Many Western travellers will be used to travelling without requiring any type of visa, or perhaps at most paying on arrival for a simple stamp in their passport. The China visa application form then, provides a tougher challenge.

China, like many Asian countries, requires a comparatively high amount of information about visitors to its shores.

As a large and important country in today's economic climate, there are probably two reasons for this:

National security
Business

Here we offer comprehensive China visa services to help you to gain the right China visa quickly and without any difficulty, but if you're new to China then you may be confused about what the application form is, where you can get it, and how to fill it out.

So keep reading this blog where we offer you the answers to these questions and make it simple for you to fill out the application form for your next visa to China!

What Is The China Visa Application Form, And Where Is It Found?

When applying for a Chinese visa you will need to fill out an application form. This allows the Chinese authorities to understand who is coming to China, when, and for which reasons.

Not only will you need to fill out the application form, but will also need to provide passport style photos, and pay a fee. 

Typically 2 passport style photos will need to be attached to the form each time a visa is applied for, and we always suggest that anyone travelling to China 'stocks up on' passport photos as they're frequently required for many different documents here.

The fee will often change and so we advise that you check the website for the Chinese embassy in your country before applying, but to give an example, currently the cost of visas for US citizens is US$140 each as of August 2015. Your fee will probably be lower if you're from a different country.  

"Don't struggle to find the China visa application form." 

If you need further information, or are looking for different visa application forms (such as only for Hong Kong or Macau) then you can check the official USA China embassy site which offers them all for download. Your country will also have its own Chinese embassy site, and so do a Google search for it in order to get up-to-date information for your country.

How Long Will It Take To Process My Visa?

You will usually need to go to your local Chinese embassy or consulate and both submit and collect your passport.

The standard time is around 4 working days, but the time can be reduced by paying extra.

Express service will be around 1 to 3 working days, whereas it's also often possible to get a rush service which is within the same day.

The faster processing time you require, the more you will pay as an extra fee. Again, the cost of speeding up your visa processing will vary depending on country, so please check your local Chinese embassy site for details.

It's often possible, at least in Western countries, to apply by post. Postal visa applications take longer than when submitted in person, but are of course more convenient. Typically they would take around 10 working days to complete and be returned to you. The China embassy website will have details about postal visa applications.

You will need to send them a China visa application form, as well as photos, your passport, and the fee. Therefore downloading one here will save you time.

How To Fill Out The Application Form?

The form is fairly straightforward, and so let's start with part 1:

As you can see, this page requires your personal information and allows the Chinese authorities to understand who is coming to China and how to contact them.

In the second part you will tell the Chinese authorities about why you're coming to China, your intended adresses, and who has invited you (if applicable).

Many visa applicants are 'invited' to China. This may either be by a business, or an individual. In these cases it's also important to give their accurate details.

The itinerary is important, but only needs to be basic detail. For instance, you might add 23-26 August: Friendship hotel, Beijing, etc.

In part 3 you'll share extra information. This will help them to understand if you're a regular visitor to China and if you have been anywhere that may be of interest to them, such as an area currently suffering from infectious diseases. The information given here is mainly concerned with your suitability to visit China and for you to communicate any additional information to the authorities.

In general China may be reluctant to admit persons with a criminal record or infectious disease. However each application is treated on its own merits, so it may be wise to check in advance before applying in order to ascertain whether your situation could be problematic.