Visa for China

( July 1, 2019 )

Do I need a visa?

No visa is required if you belong to the following categories:

1. According to bilateral agreements between China and foreign countries, citizens of some countries who meet requirements set out in the bilateral agreements may enter China without a visa. You may read for details the List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption Between China and Foreign Countries.

The Philippine Diplomatic or Official passport holders are exempted from visa requirement for temporary visits to China for a period not exceeding 30 days (Note:The Philippine Official passport is issued to members of the Philippine government for use on official business).

2. Hold connected passenger tickets and are in transit to a third country or region by an international aircraft, ship or train via China, will stay for not more than 24 hours in China without leaving the port of entry.

3. Citizens of the following 51 countries, who hold valid passports with confirmed onward tickets and seats on international flights and transit through to a third country or region, can apply to stay in the transit city without visa for 72 hours via the following airports: PEK, PVG, SHA, CAN, CTU, CKG, SHE, DLC, XIY, HGH, KWL, KMG, XMN, WUH, TSN, HRB, TAO, CSX. (For more information, please check the website of the transit airport). FAQ On 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption for Foreign Nationals.

Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Montenegro, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.

4. Citizens of the countries having diplomatic relations with China holding ordinary passports and on a tour to Hong Kong or Macao, and participating in group tours to the Zhu Jiang River (Pearl River) Delta Area for a stay of less than 6 days organized by the travel services registered in Hong Kong or Macao, shall not need to apply for a visa. The Zhu Jiang River (Pearl River) Delta Area refers to the following cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing and Huizhou.

5. Citizens of the following countries holding ordinary passports, and in group tours to Hainan Province for a stay of no more than 15 days organized by the international travel services approved by the National Tourism Administration of China and registered in Hainan Province, shall not need to apply for visas: the Philippines, the United States of America, Malaysia, Thailand, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Germany, Britain, France, Austria, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Japan and Singapore. Among those mentioned above, a tourist group of citizens of Republic of Korea, Germany and Russia may stay for no more than 21 days.

6. Citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan holding ordinary passports may enter China without a visa provided that they come to China for tourism, family visit, business or transit, and intend to stay in China for no more than 15 days. However, the following personnel of these three countries must apply for a visa in advance if: a) They are holders of ordinary passports, and come to China for tourism, family visit or business, and intend to stay in China for more than 15 days; b) They are holders of ordinary passports, and come to China for study, employment, permanent residence or on a news reporting mission.

7. A holder of a valid APEC Business Travel Card.

8. A holder of a valid Residence Permit for Foreigner in the People's Republic of China issued by the Public Security organs in China.

9. A holder of a valid Permanent Residence Card for Aliens of the P R China.

* Those enjoy visa exemption to China as mentioned above are required to apply for Z, X1, Q1, S1, D, J1 visa accordingly before they enter China, if they go to China for work, study, family reunion, long term family visit, permanent residence or as resident foreign journalist.

Basic requirements

1) Passport – Original passport that is valid for at least another 6 months with at least one blank visa page, a photocopy of the passport's information/photo page and emergency contact page.  The previous old passport, if available, is required to be submitted; if the old passport is lost, or the applicant never holds a passport before, please make a clear statement in the item 3.7 of the Visa Application Form.

2) Visa Application Form – Please submit truthfully completed and signed Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China. Please type the answer in capital English letters in the space provided. Do not leave any field blank. Type N/A if the item does not apply. Application form of minors must be signed by their parents or legal guardians.

3) Photo – Please provide 2 color photos and affix one of the photos on the Application Form. The photo should be recent(within 6 months), front view, white background, in 48mm x 33mm size without head covering. (Specific photo requirements, please click here. )  Stapled/taped/clipped/detached photos will not be accepted.

Visa categories and documents required

*Remarks of the Invitation Letter

The above mentioned invitation letter must contain the following information: 

1) Information on the applicant : full name, gender, date of birth, etc.
2) Information on the planned visit: purpose of visit, arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, relations between the applicant and the inviting entity or individual, financial source for expenditures, etc.
3) Information on the inviting entity or individual: name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual.

The invitation letter may be in the form of fax, photocopy or computer printout, but the consular officer may require the applicant to submit the original of the invitation letter.

The proofs of kinship refers to marriage certificate, birth certificate, certification of kinship issued by Chinese Public Security Bureau or notarized certification of kinship.

Additional requirements

1) First Time Chinese Visa Applicant – Please provide the following additional documents:

A) Bank Certificate of Deposit Balance(including the past 6 months bank statement) and the receipt for payment of this certificate;

B) BIR-stamped Income Tax Return Form;

C) Certificate of Employment(detailing the salary and the length of employment );

D) Business Registration Certificate(if you are the owner);

E) Professional ID/Student ID (if applicable);

F) Other relevant documents proving the applicant's economic condition/ employment/study, or supporting the applicant's travel to China, or explaining the travel purpose (if applicable);  

2)Previous Chinese Visa – If you had obtained a Chinese visa before, you should submit a photocopy of the visa, and if the visa is on your old passport, you should also submit the old passport.

3) Non-Filipino Nationals – Please submit proof of residence permit, employment or study in the Philippines. Temporary visitors to the Philippines should apply for Chinese visas from the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in the countries in which they live, unless the applicant can provide proof of employment/study or other occupational status and the visa officer will make the final decision on a case-by-case basis. You must also submit a photocopy of the Philippine visa/immigration entry stamp on your passport.

4) Certificate of Name Change – If the name in the new passport is different from that in the original one, the official document (birth certificate/marriage contract) issued by authorities for name change must be submitted.

5) Original Chinese Passport – First-time applicant whose former nationality was Chinese, or who was born in China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), need to submit the original Chinese passport and a photocopy of the passport's information/photo page, and extension page (if applicable). You do not need to submit income tax return form and bank statement.

6) Visit Tibet – You may join a tourist group organized by Authorized Travel Agency. If you plan to visit Tibet individually, you may contact the Tourism Administration of the Tibet Autonomous Region (Tel: 0086-891-6834313; Fax: 0086-891-6834632) in advance and provide a Visa Notification issued by it.

7) Applicants applying for special tour to China (hiking, cycling, horse-riding, hot air balloon, or other expeditions) should provide an original of Invitation Letter for Tourist issued by Authorized Travel Agency.

Authorized Travel Agency refers to:

a) Tourism administration bureau of Chinese province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government.

b) CITS Group Corporation, CITS Head Office, CTS Head Office, CYTS, etc.

8) Seafarers from the Philippine shipping companies to join vessels in ports in China and stay in China for less than 10 days, should submit Letter of Guarantee from employers, and the original and copy of Seafarer's Registration Certificate, and should apply for "G" visa. Those who would stay in China for more than 10 days should also submit invitation letters from China, and should apply for "M" visa.

9) American passport holders may apply 10 years multiple entries L/M/Q2/S2 Visa, or 5 years multiple entries X1 Visa, only if his/her passport is valid over 1 year from the date of application.

How to Apply  

1) An applicant may submit his or her visa application in person or entrust someone (immediate family member/household staff/co-worker) or a travel agency to submit on his or her behalf.

2) No appointment is required.  

3) Mail applications will not be accepted.

4) If necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other proof documents or supplementary materials, or require an interview with the applicant.

Visa Fee (Unit: Peso) and Processing Time

1) Regular processing time is 5 working days.(for example, apply on Tuesday and pick up on next Tuesday.)

2) Express service (third working day release): an additional fee of 1100 pesos per visa will be charged.

3) Rush service (second working day release): an additional fee of 1700 pesos per visa will be charged.

4) Express and Rush service is not available to the First time Chinese visa applicant/ X1, X2 and Z visa applicant, please apply in advance.

5) Pay visa fees when collecting passport.

6) Open days are every Tuesday and Thursday.

Other Important Information

1) The application materials must be authentic and complete. Forged and incomplete applications will be denied.

2) The consular officer will decide on whether or not to issue the visa and on its validity, duration of stay and number of entries in light of specific conditions of the applicant.

3) According to the relevant Chinese law and regulation, the consular officer is not required to give reasons for refusing the issuance of a visa.

4) Please check the visa after obtaining it. Should there be any discrepancy, contact the Visa Office immediately.

**Meaning of terms of Chinese Visa:

The number of entries specified in the visa means the number of times that the visa holder may enter China within the validity period of the entry specified in the visa;

The validity period of the entry specified in the visa means the valid period of time during which the visa holder may enter China. Unless otherwise specified by the issuing authority, a visa is valid from the date of issuance until Beijing time 24:00 on the expiring day;

The duration of stay specified in the visa means the period of time during which the visa holder is allowed to stay in China after each entry. It begins from the next day of entry.