A China Visa is needed by all foreign passport holders upon entry into China with very few exceptions.

At the time of this writing, a Chinese visa is not required for passport holders from the following countries:

• Singapore
• Brunei
• Japan

for a visit of up to 15 days for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends or transit.

All other nationalities are required to obtain a China Visa to enter the PRC.

For visa purposes, Hong Kong and Macau are separate Special Administrative Regions and most Western nationals do not require a visa.

If traveling to Tibet, an additional permit is required.

There are several kinds of China visas. For ordinary tourists, the type of visa is the L visa, which can be a single, double or multiple entry visa.

There are two dates you need to be concerned with:

• The validity of the visa, indicated by the "Enter Before" date. You may enter China anytime during this period when the visa is valid. China Visas are valid for either 3, 6 or 12 months according to the purpose and number of entries.

• How long you can stay, this is typically 30 days per entry and your duration of stay begins the day you enter China.

Where and How to Apply for a Chinese Visa?

China Visas can be applied for at Chinese Embassies and Consulates throughout the world. Applications must be made in person and cannot be mailed.

Obviously, you may not always be able to go in person to the Embassy or Consulate that has consular jurisdiction over the country/state where you reside, most Travel Agents can help process your visa.

Alternatively you can use a Visa agent that takes care of the process for you. You mail the required documents to them and they bring and process your visa at the required Consular office. You can follow the status of your application online and is really a good alternative when you don't live nearby any of the Consular offices.

Here are some online Visa Agents that can help you apply for your Chinese visa (See below for our experiences when dealing with some of these agencies):

Applying in the United States: www.PassportVisasExpress.com

Applying in the U.K.: www.visaforchina.org.uk

In Germany: www.china-visum24.de

A comprehensive visa service for residents in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.: www.visahq.co.uk

You need to submit the following materials for your application:

• A valid passport, the passport must have at least six (6) months of remaining validity and at least one blank page in it
• A copy of the main passport information page (where the photo is)
• One completed Visa Application Form
• One recent photo
• An invitation letter from an "authorized tourism unit", which can be a corporation or individual in China. If an individual, a photocopy of his/her ID must also be included
• Copy of airplane tickets AND hotel reservations

For additional information on the requirements and for business and student visa requirements check the website of the People's Republic of China, english version Washington DC consulate.

You can apply for a visa in the country where you are a resident, regardless of your nationality, i.e. a U.S. citizen living in the U.K. could apply for a China Visa in the U.K. When applying in a country different from your nationality, additional documentation is needed, for example a copy of your resident permit.

Applying for a China Visa in Hong Kong

A China Visa is not needed by most visitors to enter Hong Kong, and this is a good place to get your China Visa if going to the Mainland.

You can do that at most travel agencies, or you can apply directly to the Visa Office of the People's Republic of China in Wanchai:

The normal time to get a visa is three days, but you can get one in one day for an extra fee if you're in a hurry.

How much does a China Visa cost?

There might be two types of fees involved, the Consular Fee and the Agency Service Fee if you use a travel or visa agency to process the visa.

The Consular Fees vary according to the mutual agreement between China and the passport issuing country. American passport holders pay considerably higher consular fees.

Consular and Service China Visa fees also vary depending on the type of visa and how fast you need it.

Here are some example fees for the China Visa Consular Fees and the Agency Fees if you were to use a service like the ones listed above, note that "normal" processing times vary between 4 to 6 business days, but when planning to apply through an agent need to take into account the transit time it would take to get your documents over and back from the agent.

Guideline for China Tourist Visa Fees
Type of Visa	Consular Fee	Agency Fee
In the U.S. for American Passports
Single Entry - 6 days processing	US$140	US$39
Single Entry - 1 day processing	US$170	US$129
Double Entry - 6 days processing	US$140	US$39
Double Entry - 1 day processing	US$170	US$129
Multiple Entry - 6 days processing	US$140	US$39
Multiple Entry - 1 day processing	US$170	US$129
In the UK for UK Passports
Single Entry - 4 days processing	£30	£36
Single Entry - 3 day processing	£45	£48
Double Entry - 4 days processing	£45	£36
Double Entry - 3 day processing	£60	£48
Multiple Entry - 4 days processing	£90	£36
Multiple Entry - 3 day processing	£105	£48
In Germany for German Passports
Single Entry - 4 days processing	€30	€19,90
Double Entry - 4 days processing	€45	€19,90

Use the above table as guidelines only, and note that fees change and vary constantly. Basically, you can see that a hefty premium is charged if you need to get your visa in a hurry, so plan accordingly to avoid having to pay more.

Fees also vary when applying for a Visa in a country different than your own. For example, a British citizen residing in the U.S. can apply for a visa through a U.S. Chinese consulate, but the consular visa fee will be different from the fee charged to U.S. passport holders. The Agency Visa fee might be different as well.

Should I apply for single entry, double entry or multiple entry visa?

A single entry visa is sufficient under normal circumstances, when you only enter China once and complete your tour/visit. A double entry or multiple entry visa will be necessary in some cases for example:

• If you will be going to Hong Kong or Macau in between the trip: Because Hong Kong and Macau are part of China but considered Special Administrative Regions (SAR) if your China trip itinerary includes a visit to either Hong Kong or Macau in the middle of the trip, you will need a visa upon re-entering China. For this reason, most itineraries include a visit to Hong Kong and Macau either at the beginning or end of the trip.

• Visiting China on a Cruise ship: the number of entries will depend on the Cruise ship's itinerary and whether you will be entering international waters in between, in this case you will be needing a double/multiple entry visa. A Cruise itinerary that stops in Beijing (China) for example, then on to Seoul (South Korea), and then Shanghai (China) will require a double-entry visa.

When in doubt, apply for a double/multiple entry visa. For U.S. passport holders, the consular fee is the same whether you are applying for single or multiple, so might as well apply for multiple entry and be on the safe side.

For Overseas Chinese, it is now possible to apply for a 2 year multiple entry visa in order to visit relatives. My father recently used the agent at www.PassportVisasExpress.com and was able to secure the 2-year multiple entry visa, the consular fee and agency fee is the same whether you apply for a single entry or a multiple entry, so might as well try!

Using an Agent to process your China Visa

It is a very straigth-forward process to obtain a visa using an agent. In the U.S. we have used the services of www.PassportVisasExpress.com . Their website is easy to navigate and walks you through the entire process: print and fill out application form, send documents including passport photo and copy of itinerary, payment is via paypal or credit card, and then you choose how you want to receive your passports back. We chose the Fedex option which was an additional $14.95. The entire process took a bit over a week from beginning to end. At every step of the process we were kept informed, we got an email when they received the documents, when they were taken to the embassy and when they were shipped back to us with the Fedex tracking number. At any time you can log in their site and see the status i.e. documents at consulate, pick up scheduled on xxx, etc.

Another option if you are in the U.S. is to inquire at your local AAA office. (Look for your local AAA office here.) Some will help you process your China Visa, some only if you have purchased a package through them. The ones that do, work also through agents so there will be a fee involved. We have used the AAA office in St. Louis, MO. and also was a very simple process, they even take the pictures for you and help you review your application to make sure everything is in order. The fee, including the $140 consular fee was $168 per passport.

The 72-hour Visa Free Stopover in Beijing and Shanghai

Effective January 1, 2013, passengers from 45 countries will be allowed to transit Beijing and Shanghai visa free for 72 hours. There are many limitations and requirements, so please pay attention and make sure you meet ALL of them.

Who does it apply to?: You must have a valid passport from one of the following 45 countries: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.

You must enter through one of these airports: Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, or Shanghai Pudong Airport. That means, cruise passengers are out of luck, they must have a valid visa to enter China.

You must be on transit or stop-over, i.e. Beijing or Shanghai are NOT your final destination, i.e. you cannot be flying on a roundtrip ticket to Beijing or Shanghai such as Bangkok - Shanghai - Bangkok, you must be "in transit" through China on your way to a third country and must have a confirmed flight to this third country.

You may not leave Beijing or Shanghai during your 72-hour stay and you must exit via the same city you came in.

For more information you can call:

• Beijing Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection 0086 10 56095400
• Shanghai Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection 0086 21 51105100

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