China Visa and Passport Requirements

Passports

To enter China, a passport with a validity of at least six months is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

To enter Hong Kong, a passport with a validity of at least six months is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Passport Note

Foreign nationals are advised to carry their passports at all times.

Those wishing to visit Tibet are strongly advised to join a travel group. Individual travellers need a Tibet Travel Permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau. Applicants also need to show their Chinese visa.

Visas

China has granted visa-free entry to nationals of several countries. These include Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. However, the duration of stay permitted and the specific visa-free conditions vary by country. Visitors are advised to check the requirements with the relevant Chinese consulate or embassy before travelling.

Visa Note

When making the visa application you will need to submit a detailed itinerary of all places you plan to visit and all hotel bookings (including addresses and phone numbers and dates of arrival and departure).

Business travellers are required to provide an official invitation from the company or institution in China when applying for a visa.

Visitors must register with the local Chinese Public Security Bureau within 24 hours of arrival.

Types and Cost

How much you would pay for a visa to China depends on your nationality and where you are applying from. Here are a few examples if you are applying in the UK:
• British: £130 (regular), £161 (express), £182 (urgent).
• American: £179 (regular), £210 (express), £231 (urgent).
• Canadian: £110 (regular), £141 (express), £162 (urgent).

Validity

Single-entry visas are normally valid for three months, double-entry for six months, and multiple-entry either six months, 12 months, 24 months, 5 years and above (for some countries it can reach up to 10 years).

Transit

Transit visa exemptions allow eligible foreign travellers a visa-free visit for 24, 72, or 144 hours. As of 2023, nationals from 54 countries can visit certain parts of China without a visa for up to 144 hours (six days) if you're transiting through one of the following 19 cities: Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hangzhou, Harbin, Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xiamen, or Xi’an. The key point is you must depart China within 144 hours (six days) for another international destination.

Example 1: if you are flying from New York to Beijing and onwards to Singapore within 144 hours (six days), you can visit Beijing without a visa.

Example 2: if you are flying from London to Shanghai and back to London after five days, you must apply for a visa as you do not transit in China.

The 54 countries whose citizens can take advantage of this 144-hour visa-free transit include: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.

Application to

Consulate (or consular section at embassy). Many consulates (including those in the UK) issue visas through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (www.visaforchina.org) rather than directly through the consulate.

Working days

Visa applications for China should be made one month in advance of your planned date of entry.

The express service requires three days, and the regular service takes four days.

Postal applications are usually processed and returned within 10 working days if all the documentation is in good order.

Extension of stay

Generally speaking, it isn’t possible to renew or extend a China visa once it has been issued. However, it is possible to apply for a visa extension within China.

Visa extensions must be applied for at least seven days before your visa expires at the Public Security Bureau (PBS) Exit or Entry Administration office and typically last for up to 30 days.

Applications for an extension of stay in Hong Kong can be made online on the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department. 

Entry with pets

All pets must have an ISO compliant microchip and a rabies vaccination administered between 30 days and 12 months prior to arrival in China. As of May 2019, pets not from the following countries can avoid quarantine if they are microchipped, vaccinated twice for rabies, have a rabies titer test and the sample is processed at a lab approved by the General Administration of Customs:

Australia, Cyprus, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Macao, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

Failure to meet these requirements will result in a 30-day quarantine.

Embassies and tourist offices

British Embassy in China

Mon-Fri 0830-1200 and 1330-1700.

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the USA

Mon-Fri 0900-1730; Mon-Fri 0930-1230 and 1330-1500 (visa section).

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the UK

Mon-Fri 0900-1200 and 1400-1700.