Visa-Free Option

There is a new 10 day visa-free transit policy for traveling to China. Here's how it works:

If you are only traveling 10 days or less in China, you do not need to obtain a travel visa ahead of time. However, you MUST stop at another country or territory after you leave China prior to flying back to the U.S. It is unclear if layovers satisfy this requirement, so to be safe it would be best to stay at least a day in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, (no travel visa needed for these 3 territories) or any other country on the way back to qualify for this visa exemption.

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Obtaining a Chinese travel visa

Allow at least a few months for the application and processing of your travel visa.

There are 2 options for obtaining a travel visa to China:

1. Apply in-person at a Chinese Embassy or Consulate location:

If you live near or are traveling to Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Chicago, you can go in-person and apply for the travel visa

Click for visa processing time and fees

2. Apply for a travel visa through any number of processing services such as YWPW Chinese Visa Service. As of January 2024, you do not need to submit flight/hotel information or an invitation letter to apply for a visa.

Website for YWPW Chinese Visa Service

C&J

Summer Palace

Forbidden City

Great Wall

Exploring Beijing

Wedding Day