The Chinese Visa Application Centre and Consulate will be closed on the following dates:
- 25th-26th of December (Christmas and Boxing Days)
- 1st of January (New Year's Day)
As a result, there will unfortunately be no visa application submissions or collections on these days and these days will not count towards the visa processing time. For any further information, or if you have any questions, please contact our visa team.
Fingerprinting to be Introduced for Chinese Visas in the UK
Fingerprinting will soon be introduced for Chinese visa applications made in the UK. This means that applicants will have to go to the Chinese Visa Application Centre in person to give their fingerprints. The Chinese authorities are introducing this measure gradually. While they have not given specific dates for when all applicants will have to give their fingerprints, they have informed us that this will happen sometime between July 2018 and early 2019.
Who does not yet need to give fingerprints?
If you are applying for a Tourist or Business visa of the following types, you do not yet need to give your fingerprints:
- Single entry
- Double entry
- Multiple entry for visas up to two years
In addition, if you are a national of the USA, Canada, Israel, Argentina, or Brazil, you can additionally apply for the following, without the need to give fingerprints:
- Multiple entry visa of between five and ten years
Over the next few months, fingerprinting requirements will be added to these visas. When this happens, we will update our advice to you.
If you are eligible for a two-year multiple entry visa, and are planning to travel within the next few months, we advise getting your visa as soon as possible, to avoid having to travel to a visa centre to give fingerprints.
Who will have to give fingerprints now?
From 8th May 2018, only applicants who fit the following criteria will have to go to the visa centre in person, and give their fingerprints when applying for their Chinese visa:
Applicants aged between 14 and 70 years, and applying for the following categories of visa:
- Any type of Multiple-Entry visa which is valid for a period of between five and ten years
- Permanent Residence visas - Category D
- Journalist visas - Category J1 and J2
- Family member of foreigners staying or living in China visas - Category S1 and S2
- Family member or relatives of Chinese citizens or foreigners resident in China visas - Category Q1 and Q2
- Student visas - Category X1 and X2
- Work - Category Z
What if I need to give my fingerprints?
If you need to give fingerprints, apply as usual through our website, and when we receive your application we will contact you to arrange a time and date for giving them; this will be similar to our current Russian visa application process.
On the day you arrive in London to give your fingerprints, our courier will meet you with your documents, and talk you through the fingerprinting process.
Our systems and website are being updated to match these changes, ensuring we continue to offer a simple Chinese visa service which gives you peace of mind and comprehensive support. We will also keep you updated on this situation through our website and via Facebook and Twitter.