Apply for your Chinese visa with expert support

• Visa Application Center costs.
• Consular tariffs.
• Delivery, collection and management of your application at the consulate by our staff.
• Expert support.
• Peace of mind!

Optional extras:

• Central London courier delivery the day your visa is ready.
• Royal Mail Special Delivery of your passport and Chinese visa back to you (UK only).
• £2,500 of consequential loss postal insurance (UK mainland only).

A Chinese visa is an official document that allows visitors to enter the People's Republic of China for a specified time period. China visas include your name, passport details, purpose of visit as well as the entry and exit dates.

Example of a China Visa

Chinese tourist visas are usually issued to travellers visiting China as tourists and may be issued for a single, double or multiple entries, in general a 30, 60 or 90-day stay upon each entry. For UK passport holders a tourist visa is valid for 2 years and allows multiple visits for a 90-day-stay each entry. Please be aware, that you cannot apply for this visa more than 90 days before the first entry.

For all other nationals, the visa will be issued either for a single visit or double visits with a validity “window” that starts from the date the Consulate grant you the visa; you need to depart from China before this validity window expires. For single-entry visas, the validity “window” is 90 days and for double-entry visas, it is between 90 and 180 days. 

Non-UK applicants applying for a double-entry visa need to provide a separate statement disclosing why they need the double entry and a schedule of stay for the duration of their stay in China. Please note that the final decision is always made at the Consulate’s discretion.

Chinese business visas are usually issued to travellers visiting China on official or private business and may be issued for a single, double or multiple entries, allowing for a 30, 60 or 90-day stay upon each entry.

For UK passport holders, a business visa is typically valid for 2 years and allows multiple visits for a 90-day-stay each upon entry. Please be aware, that you cannot apply for this visa more than 90 days before the first entry. For all other nationals, the visa can be issued either for a single, double or multiple visits within a validity window starting the day that the application is made to the Consulate, and you need to depart from China before this validity window expires. For single-entry visas, the window is 90 days, for a double-entry it may be between 90 and 180 days and for a multiple entry visa it may be between six and twelve months.

Non-UK applicants applying for a double-entry business visa need to provide a separate statement disclosing why they need the double entry along with a schedule of stay while in China. When applying for a multi-entry visa a blue card or UK residence document is required. Please note that the final decision is always made at the Consulate's discretion.

Chinese transit visas are used by travellers who are going to transit through China en route to a third country (or region). These visas are granted based on an onward air, train or ship ticket confirming the date and seat number to the destination country (or region). You must also have a valid visa (if required) to the destination country (or region) or be a resident there.

This visa allows for either one (single entry) or two (double entry) transits usually of up to 7 days if travelling by train or 10 days if travelling by air. It is issued with a 90-day validity “window” that starts from the date the Consulate grants you the visa and you should enter China before this validity “window” expires.

Please note that a Chinese transit visa is not required for UK applicants or those transiting within 24 hours as determined by scheduled flight arrival and departure times, provided you have documentary evidence of your onward flight arrangements. Multiple stops are allowed so long as they fall within the 24-hour period. If you want to leave the airport, you can apply for a special stopover permit.

72-hour visa-free transit

In addition to the 24-hour visa-free transit, China also grants a 72-hour visa-free transit for the nationals of 53 countries transiting via Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Harbin, Kunming, Shanghai, Shenyang, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin, Qingdao, Nanjing, Changsha, Xiamen and Xi’an. Click here for more information. If you require a transit visa, please contact our visa team who will guide you through the visa application process.

144-hour visa-free transit

A 144-hour visa-free transit policy is also available in Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Chengdu, Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Kunming, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei for selected states. This allows travellers from 53 countries or regions to transit in Guangdong province, Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Liaoning province or the Chinese cities of Chengdu, Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan and Kunming for no more than 144 hours (6 days) without holding a visa.

Important information about 144-hour visa-free travel in Beijing:

Only the West Railway Station in Beijing allows for 144-hour visa free transit, passengers taking international trains to / from Moscow, Ulaanbaatar, and North Korea do not qualify. However those taking trains to / from Hanoi and Hong Kong are eligible.

All UK passport holders are eligible to apply for a Chinese transit visa, however please note that all applicants aged 14-70 (inc) will need to attend the Chinese Visa Application Centre in person to give biometric data (ie. fingerprints) when submitting an application.

Chinese Visa Application Centre address:

12 Old Jewry,
London,
United Kingdom,
EC2R 8DU

Completing your Chinese transit visa application with us

Applicants under 14 or above 70 can send their documents to us via post. We will check your Chinese transit visa application as soon as your package arrives at our office and the application will be submitted the next working day by our courier.

Reading and understanding your Chinese visa can be difficult; therefore we have designed a short guide on how to understand the different sections on your Chinese visa.

Yes, of course. We have an office in central London that can assist with your Chinese visa application if needed. If you intend to deliver an application in person or collect your passport and visa we are open for collection and deliveries during the following times:

Please note: that biometric fingerprinting at the Chinese Visa Application Centre in London will be required to complete your application. This must be booked in advance and can only be done once we have checked your application form and documents, therefore it cannot happen on the  day you leave your passport and documents with us. If you are planning to bring your passport and documents to us, please be aware that this may mean visiting London twice.

Visa applications received by our office after 2.00pm on weekdays, or at any time on Saturdays or non-working days, will not start to be processed until the following working day.

The processing time will vary dependent upon the type of visa you order. Please see the relevant visa pages for more information.

If you are completing your Chinese visa application online with us we will tell you all you need to know, however, if you have any questions about the process or would like to know more, please see our dedicated Chinese visa FAQs page for more information.