{"id":1595,"date":"2018-10-11T23:23:58","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T23:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.localadventures.travel\/?p=1595"},"modified":"2018-10-11T23:33:03","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T23:33:03","slug":"china-tourist-visa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.localadventures.travel\/china-tourist-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get your tourist visa for China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you decide to travel to the land of the Red Dragon and explore the Wonders of China<\/a>, then you must begin the process to acquire your China tourist visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No need to worry, it is a painless process and we will walk you through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obtaining your Chinese tourist visa is a lot easier than you think, continue reading if you want to learn everything you need to know about China tourist visa application process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why do I need a tourist<\/strong>\u00a0visa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Due to the Bilateral agreement between China and the United States Government, all U.S citizens are required to issue a visa in order to enter Chinese territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where can I request a Chinese visa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to start the application process to obtain a China tourist visa you must contact the Chinese Embassy or one of the Chinese Consulates in the United States. The Chinese Embassy<\/a> is in Washington DC, below is their contact information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visa Office of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/strong> 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Suite 110, Washington, D.C. 20007<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phone:<\/strong> (202) 337-1956 (9:30-12:30 Monday to Friday)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email:<\/strong>\u00a0visaoffice.dc@gmail.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the limited hours of the Embassy a better option may be to contact one of the 5 consulates. It’s easy toe find out which consulate is closest to you, we have done the leg work for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the embassy\u2019s web page you\u2019ll find a \u201cConsulate Generator\u201d, this tool will simply ask you to choose the city that is closest to you and it will redirect you to the website of that consulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have created the list below with all Chinese Consulates:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York:<\/strong> Tel: 212-2449392 \/ 212-2449456 (9:00 am\u201412:00 am, 1:30 pm\u20145:00 pm, Monday-Friday, excluding Holidays)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Francisco:<\/strong>\u00a0415-872-9091(09:00AM — 17:00PM)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Los Angeles:<\/strong>\u00a0213-807-8088<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago:<\/strong>\u00a0312-642-5981<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houston:<\/strong>\u00a0713-520-1462<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I request a visa if I don\u2019t live near a Consulate\/Embassy?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no longer necessary for you to physically visit a Chinese Consulate to obtain the tourist visa. There are several online agencies that can issue the documents for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You only need to send your documents to the agency of your choice and pay the fee established by them. If you decide to acquire your visa through an agency be sure to read their privacy policy before sending your official documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many agencies out there to research. iVisa.com<\/a> is one that we recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that the process for obtaining the visa online might take longer than if you go in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo by\u00a0thom masat<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Do I need a Chinese visa to visit Hong Kong or Macao?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Back in 2013, the Chinese government opened different free trade zones all over the country\u2019s territory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These free trade zones were meant to expose China to new economic and social growth. Hong Kong and Macao are two free trade zones. Therefore you can visit both cities for short periods of time(90 days) without a visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What kind of visa do I need?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are 16 different types of Chinese visas, but the one you need to solely visit the mythical lands of China as a tourist is the \u201cL\u201d visa. This type of visa allows tourists like us to freely travel the territory with the exception of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that there are two types of “L” visas; the one with only one entry, and the one with several entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to visit Hong Kong during your trip you must request a visa that authorizes several entries. Visiting Hong Kong implies using an entrance in addition to the one that\u2019s needed to enter the rest of the Chinese territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo by\u00a0Elizabeth Camp<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Do I need to book my flight before making an appointment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s always a better idea to buy your flight to China with one or two months in advance. Usually airlines have better deals when the date of purchase is further from the departure date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the sooner you buy your plane ticket, the cheaper it will be. Besides the government of the Republic of China requires your flight and hotel reservations to issue any types of visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend Skyscanner<\/a>\u00a0or Google Flights<\/a> to book your flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I make an appointment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The consulate does have a walk-in service for the visa procedure, so you are not required to schedule an appointment. Even if you decide to acquire your visa through an agency you might be needed to go to the consulate\/embassy for an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What documents do I need to apply for a China tourist visa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the current state of international politics has caused several changes in the visa agreement between the US and China. Which has caused constant updates in the requirements for the visa applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a US citizen applying for a tourist Chinese visa you must check the embassy\u2019s web page for further changes in the requirements for your application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the documents you need to present to a member of the consulate to process the china tourist visa application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n