Chinese Visa Questions

1. Basic Documents

(1) Passport
Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and with blank visa pages, a photocopy of the passport's data page and the photo page.

(2) Visa Application Form and Photo
One completed Visa Application Form with a recently-taken colour passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background (size: 48mm x 33mm) attached.

There are two ways to prepare your application form. You may complete an Online Application Form (where a Visa Centre provides such service), print it out and sign it; or, you can download the application form from our website and fill it out manually and sign it.

Please remember to bring the completed form to the Visa Centre to submit your application.

(3) Proof of legal status (applicable for those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)

If you are applying for a visa in a country that is not the country of your citizenship, you must provide the original and photocopy of your valid certificates of residence, employment or student status, or other valid certificates of legal stay provided by the relevant authorities of the country where the Visa Centre is located.

(4) Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas (applicable for those who were Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship).

If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you should provide the last Chinese passport held and a photocopy of its data page.

If you have obtained Chinese visas before and apply for a Chinese visa with a renewed foreign passport that does not contain any Chinese visa, you should present the photocopy of the previous passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate, as well as the previous Chinese visa page (If your name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, you must provide an official document of name change).

(5)A Chinese child born in Canada: The child should apply for a Chinese visa at the Chinese Visa Center if the parents’ status at the time of the child’s birth falls into one of the following three categories: a) Both of the parents were Chinese and residing abroad with the foreign permanent resident card; b) One of the parents was a foreigner and the other was Chinese residing abroad with the foreign permanent resident card; c) Both of the parents were Chinese, one of them residing abroad with the foreign permanent resident card. If the parents’status does not belong to the previously mentioned categories, the child needs to apply for the Chinese Travel Document at the Visa Office of the Chinese Consulate. If it is the first time to apply for a Chinese visa, the applicant should provide birth certificate (bearing parents' names) and parents' passports and foreign permanent resident cards (original and copy).


2. Supporting documents

Documents showing the itinerary including air ticket booking record (round trip) and proof of a hotel reservation, etc. or an Invitation Letter for Tourist issued by a relevant unit or individual in China.The invitation letter should contain:
(1) Information of the applicant (incl. full name, gender, date of birth, etc.);
(2) Details of the planned visit (incl. arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, accomodation arrangements, etc.);
(3) Information of the inviting party(incl. name of organization or person concerned, contact telephone number, address, official stamp of the organization, signature of the legal representative or individual).

3. Special notes

(1) 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. An issuer of invitation letter who is an individual in China should also provide a photocopy of his/her Chinese ID.

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

(3) 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.

craftsman wrote: ↑ I just got one last year - here's the site with all of the confusing details -> https://www.visaforchina.org/YVR_EN/

Basically, they have one price for a visa and it doesn't matter how long it is (up to 10 years that is). They will date it to the expiry date of your current passport so if you have 9 years left on the passport, you get a 8.5 year visa.

An itinerary or a letter of invitation is required. So, unless you have been invited by someone in China, you need to book your ticket as well as hotels.

You can get a Chinese regulation photo done at BCAA or pay the extra and get it done at the application center.

Bring your last expired Canadian passport as well... they want to see where you have been before issuing you a visa.

Here's the list of documents required as listed on the website I linked to above -

craftsman wrote: ↑ - The Chinese visa photo requirement is not standard. Costco couldn't do it and Walmart took a while to cut them. The best way is to have the photos taken at the visa application center. It's about $15 for two.

Sgt_Strider wrote: ↑ I have about 8 years and 2 months left on my current passport. Did you provide a copy of your itinerary and proof of airfare? I don't remember having to do that about a decade ago.

Jucius Maximus wrote: ↑ I just got a US passport size colour photo and told the Costco photographer to leave some space on the edges and top. And I cut it down to size myself using a guillotine paper slicer. Super-EZ.


I did not have to provide itinerary.

Sgt_Strider wrote: ↑ So just tell the Costco photographer to leave some space (how much?) on the edges around the photo?

Jucius Maximus wrote: ↑ China Visa photo is Size is 48 mm tall and 33 mm wide.
American passport is 50 x 50 mm.

So I told the photographer leave a bit of space a the top and some significant space on the sides.
Assuming it's a US passport size, you chop 8.5 mm off each side and 2 mm off the top.

Sgt_Strider wrote: ↑ Wouldn't you know for sure because you've already did it? Does it have to be very precise? Worse comes worse, the guys at the consulate office will take care of it for me?

Sgt_Strider wrote: ↑ I have about 8 years and 2 months left on my current passport. Did you provide a copy of your itinerary and proof of airfare? I don't remember having to do that about a decade ago.

Sgt_Strider wrote: ↑ How much is it to do that at BCAA? I was hoping to do this at Costco since it's pretty cheap over there.

Sgt_Strider wrote: ↑ I have about 8 years and 2 months left on my current passport. Did you provide a copy of your itinerary and proof of airfare? I don't remember having to do that about a decade ago.

Sgt_Strider wrote: ↑ Sorry for bumping this old thread. I finally got my visa photo. I still haven’t submitted my application. I’m planning to do that tomorrow. I don’t have my trip finalized yet, but I’m thinking of booking a refundable airfare and accommodation just to help get this application through. Any suggestions on where to book refundable airfare and accommodation?

redflagged2006 wrote: ↑ Has anyone gotten a Chinese Visa in recent months? It’s been over 10 years since I’ve gotten one and the process has changed.

Looking for advise on the whole process.

It seems they take digital photos now? Can it be self taken?

callernamet wrote: ↑ check post 3
https://bio.visaforchina.org/YTO2_EN/
The procedure is changed as looks like you have to give fingerprints here now. Quick. Fill online, Print, attach photos.

redflagged2006 wrote: ↑ It seems an online digital photo is required for the online application, was this always the case? I can’t move forward without uploading a photo.

Also what’s the deal with previous Chinese Visa? I don’t have or can’t find the last one I had the visa on, currently on a 10yr Canadian Passort, prior to this didn’t have the visa but the one before that did.