China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (2024)

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (1)China tourist visas have beenavailable again since March 15, 2023 after 3 years’ suspension due to covid-19.

Most travelers to China are required to get a China tourist visa, L visa for short, which allows them to travel freely in most parts of China as tourists, assuming that they do not qualify under thevisa-free policies of China. Passports, application form, and documents showing the itinerary or an invitation letter from China are the essential application documents.

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (2)
Sample of China Tourist Visa

In most cases, a tourist can get a single entry L visa with a stay duration of 30 days. UK, US, Canadian, Brazil and Argentine citizens are able to get a 10-year China tourist visa with multiple entries.

If travelling with an organized tour group, you might not have an individual visa in your passport. Instead, the tour group will be issued a group tour visa bearing all themembers' names. In such situations supply your details to the travel agency beforehand and you will have no further concerns.


If travelling independently, you need to handle visa affairs on your own. The process is not complicated if you follow the guidelines below.

China Tourist Visa Requirements & Documents

1. Passport

-Your passport with at least 6 months remaining validity and available blank pages, and a photocopy of passport's data page.

2. Application Form

- One accurately completed China Visa Application Form. Please fill in every column of the application form. If the application form is not filled out truthfully, completely and legibly, there could be a delay in processing or refusal of the application.

3. Recent Photo

- A recent passport-size color photo with white background.

4. Round-trip Tickets Plus Hotel Bookings or Invitation Letter from China

- Documents showing the itinerary including proof of round trip tickets booking and proof of hotel reservation.
- Or, if you are being invited to China, you can submit an invitation letter issued by the inviter, whether it's an entity or individual, with following information:
a. Information on the applicant, including full name, gender, and date of birth.
b. Information on the planned visit, including arrival and departure dates, place(s) of visit.
c. Information on the inviter, including name, contact number, address, official stamp, and signature of the legal representative of the entity or the inviting individual.

5. Other Supporting Documents

a. For those not applying in their country of citizenship, a proof of legal stay or residence status is required.
b. In some cases, applicants may need to submit a certification letter from the employer of the applicant with details as follows: name and contact number of the employer, the applicant's income statement, or original copy of recent 6-month bank statement of the applicant.
c. Applicants who intend to travel to Tibet must obtain a Tibet Travel Permit, which can be obtained from Tourism Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region by travel agencies.

China Tourist Visa Requirements

How to Get a Chinese Tourist Visa

After preparingall the required documents, make an appointment withChinese embassies, consulates,or a Chinese Visa Application Center (CVASC) if there are any in your country to submit the application. Generally, applicants aged 14-70 need to go in person. If you don't need to go personally, you can entrust someone else, such asa travel agency or a visa agency to act on your behalf. Applications by mails are not accepted and will be refused at most Chinese embassies, consulates or CVASCs. But the mail-back service is available in more cases.

Processing Time

It normally takes 4 working days for processing a China travel visa. For express service, an additional fee of USD 20 will be charged for two or three working day service. For rush service, an additional fee of USD30 will be charged for same-day service.

Chinese Tourist Visa Cost

The visa costs vary depending on your nationality and number of entries. However, according to the Visa Fee Abolition Agreement, the nationals of following several countries can get a visa for free, but must pay for express service, rush service or mail service: Pakistan, Maldives, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovakia and Micronesia. Formajor countries, the fee is listed below.

ChinaTravel Visa TypesUS CitizensCanadian CitizensUK CitizensAustralian Citizens
Single EntryUSD 185CAD 142GBP 151AUD 109.5
Double EntriesUSD 185CAD 142GBP 151AUD 139.5
Multi Entries for 6 MonthsUSD 185CAD 142GBP 151AUD 169.5
Multi Entries for12 Months or LongerUSD 185CAD 142GBP 151AUD 229.5

Click onChina Visa Feesfor more information.

China Tourist Visa Extension

If you need to stay in China past the allowed stay duration on your visitor visa, you can apply for an extensionat thelocal Exit and Entry Administration of China seven days before your L visa expires. Your passport, a visa application form with your recent color photo attached, a registration of temporary residence, and your travel itinerary will be required for submission. If your application is approved, you can get an extended stay not exceeding the original stay duration on your visa.

Recommended Tour Packages

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (5)11 Days Beijing – Xi'an – Guilin – Shanghai

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (7)12-DayHongkong – Guilin – Xi'an – Shanghai – Beijing

Further Reading:

8 Tips for Filling Out Chinese Visa Application Form
Top 10 China Destinations for First Time Travelers
Top 8 Reasons Why Your China Visa Gets Rejected

- Last updated on Apr. 07, 2024 by Gabby Li -

Questions & Answers on China Tourist Visa

Asked by Michael Tandy from UNITED KINGDOM | Jun. 02, 2024 10:49China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (8)Reply

L visa application online application form

Questions about my earnings and my family have the option of NOT APPLICABLE, which is fine but then they ask for a reason. Why do they want to know who I worked for for the last five years

Answers (1)

Answered by Marcy | Jun. 03, 2024 01:35

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (9)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (10)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (11)Reply

Well, the information is a must for the application and I don't know why neither.

Asked by Moitheri from CHINA | May. 27, 2024 03:53China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (12)Reply

Stay visa

Good Day I have applied for a stay visa and it was granted. I would like to know if we can leave the country and come back.

Answers (1)

Answered by Keith | May. 27, 2024 19:25

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (13)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (14)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (15)Reply

Yes, you can. The stay visa have little influence on your new visa applicaton.

Asked by Rubi Din | May. 14, 2024 06:32China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (16)Reply

Chinese Visa from UK

We are a school party of 3 adults and 20 children aged 15-17 years old.
We are visiting China in September 2024.
We would like to organise the Visa by asking each pupil to fill in the online application form then escort the pupils to the office in London with the required documents and fingerprinting etc. However, the parents will not be accompanying the pupils. Would we require any other documents and do we need to make an appointment ?

Answers (1)

Answered by Keith | May. 14, 2024 20:46

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (17)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (18)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (19)Reply

According to the regulations, if the parents are not going with, they should provide a “Declaration of consent for the application of Chinese visa and authorization to a delegated person to travel with the minor to China”, authenticated by UK government.
Although the visa center provide walk-in service, I think you should contact the visa center in advance as you have over 20 applicants.

Asked by Khan from HONG KONG | Apr. 28, 2024 01:22China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (20)Reply

A visa for China from Hong Kong?

Hi do I need a visa if I intend to travel to china from Hong Kong? I am a permanent resident of Hong Kong and have a Pakistani and British Passport.

Answers (1)

Answered by Joshua | Apr. 28, 2024 19:55

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (21)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (22)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (23)Reply

Yes, you will need to apply a visa at the visa center in HK.

Asked by Peter from POLAND | Apr. 25, 2024 06:53China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (24)Reply

Proof of onward travel

Hello, I would like to ask about the L tourist visa for China. I am from the EU and currently a student in South Korea. After finishing my semester I want to travel to mainland China from South Korea and then travel to other countries from China before ending my travels in the EU. When applying for the L tourist visa, I will use my Korean student visa as the legal permit of stay. My question is, is it a problem that I am not gonna have a round-trip flight ticket to South Korea but a one way ticket from Korea and then another onward travel ticked to another country? Basically I am curious whether it is important to specifically have round-trip tickets or if it is okay to have leaving tickets for a third country that is not my country of origin. I keep finding round-trip tickets everywhere as a requirement. So I am curious whether it is only important to have a proof of onward travel and therefore a proof that you are gonna leave China or if they are really doubling down on the round-trip tickets to the same country for some reason. Thank you!

Answers (1)

Answered by Keith | Apr. 25, 2024 19:06

China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (25)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (26)0China Tourist Visa, Travel L Visa Application Requirements & Forms (27)Reply

It should not be a problem that you have a one way ticket from Korea and then another onward travel ticked to another country. Just the ticket leaving China will be fine.

BTW, if you aim to travel from China to the third country, then China will be the transit country, which allows you (a Polish passport holder I believe) to enjoy the 144-hour visa free transit, and you won't need a visa if staying in one allowed area for no more than 6 days. See details on this: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/tour/visa/free-transit-144-hours.htm
Once again, under the policy, you can only travel to one transit area in China.

If you want to visit Beijing, Shanghai and more, a ready visa is still needed.

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