Preparing to Obtain your Tourist Visa
Ensure the validity of your passport. To get a tourist visa to visit China, you must have a valid passport with at least six months of remaining validity, so if your passport will expire in less than six months, you will need to renew before you can get a tourist visa to visit China. You must have blank visa pages in your passport as well, plus a copy of the data page of your passport (including the photo).
Complete a Visa Application Form and attach a photo. The Visa Application form (Form V.2013) can be downloaded on the Chinese embassy website and should be filled out completely. You'll also need to provide a recent passport photo, which you will attach to your visa application. You can get your passport photo taken at shipping centers such as FedEx and UPS as well as membership stores/agencies like Costco and AAA and pharmacies/retail stores like Walgreens and CVS. Additionally, you may get a passport photo from a professional photo studio that offers this service or a US passport application acceptance facility.
Consider a multiple-entry visa. If you plan on leaving China and re-entering multiple times throughout your stay, you will need to get a multiple-entry visa. This is true even if you are only planning on traveling to Hong Kong and/or Macau. To apply for a multiple-entry visa, you will use the same form (Form V.2013) as when applying for a regular tourist visa. When you are filling it out, make sure you indicate in Section 2.2 that you are intending to make multiple entries.
Apply for special permits, if necessary. If you are planning on traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), you will need to get a special permit from a Chinese travel agency. Permits usually cost around $30 for a single-entry permit and are valid for three months. If you receive a permit (they are not always granted), you will be restricted to traveling only to Lhasa and parts of Shan Nan. Be aware of any restrictions and make sure you understand them before traveling to these regions.
Provide proof of legal stay or residence status if you are a non-US citizen. If you are not an American citizen, you will have to provide the original visa or other official document from the authority in whichever country in which you are currently staying.
Provide copies of previous Chinese passports or visas if you were formerly a Chinese citizen. If you used to have Chinese citizenship but have a different citizenship now, you'll need to provide a photocopy of your (now invalid) Chinese passport. If you have had a Chinese visa before and now have a new passport without any Chinese visa stamps, provide a photocopy of the old passport's data page.
Provide an itinerary to show your flight and accommodations in China. You will need some kind of document showing your flight arrangements and hotel reservations while you are in China. If you will be staying with a friend, you must have an invitation letter that includes your information (name, date of birth, gender, etc.), information about the visit including the duration and planned sightseeing, etc., and information for the person that has invited you, including their name, telephone number, address, an official stamp, and signature.
Submitting Your Application
Locate a Visa Office of Chinese Embassy/Consulate General that serves your area. Visit the Chinese Embassy website to find a location. There are six locations in the US to serve Americans wishing to obtain tourist visas to visit China and one office in England for British citizens. Check the embassy website for offices in other countries. You must either come to the Embassy or Consulate personally or you may entrust someone else or an agent for the application process (a power of attorney is not necessary). You may have to come to the office personally for an interview if the consular officer deems it necessary or you may not have your visa application approved.
Submit your application. You will be able to submit your application to the office during regular office hours without and appointment and you will be given a receipt with a pickup date printed on it. You or your representative must appear in person on the pickup date to collect your tourist visa—mail service is not available. Regular service processing time is four days, express service is two to three days (with a surcharge of $20), and rush service is one day and only available in extreme emergencies pending consular officer approval (with a surcharge of $30).
Pay the fee. The cost for a tourist visa to visit China is currently $140 for a single entry. You will pay for the visa when you pick it up from the office. You may pay using a Visa or Mastercard, money order, cashier's check, or company check. Cash, personal checks, and online payments are not available.
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