Travel Visa and Passport Expediting Services
Requirements for obtaining a Tourist Visa for China
Country: China
Visa Type: Tourist
The following are required to obtain a Tourist Visa for China
EDS SERVICE REQUEST APPLICATION FORM
- Complete and return this form with all required information.
EDS Service Request Application Form
PASSPORT
- Original, SIGNED United States of America passport is required. A visa is a stamp or sticker applied to the passport by the Embassy, therefore the original passport must be submitted.
- IMPORTANT: Your passport must have not less than 6 MONTHS of remaining validity from the date of entry in to a country and have NOT LESS than TWO completely BLANK pages intended for Visas, Visa Stamps and visa related official stampings.
- EDS can obtain passport services for you on your behalf if needed. Please see our PASSPORT section.
APPLICATION FORM
- All applications must be typed. Applications MUST be printed SINGLE SIDED and signed in blue or black ink only. Original signatures are required. Do not leave any fields blank. If some of the questions do not apply to you, write "N/A". Hand written forms or altered forms will not be accepted.
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS BORN IN CHINA, HONG KONG, MACAU OR TAIWAN: Applicants, whose former nationality was Chinese must write down his name in Chinese characters in the application form (Question #1.3).
- PLEASE NOTE that if you send an old form or a new form with hand written corrections, blank fields or double sided applications, you will be charged $25 to re-do the application.
- Non-US citizens will also need to complete the additional form below.
China Visa Application - Additional Form for Non-US Citizens
PHOTOGRAPHS
- One recent 2" X 2" passport type photograph, in color, front view, and with a plain white background must be taken within last 2-3 months.
Click here for Photo Requirements
LETTER OF INVITATION
- If your travel is being organized by a tour group in China, an official signed and stamped Tourist Invitation Letter for Tourist issued by Duly Authorized Tourism Unit in China can be used in place of the hotel reservation.
PROOF OF TRAVEL
- Applicant must submit a flight reservation from a travel agency or online booking tool (such as an e-confirmation) showing departure from the US and arrival/departure for the destination.
HOTEL RESERVATION
- Applicant must submit a copy of a confirmed hotel reservation. This may be a separate document or part of a complete travel itinerary.
COPY OF DRIVER LICENSE
- Applicant must submit a legible color copy of driver's license or state issued ID.
OTHER DOCUMENTS
- ALL NON-US CITIZENS must include your ORIGINAL GREEN CARD or valid U.S. WORK VISA. A double entry 6 months visa will be the maximum issued in this case.
- ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR RECENTLY NATURALIZED CITIZENS:
- Applicant must submit his previous NON-US passport
- Applicant must submit a copy of the naturalization certificate.
- ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR MINORS:
- The application form must be signed by both parents.
- A copy of the applicant's birth certificate.
- A copy of the information pages of both parents signed passports.
- When applying for a child with Chinese parents, the applicant must also provide proof of parents' status in the United States.
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS BORN IN CHINA, HONG KONG, MACAU OR TAIWAN:
- A copy of the court order or marriage certificate showing the name change, if the applicant's name has changed since birth.
- Copy of applicants old Green Card(s).
- A copy of a previously issued Chinese visa or copy of the information page from your Chinese, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwanese passport. If the previous visa is in the current passport there is no action required.
PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to submit the original passport with your application, if your old passport has not been canceled. If applicant does not have the old passport, applicant may write a letter addressed to the Chinese Embassy explaining why they cannot provide copies of the old visas (such as previous passport lost, stolen, damaged, etc.). Applicant must sign and date the letter.
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CHINESE APPLICANTS ADOPTED BY AMERICAN PARENTS:
- Applicant's ORIGINAL Chinese passport.
- A copy of the court order or marriage certificate showing the name change, if the applicant's name has changed since birth.
- Clear passport information page copies of both American parents.
- A notarized certificate of adoption.
- A copy of applicant's birth certificate (usually from U.S.).
- PERSONS WITH OCCUPATION RELATED to Government, NGOs, Teacher/Student/Staff of Media/Clergy u must include a letter explaining that you will not be performing any job/student duties during your visit.
IMPORTANT NOTES
- Visas cannot be changed or extended. If your travel plans change after the visa is issued you will need to re-apply for a new one.
- If on the visa application, you indicate that you are Teacher/Student/Staff of Media/Clergy you must include a letter explaining that you will not be performing any job/student duties during your visit.
- INFORMATION FOR PERSONS OF TIBETAN ORIGIN: You must make a personal appearance at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center to process your visa if you are a person of Tibetan origin. The Visa Application Service Center will require additional documents in order to process your visa and EDS is unable to assist in these procedures.
- Please include embassy fees, our service fees and return delivery payment or a completed air bill. Incomplete payment, incomplete applications or documents and wrong application form will cause a delay in processing the above visa application.
- The service fees are non-refundable, once we receive your documents and start processing them. Due to the high volume of applications being submitted, the processing times may be delayed by the Embassy. While such situations are beyond our control, we will do everything possible to accommodate your trip and will call you immediately to let you know about the status of your application.
- Embassy fees listed are for US citizens only. NON-US Citizen's fees are different based on nationality and type of visa requested. Please contact our office for more details. Actual fees will be determined once we start processing your application. The cost will be given to you prior to processing the actual embassy fee payment. If you decide to cancel your application, EDS service fees and some embassy fees that have been paid already will be non-refundable.
PAYMENT
- The consulate only accepts United States Postal Money Orders for the cost of the visas. If you prefer, EDS can obtain the money order for the consulate. EDS accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover Card, and American Express. Money orders and cash are also accepted.
Service Rates
|
| EDS Service Rates | Standard At least 8 business days | Rush 5-7 business days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa Service | $190.00 | $300.00 | |
| Shipping Rates | FedEx 2-day | FedEx Overnight | FedEx First Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx | $30 | $47 | $89 |
| PLEASE NOTE: A $25.00 surcharge is added for non-US Passport holders. | |||
| |||
SENDING YOUR DOCUMENTS
When you have completed the visa application form, the EDS Service Request form, and this pre-shipping checklist, you may send all of your documents to the address below. We recommend using FedEx, UPS, DHL, or the USPS Express Mail for next-day delivery.
Embassy Document Services
Attn: Visa Processing
14908 Honey Locust Court
Woodbridge, VA 22193
All same day requests must be received by 8am. We recommend using FedEx, UPS, or DHL. Applications received after 8am will be submitted the next business day.