China Visas
China Tourist Visa Application Process
All travellers between the ages of 14 to 70 visiting China need to complete the online visa application form and make an appointment to go to their nearest visa centre to get fingerprints taken.
We are here to provide support and assistance and have listed below the processes you need to follow to make everything as simple as possible. We will also double check the form before submitting it, to ensure that the answers are likely to conform with the visa centre requirements.
Our easy to follow, step-by-step guide to the visa process is set out below. Alternatively, you can download a PDF version by clicking the following link: China Visa Procedure
Passport
Your passport needs to be valid for at least six months after travel and have a minimum of two blank pages for the visa. You will also need a photocopy of the page with your photo, personal information and signature.
Online Application
- Go to http://www.visaforchina.org/
- Click on ‘Europe’ on the left hand panel
- Click the UK flag and select the visa office nearest to you; London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Belfast
- Select ‘Quick Access’
- China Visa Applicant – New Application Form
- Agree the Terms & Conditions
- Select ‘New application form’
- Click ‘Start a New Application Form’
Photo
The photo required for your visa needs to be a new one, and NOT the same as in your passport.
- Your head must be uncovered, with hair off the face (behind ears, no fringe) and your entire head and face clearly visible, a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed and ears visible.
- Your face needs to be centred in the middle of the space with all features clearly visible and a natural skin tone (no make-up)
- No glasses or jewellery, and your clothing must be a different, contrasting colour from the background
- The background needs to be white, with no shadows, tints or borders around the photo.
- The photo must be in JPG format and at least 40kb
- If there are any problems with the photo when you upload it, it will be rejected with an explanation of what needs to be altered. You will be given three attempts to upload an acceptable picture. You should do this before completing the form.
Form
When completing the form, please take care to remember the following:
- Dates: these must be year – month- day, for instance 2019-01-01
- Make sure you complete all sections with the correct, up-to-date information
- Personal information
- 1.1D Other Names – here you need to declare your ‘Maiden’ name.
- 1.1F Upload Your Photo – This needs to be identical to the passport size photo you take to your interview at the Visa Centre.
- 1.7A Passport: Tick ordinary
- 1.7B Passport / travel document number: This is clearly marked on the information page in your passport
- 1.7D Issuing Place: This is the country where your passport was issued, not the town/city.
- 1.7E Issuing Authority: This is declared on your passport photo page under (8) Authority.
- Visa
- 2.1 Type of Visa: tick the one at the top of the list – (L) Tourism, and Independent tourist or Group member
- 2.2 Service: Normal
- 2.3 Visa details
- 2.3A Validity of visa: 24 months
- 2.3B Maximum duration of longest stay: insert the number of days for this trip
- 2.3C Entries: Multiple
- Work Information
- 3.2 Annual income – this needs to be in RMB, so you will need to convert your annual salary from GBP to RMB to complete this section. Use the conversion rate £1 = 8.5 RMB (approx.),
e.g. if you earn £40k annually, you should put (£40k x 8.5 = 340,000 RMB). Note: If you are retired, you will need to declare your pension income. - 3.3 Employment History – declare the details of your latest place of employment, even if you are now retired.
- 3.2 Annual income – this needs to be in RMB, so you will need to convert your annual salary from GBP to RMB to complete this section. Use the conversion rate £1 = 8.5 RMB (approx.),
- Education
- 4.1 Language skills, answer ‘Don’t speak Chinese’
- 4.2 Education, fill in your highest qualification and the institution it was attained from. This could be O Level, GCSE, A Level, BTEC, Degree, PHD etc.
- Family Information
- 5.5 Family Members: Make sure you fill in all sections, even if they are not travelling with you, or have passed away
- 5.5A Spouse
- 5.5B Father
- 5.5C Mother
- 5.5D Children
- 5.5 Family Members: Make sure you fill in all sections, even if they are not travelling with you, or have passed away
- Information About Your Intended Trip
- 6.1 Links Travel & Tours will provide you with all the information you need to complete this section, maximum of five destinations. Please note the ‘County’ field should read ‘District’. Note: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau are treated as separate countries to China, so should not be included in your list of destinations.
- 6.2 Inviting person or organisation – Leave blank
- Past Travel Information
- 7 If you have previously travelled to China on an old passport, you will need to provide this old passport with the visa in it.
- 7.4 Only declare countries that show in your passport for the last five years.
- Other Information
- 8 Answer ‘No’ to every question
- Mailing Information
- 9.1 Passport Collection by Post – If you wish your passport to be returned by post: A prepaid, Special Delivery S.A.E. envelop, for each passport is required, so your passport can be returned to you. An extra admin fee will be charged by the Visa Centre if you choose this option.
- 9.1 Passport Collection in Person at Visa Centre – Present the collection slip given to you at your interview. This can be done by you, or a trusted person.
- Once the form is complete and submitted, you will receive a “Confirmation of Online Visa Application”, which you will need to print and sign at the bottom of the front page and at 9.1 (NOT 9.2) on page 8.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once completed, please send Links Travel & Tours your login details, so that we can double check all the details before submitting the form. We will then download a copy of the form and forward it to you to take to your appointment at the visa centre.
Appointment
- Once the form has been submitted you can make an appointment at your nearest visa centre (London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Belfast).
- You will need to make the appointment so it falls within the 10 weeks before your departure date.
- Make sure you arrive to your appointment at least 10 minutes before your allotted time.
- When you attend the appointment, you will need to take the following documents with you: Passport, Copy of passport, One passport size photo, International flight booking – Links Travel & Tours will provide you with this, Holiday invoice – Links Travel & Tours will provide you with this, Old Passports with visa’s, as appropriate, Completed Payment Authorisation Form
- If you wish your passport to be returned by post: A prepaid, Special Delivery S.A.E. envelop, for each passport is required, so your passport can be returned to you. An extra admin fee will be charged by the Visa Centre if you choose this option.
Once your visa application has been accepted, you will need to choose how you wish your passport to be returned to you. You can return to the centre to collect it, or provide the centre with a pre-paid envelope to send on to you.
Payment
- The cost of the visa and the service fee varies depending on your nationality and type of service you require. A full list of charges can be found by clicking HERE
- If you will be returning to the visa centre to collect the visa, the cost is £151. If you want the visa to send your passport by post in a pre-paid envelope supplied by you, the cost is £176.
- You will need to pay the visa fee and service fee as soon as your application has been accepted.
- Payment can be made either by cash or debit card. Credit cards are NOT accepted.
- This is also when you should hand over your pre-paid envelope, if you wish the visa centre to post your passport back to you.
- Please also hand-in the completed Payment Authorisation Form in case the Visa Centre needs to charge or refund fees from/to your debit card. You then won’t need to return to the Visa Centre again.
- Please note that visa fees and service fees may vary across different visa categories, visa centres and service options.
- The visa centre will post the receipt and passport back to you, if this is what you have requested.
Return of Passport in Person
The visa centre will let you know when the passport will be ready, so you can make an appointment to return and collect it. This can be done by you, or a trusted person.
Return of Passport by Post
- If you wish your passport to be returned by post: A prepaid, Special Delivery S.A.E. envelop, for each passport is required, so your passport can be returned to you. An extra admin fee will be charged by the Visa Centre if you choose this option.
- The visa centre will use the pre-paid envelope you provide them with to return your passport.
- It is a good idea to make note of the tracking number of your prepaid self-addressed envelope, so that you can track the returning package.
- If your returning package is delayed or lost, the Visa Centre will provide the necessary assistance to help you to track it with the postal service provider. However, the Visa Centre is not liable for any delay, loss or damage of your passport and/or your documents during transit.
- As soon as you receive the passport, please carefully CHECK the particulars on your visa, such as your name, date of birth, passport number, validity, number of entries, and duration of stay. Let the Visa Centre staff know immediately if there is any problem.
Children under 14 and People over the age 70
Children under 14 and adults over 70, still need to complete the online application service, and the fees are the same, but they do not need to have their fingerprints taken.