enter China.

The Chinese visa is generally valid for 3 months from the issue date to enter China. So you should apply for your visa within 3 months of entry into according to your travel itinerary, and avoid expiry of visa, or extra cost of urgent fee due to lack of application process time. Please also decide the duration of stay in China. The permitted duration of stay of Chinese visas are generally up to 30 days. If you need to stay longer, please apply to the local public security bureau in China for visa extension.

The Visa to Enter Macau and Hong Kong

Valid Passport or Travel Entry Permit is required for one to enter Macau. The period of validity should be 30 days at least. If you join in a tour group, the procedure for visa transaction should be processed by any of the travel agencies in Macau. Macau visa could be applied in the Chinese embassies or consulates in your own countries; A 30-day Visas also can be applied on arrival in Macau at Immigration Services.

The does if you lose your passport during your stay in China

If you do lose your passport, call your guide or travel advisor for help and notify the local Public Security Bureau(PSB) immediately. The PSB will then issue you a proof of lost passport, with which, you need to go to the nearest embassy or consulate of your own country to apply for a new passport. To have the replacement, you will need to know all the information previously recorded and show identification and proof of citizenship. With the new passport issued, you can get a new Visa in the PSB, so you can go on your trip or re-enter your country. Please note that in some cases, a replacement may take weeks to process, and it may be valid only for a limited time. So take special care of your passport in your journey.