You’re going to China! Maybe you’re planning to take a survey trip to China, maybe you just want to travel, or maybe you’re going to start teaching in China and need a tourist visa before you get a work visa. No matter what the reason, you’ll need a visa to enter the country.

If you’ve never done it before or if you’ve done a simple google search and gotten overwhelmed, here’s a simple step-by-step guide to entering the Middle Country.

First, make sure you absolutely need a visa. In the past few years, China has been offering a visa-free transit through a handful of cities for 72-144 hours. The following is a list of visa-free cities:

Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Xi’An, Chongqing, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shijiazhuang, Dalian, Shenyang, Kunming, Chengdu, Wuhan – 144 hours
Harbin, Changsha, Guilin – 72 hours

(All cities listed are visa-free when landing in airports.)

If you’re going to another city, you’ll need a tourist visa.

What do you need?

1) A Valid Passport

Must have at least 2 blank pages.

Must not expire within the next 6 months.

2) Visa Application Form

Simply fill out this form with your information. Print it out, sign it, and you’re good to go! Here’s a link if you want to download the form: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/pdf/visa-application.pdf

3) Passport Photo

Make sure it has a white background, but this is just a standard passport photo. Of course, you can go to a store to get this professionally taken, but if you want to save time and money, check out the app called “Passport Photo” to take it yourself. This will be attached to the application form.

4) Invitation Letter OR Hotel Confirmation

It sounds weird, but the government needs to know where you’ll be staying during your time in China. If you’re staying with a friend, you’ll have to draft up an invitation letter with your friend’s information. If you’re not staying with a friend, you’ll need a hotel confirmation to print out and include with your application.

5) Flight Confirmation

Before you’ll be issued a visa, you need to print out and include your flight confirmation, proving what dates and times you’ll be arriving and leaving China. For a tourist visa, you will need a round-trip ticket or two one-way tickets, to show you have both arrival and departure dates.

Tip: If booking a flight before you get your visa makes you uncomfortable, just book your flight with an airline or company that allows a refund window. In the past, I’ve purchased my flight through Expedia, which offers a 24-hour return window. After printing out the flight confirmation, I canceled the flight, and rebooked it for the same dates once I got my visa approved.

How Do You Actually Get the Passport?

All these documents will need to be submitted to the Chinese embassy. If you happen to have one in your city or near you, you’ll be able to physically hand in your documents yourself. If that’s not an option, you will need to pay a visa company to physically hand in your documents for you.

I’ve used a lot of different companies, but by far, my favorite company has been Travisa. You can find them at travisa.com. Travisa’s website is clear and easy to navigate, their prices are conservatively low, and their customer service is efficient and knowledgeable. I’ve used other companies that would run me in circles, transfer me, and give me no direct answers. Travisa has never been like that for me.

Note: Depending on your state or country, these requirements could vary. Travisa has a great section of the site which allows you to look up the specific details of your state or country here: https://china.travisa.com/Common/TVSVisaInstructions.aspx?countryid=cn&partnerid=ta&glid=aus&citizenshipid=us&travelertypeid=to&state=2519

How Much Will It Cost?

If you already have your passport, and you pay the minimal costs for a passport photo, you’ll still have the costs for the hotel and flight. But how much does the visa cost? Each company will give you a different price, but you should pay around $200 for your vsia application. I’ve seen a variety of prices, but I would never pay more than $250.

How Long Will It Take?

Usually visa processing takes around 7-10 days. Most companies allow you to expedite the process for an additional cost. Don’t forget to factor in shipping time, and always remember to have the documents tracked through FedEx or UPS.

How Long Will My Visa Be Good For?

Most tourist visas are valid for 30 days. If you’re a U.S., U.K., Canadian, or Argentine citizen, you can get a 10-year visa with multiple entries.

Getting a tourist visa to China really isn’t as scary or complicated as it sounds. Just follow the steps and you’ll be good to go!

How to Get a Tourist Visa by Yourself