Chinese visas

All applicants between the ages of 14 and 70 must now give their fingerprints when applying for a Chinese visa in the UK.

Please go to this page to see how the process works and where you need to go to give your fingerprints and follow our Facebook and Twitter here for more updates as we recieve them.

All British passport holders are eligible, provided you are able to attend an appointment at the Visa Application Centre in London for biometric fingerprinting. Other foreign nationals are eligible to apply in the UK provided they hold a valid long-term UK visa or residence permit (the start date should be 6 months ago or more).

Tourist visas are usually issued to travelers visiting China as tourists and may be issued for a single, double or multiple entries, allowing for a 30- 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, and you should enter 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. The exact validity “window” of a double entry visa depends on whether you have been issued a Chinese visa before or not. Only if the original of such a visa is available, are you eligible to receive a visa with a validity window of 180 days. If you have never been issued a Chinese visa before or the original visa is not available, the window length will be shortened to 90 days. Please note that the final decision is always made at the Consulate’s discretion.

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

For UK passport holders, a business visa is 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 should enter China before the expiration of this window. 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.

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.

The visa is not required if you are in transit for a period not exceeding 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. In addition to the 24-hour visa-free transit applicable to all travellers regardless of the nationality and the airport you are transiting through, China also grants a 72-hour visa-free transit for the nationals of 51 countries travelling by air via Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guanghzou, Guilin, Kunming, Shanghai, Shenyang and Xi’an. Click here for more information. If you require a transit visa, please contact our visa team who will guide you through visa application process.

One should not apply for a Chinese visa more than 90 days in advance, as your first entry "window" will expire before you come to China.

It is advisable to apply at least one week before your trip to China, to be able to process the visa on standard service (4 working days) which is the most cost-effective. 

Today the Chinese Consulate are issuing visas that are valid for entry before 23 June 2019 regardless of visa type, number of entries and validity.

The date when you can apply for a visa may also be dependent on your profession. Please consult our FAQ page for further information on this.

Please see the following guide for more information: Reading a Chinese visa

Our prices include all the costs necessary to get your visa, among which are:

• consular tariffs
• Visa Application Centre costs
• delivery, collection and management of your application at the consulate by our staff

In addition to this, you can choose from the following optional services

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

There are no hidden fees; the price you see is the price you pay!

Yes, of course you can. We have an office in central London and we will be happy to see you there and assist with your 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:

• Monday-Friday:  09:00-17:00.
• Public/bank holidays (except 25^th and 26^th December and 1^st January):  09:00-12:00.

Please note that biometric fingerprinting at the Chinese Visa Application Centre 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.

To order your Chinese visa online, please select the type of visa you require from the options above.

If I plan to travel on the Trans-Mongolian, can you help me obtain Mongolian and Russian visas as well?

Yes, of course we can. We will process all necessary visas ‘back to back’ and return your passport with all three visas when they are complete. See the following links for further details:

• Trans-Siberian, Mongolian and Manchurian visas
• Train tickets - online schedule and booking

If you still have more questions please feel free to look at our Frequently Asked Questions or simply contact us directly and we are happy to help.