Travel Essentials - Tourist Visa Requirements - Travel Visa Services

China Tourist Visa Requirements - How to Apply for China Travel Visa

Getting a China visa is not as hard as you might imagine. Every year hundreds of thousands of people from outside of China visit the country for various reasons. While some come as tourists, there are others who come to study or even to set up a business. If you are planning on travelling to China as a tourist you will have to first seek out and obtain a tourist visa for China. Getting a China travel is very simple. All you have to do is complete a China visa application after you have made sure that you meet the China visa requirements.

A valid passport and visa are required to enter and exit China. The visa must have been obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before traveling to China. A U.S. citizen arriving without a valid passport and the appropriate Chinese visa will not be permitted to enter China and will be subject to a fine and immediate deportation at the traveler's expense. Travelers should not rely on Chinese host organizations claiming to be able to arrange their visas upon arrival.

Chinese authorities have recently tightened their visa issuance policy, in some cases requiring personal interviews of U.S. citizens. Although a bilateral United States-China agreement provides for issuance of multiple-entry visas with validity of up to one year for tourists and business visitors, Chinese consulates often limit visas to only one entry. Visit the Embassy of China’s website for the most current visa information. Visas are not required of U.S. citizens who hold air tickets to a final destination other than China, have booked seats on international airliners flying directly through China, and will stay in a transit city for less than 24 hours without leaving the airport.

Persons transiting China on the way to and from Mongolia or North Korea or who plan to re-enter China from the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions should be sure to obtain China visas allowing more than one entry. Permits are required to visit Tibet as well as many remote areas not normally open to foreigners. A travel permit for Tibet can be obtained through local travel agents. Permits cost approximately renminbi (RMB) 100, are single-entry and valid for at most three months. Most areas in Tibet are not open for foreigners except Lhasa City and part of Shan Nan. Foreigners can be fined up to RMB 500, taken into custody, and deported for visiting restricted areas.

For information about China visa entry requirements and restricted areas, travelers may consult the Visa Office of the Embassy of China (PRC) at Room 110, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20007, or telephone (202) 338-6688. There are Chinese consulates general in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

Many travelers believe that the only thing they need to enter China is a passport. However, that is untrue. You must obtain a visa to China and must have this visa before entering the country. Many people are not aware of this and they will schedule their vacation and will put down deposits for airfare and lodging, only to discover that they can't enter the country.

Many travelers opt to use a professional visa service company to avoid visa hurdles. When you turn to a professional tourist visa service you simply need to complete a service application and forms that they present you. These services will then take the necessary steps needed to obtain the tourist visa for you. When using these types of services you don't have to worry about the legal process and can simply sit back and wait for your China visa to be approved. If you need to get a visa to China quickly, you can order your China visa from visa professionals for prices starting at $39.