China visa for US citizens, step by step.

Before you start

Most US citizens need a visa for an ordinary visit to mainland China. For a holiday, the usual category is the L (tourist) visa. If you are only passing through China to a third country, check the 240-hour transit guide first: you may not need a visa at all.

In the United States, applications are handled by the Visa Office of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC or of the Consulates-General in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston, according to the consulates’ current guidance. You must use the office whose consular district covers the state where you live.

Our suggestionAllow several weeks. The official processing time is short, but the online pre-review step can request extra documents, and you still need to take your passport to the office in person or through someone else.

The process since 30 September 2025

The Embassy and consulates moved to a new online application system on 30 September 2025. Their published process works like this:

1. Complete the online visa application form on the official China Online Visa Application (COVA) website and upload the required documents and your photo.
2. Wait for the preliminary review. Check the status online and upload any additional documents requested.
3. When the status shows “Passport to be Submitted”, print the confirmation page with its barcode. The Los Angeles consulate says you must then submit your passport within 30 days or the application is cancelled.
4. Take the printed page, your passport and any original documents requested to your Visa Office. Offices take walk-in submissions; the consulates say they do not accept applications by mail.
5. Collect your passport with the pick-up receipt and pay the fee at collection.

Someone else, such as a relative, friend or visa agency, may submit and collect the application for you, according to the consulates’ guidance. You do not have to attend in person yourself.

Documents for an L tourist visa

The consulates’ current lists for US residents include:

• Your passport, with more than six months’ validity remaining and blank visa pages (most consulates ask for at least two).
• The completed online application and its confirmation page.
• A photo meeting the requirements below, uploaded with the online form.
• Proof that you live in the consular district, such as a driver’s license, state ID, utility bill or bank statement.
• Your most recent Chinese visa, if you have had one.

Since January 2024 the Embassy and consulates have not required round-trip flight bookings, hotel reservations, an itinerary or an invitation letter for tourist visa applications, although the Los Angeles consulate notes that officers may still request further documents in individual cases.

Photo requirements

The San Francisco consulate’s photo rules call for a recent colour photo, 48 mm high by 33 mm wide, with a plain white background and no border. The head should be centred, with a neutral expression, mouth closed and ears visible. Glasses with thick frames, tinted lenses or glare are not acceptable, and head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons.

Under the current process you upload the photo with the online form. If the system rejects it, it will ask you to try again.

Our suggestionUse a pharmacy or photo service that knows Chinese visa dimensions, and keep the digital file. It is the most common reason for an avoidable delay.

Fees, processing time and fingerprints

Rush service is offered only in exceptional circumstances and at the consulate’s discretion. Check the specific office’s fee page, because the published tables also list different fees for applicants who are not US citizens.

Validity and length of stay

The State Department says US citizens can apply for a ten-year multiple-entry visa. The validity, number of entries and permitted duration of each stay are decided by the consular officer and printed on the visa. Read the “Duration of each stay” field carefully: it limits each visit, separately from the visa’s expiry date.

After you receive the visa

Check your name, passport number, entries, validity and duration of stay before leaving the office. Then complete the online arrival card before you fly and keep your accommodation address handy for the border check.

Our suggestionBook flights you can change until your passport is back with the visa in it. The consulates no longer require flight bookings for the application.