A China tourist visa is required of all U.S. citizens who wish to enter the mainland for tourism. While the Chinese consular services offers several differnt types of visas, this article will provide information on how to apply for a China tourist visa.
Visa applications by mail are no longer accepted by the Chinese consular services. The application can be submitted personally by you or you can get another person to do it for you. A family member, friend, travel agent or visa expediter can do this for you.
The validiy on a China visa can be either 3, 6 or 12 months. You can ask for a single, double or multiple entry visa. An additional travel permit is necessary in order to visit any non-open city. Visit the local security bureau in China to get this.
The China Tourist Visa
A China tourist visa, also known as an L visa, is usually valid for 30 days from the day of entry. When you arrive your travel documents will be looked at by an inspection agent. If everything is correct, they will be stamped with an entry seal. If you want to extend your stay after arriving in China, you need to apply to the local public security bureau.
The tourist visa only allows you to travel to China for sightseeing or to visit family. You need to request a Foreign Travel Permit at the local public security office if you would like to enter a restricted area.
Chinese Visa Requirements
The following items are required in order to obtain a tourist visa to China.
Declaration Form
The Declaration Form became effective in May of 2009 and is a requirement for all those who are applying for a Chinese visa. The form includes space for name, nationality, passport number and a list of countries or U.S. states you have been to during the two weeks prior to submitting the form.
Valid United States Passport
You have to send in your valid U.S. passport together with the tourist visa application. Your passport must have 6 months validity beyond the date you plan to arrive in China. Also, you should make sure you have at least one blank visa page in your passport.
ONE (1) Passport-Style Photograph
The siize of the photo has to be 2×2 inches. To avoid problems you should get your photograph at a place that has experience with this type of photo. Acceptable photographs are those that are clear, high resolution and have the proper contrast with a white background.
Completed Chinese Visa Application
The China visa application has seven sections. The theme of the first section is person information. You need to provide your name, sex, nationality, date of birth, passport number, occupation and other such data. The second section is where you provide information about your trip to China. You have to submit the reason for your trip, the number of entries you want, when you plan to arrive in China and how long you plan to stay.
Questions about your health and prior travel are found in Section 3. You need to include information about previous trips to China. Section 4 is for your contact information such as home address, work or school address, contact in China, telephone numbers and email.
The fifth section is for additional declarations about your trip. If someone other than the applicant completed the form, the sixth section is used to provide information about that person. Finally, Section 7 is for the applicant’s signature.
How to Get Your China Tourist Visa Quickly
Regular processing of your visa to China can take 4 business days or more. Express and rush processing can be requested in you need to obtain your visa quickly. Express processing takes 2 to 3 business days. Rush process takes 1 business day. There are additional fees for expedited service.
If you cannot get to the Chinese embassy or consulate general and you do not know anyone who can go in your place, then you need to apply through a private visa expediting service. Expediters will submit your visa application and accompanying documentation for you. This allows you to get your China visa expedited as quickly as the same day.
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