Entry and Other China Visa Requirements

To enter the People's Republic of China

a U.S. citizen must have a valid U.S. passport and P.R.C. visa. Most tourist visas are valid for only one entry. Travelers required a new visa for additional entries into China. Chinese authorities fine those who arrive without a visa up to $600 U.S. at the port of entry and may not allow them to enter China.

An application for a business visa should include an invitation from the applicant's host or counterpart in China.

China Visas for tour group members

are often obtained by the travel agent as part of the tour package. You may book China tours through a number of travel agencies and airlines in the United States and abroad.

You can find advertisements for these tours in newspapers or magazines, or you may contact the China National Tourist Office at: 60 E. 42nd Street, Suite 3126, New York, NY 10165; (212) 867-0271.

Apply for a China Visa

at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., or at a Chinese consulate in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco. At this time, the cost of a visa for China is $30 (not including fees for expedited handling). To apply, each person must send an application form, valid passport, two photographs and the fee. U.S. citizens applying for visas outside the United States may be requested to fill out visa application forms both in English and in Chinese.

Whether you visit on your own or with a tour, allow several weeks for China visa processing. The Chinese Embassy and consulates in the United States often require 10 working days to process visas.

For individuals visiting Hong Kong en route, tours to China depart regularly from that city and may be booked through China Travel Service, LTD., 77 Queens Road, Central, Hong Kong (tel: 2525-2284, fax: 2541-9777) or 27-33 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong (tel: 2315-7149, fax: 2721-7757). (Cable address: TRAVEL BANK.)

For a handling fee, individual china visas for travel originating in Hong Kong may be obtained through these agencies in two working days. If you have made travel arrangements and wish to obtain your visa on your own, apply to the Visa Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, 5th Floor, Low Block, 26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.