China Tourist Visa Application 2026: Documents, Invitation Letter and Who Still Needs One

Short answer: Many travellers no longer need a visa, so check that first. If your passport isn’t on a visa-free or transit list, you apply online through the official COVA system and then submit your passport at the embassy, consulate or visa centre that serves you. A tourist (L) visa does not need an invitation letter under the current rules published by the Chinese Embassy in the US, but the exact document list differs by embassy, so follow your own embassy’s notice. The policy facts here come from our policy data, last verified 18 October 2026.

Step 1: Do you still need a visa?

Check your passport in the visa-free checker first. Our policy data lists these routes:

Route	Who	Days	End date
Unilateral visa-free	48 countries (e.g. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)	30	31 Dec 2026
Unilateral visa-free	Russia	30	31 Dec 2027
Unilateral visa-free	Brunei	30	none in our data
Mutual exemption	24 countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Qatar, UAE	30	none
Mutual exemption	Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino	90	none
Mutual exemption	Mauritius	60	none
240-hour transit	57 countries, including the United States	up to 240 hours, with an onward ticket to a third country or region	–

The full lists are in our visa-free entry guide. Source: NIA.

Two things to notice:

• The 30-day unilateral scheme has an end date of 31 December 2026 for 48 countries. If you travel after that, check before you go.
• The 240-hour transit is not tourism entry. You must fly on to a third country or region. See the 240-hour transit guide.

Who still needs a visa? Anyone whose passport appears in none of the lists above for their trip. For example, the United States appears in our data only in the 240-hour transit list, not in the 30-day lists. Also, if you plan to work, study or work as a journalist, you need the right visa in advance. The NIA says these activities “still require prior approvals and appropriate visas”.

For the 30-day visa-free scheme, the stay is counted from the day after entry and lasts 30 calendar days. Source: MFA Consular Service. Keep your entry record in mind and leave well before the limit.

Step 2: Where to apply

Visa rules and application channels are published by the Consular Service (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the National Immigration Administration. Your local Chinese embassy or consulate also publishes its own notices, for example the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles.

The online application is made in the China Online Visa Application system (COVA) at consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA. The Chinese Embassy in the US says it has used the new COVA system since 30 September 2025. In some countries the submission is handled by a Chinese Visa Application Service Center instead of the embassy itself. Your embassy’s notice says which. We found no official visa app, so use the website.

Only use the official sites above, or the link your embassy gives you. Don’t use agency sites that look official.

Step 3: Documents

Start with your passport. The Chinese Embassy in the US asks for more than 6 months of remaining validity and at least 2 blank visa pages. Other embassies may differ, so check yours.

For a US-based applicant, the embassy’s notice lists:

• Uploaded online: the passport bio page and blank visa pages, your latest Chinese visa or residence permit if you have one, and proof of residence (for example a driver’s licence, utility bill or bank statement).
• Handed in on-site: your passport, the printed application info page with its barcode, and any older passport that holds a still-valid Chinese visa.
• Since 1 January 2024, US-based tourist applicants no longer need to submit a round-trip air ticket, hotel booking, itinerary or invitation letter. Applications are still decided case by case.

Extra documents, only if they apply to you (from the same embassy notice):

• Foreign applicants in the US: proof of legal residence in the US.
• Former Chinese nationals applying for their first Chinese visa after naturalization: your previous Chinese passport and your naturalization certificate.
• First application after a name change: documents showing the name change.
• Minors of Chinese origin born in the US: the rules are specific, so follow the embassy’s own guidance for them.

Photo rules and any proof of funds or employment aren’t covered in that notice. We don’t want to guess the full list, because it can differ by embassy and by country. Open the notice for your country and tick off each item.

Do you need an invitation letter?

For a tourist (L) visa, the Chinese Embassy in the US says no. Invitation letters apply to other visa types, such as F, S1, S2, Q1 and Q2. Other embassies and visa centres may ask for different things, such as an itinerary or hotel booking, so check your own country’s notice.

Ask your embassy or visa centre before you pay for any letter from a third party.

Step 4: Fill in and submit

The steps below are from the Chinese Embassy in the US. Other embassies may differ in details such as appointments and opening hours.

1. Log in to COVA, complete the forms and upload your documents for preliminary review.
2. When the status shows “Passport to be submitted”, take your passport, the barcoded application info page and any other required originals to the visa office during office hours.
3. Check your application status online on or after the estimated date on your pick-up form.
4. When the status shows “Passport to be collected”, collect your passport and check that all visa details are correct before you leave.

The US embassy quotes about 4 business days for regular processing and about 3 for express, counted from passport submission, but some cases take longer. Fees are on a separate fee schedule on your embassy’s site, so check the current amount there. The notice we read doesn’t mention fingerprints. Check whether your country requires them.

If it doesn’t work

Problem	Why	Fix
Your country isn’t in any visa-free list	No visa-free route for your passport in our data	Apply for a visa through the official channel for your country
You aren’t sure if the 30-day scheme covers your travel date	The unilateral scheme runs until 31 Dec 2026 for 48 countries	Check the official notice close to your travel date
A site asks for a big fee for an “invitation letter”	A tourist (L) visa doesn’t need one under the US embassy’s current rules	Ask your embassy first
The list of documents differs from a blog post	Embassies may differ	Follow your embassy’s notice

FAQ

Do I need a visa for China in 2026?

Maybe not. Check the table above and the visa-free checker. If your passport isn’t covered, you need to apply.

Can I use the 240-hour transit as a tourist?

Only if you are passing through to a third country or region. See the transit guide.

Do ASEAN passports need a visa?

It depends on the country. See the ASEAN page.

Is the visa-free scheme permanent?

Some entries have no end date in our data. The 30-day unilateral scheme for 48 countries ends on 31 December 2026 in our data. Check before you go.

Still stuck?

Do it yourself with the steps above — or get help from a real person.

Sources: policy data last verified 18 October 2026 (NIA, China Briefing, Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles). Stay counting: MFA Consular Service. Application steps and documents: Chinese Embassy in the US. Official portals: MFA Consular Service, NIA. Some links may be affiliate links — see our disclosure.