Chinese Tourist Visa

For Whom?

A Chinese Tourist visa is for those who wish to enter mainland China for sightseeing purposes or to visit friends. If you are going for a short trip to China, you will need to obtain a tourist visa beforehand. If you have joined an organised tour, the application should be straightforward as your tour company should have all the supporting documents ready for you. For backpackers, you may need to plan in advance as the Embassy will require flights + hotel bookings as supporting documents.

Processing Time – How long does it take to get a Chinese visa?

Most successful applications received before 03:00pm can be submitted to the authority on the next working day. Documents arrived after 03:00pm can only be processed and submitted by the third working day.

Processing time :

Service Type	VAC Processing Time
Processing time	48 Hrs (excl Holidays after lodging biometrics)	72 Hrs (excl Holidays after lodging biometrics)
Documents	By Email / In Person / Courier / Postal	By Email / In Person / Courier / Postal
Earliest Collection Date *Please email us before lodging your application	Wednesday 2pm (e.g. Biometrics on Monday)	Thursday 2pm (e.g. Biometrics on Monday)

*VAC48hrs service is NOT AVAILABLE to some countries. Click here for more information.

Documents – Tourist Visa

Chinese Tourist (L Type ) Visa applications will need to provide the following documents:

	Biometrics	The Embassy has implemented a new system from 9 Nov 2018 and requires all applicants to lodge their biometric information (i.e. fingerprint) at their London visa centre. Advanced Appointment is available – see here for more details PRE-CHECK – Before having an advanced biometric slot – kindly email your documents (i.e passport copy, photo, forms and supporting documents) to us ([email protected]) for pre-check and arranging bookings. ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS – (i.e. passport, UK residence permit) must bring in at the appointment – We will then notify the VAC/ Embassy to confirm the advanced biometric slot. BIOMETRIC APPOINTMENT – Applicant will need to visit the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in London at 12 Old Jewry, London EC2R 8DU (2 mins walk from our office) between 1:30pm & 2pm Once the biometric is done the VAC will initiate their application process and the outcome will be available in 48/72hrs (with relevant services).
	Passport	1. With at least 2 blank pages 2. With at least 6 months validity remaining
	Passport size photo	Standard passport size, coloured photo (which required to upload to official site) with: 1. WHITE background 2. NO visible distortion of facial features (i.e. NO glasses/ Ear rings) 3. Head width between 15mm and 22mm, head height between 28mm and 33mm 4. Should be taken within 6 months 5. File size between 40KB – 120KB, 420 (pixels) x (560 pixels) More details is available at https://bio.visaforchina.org/LON2_EN/upload/Image/mrtp/291849.JPG
	Mandarin Visa Order form + Online Application Form	1. Order form: https://mandarinvisa.co.uk/order-form-visa-application or 2. Visa Application Form: we could do form-filling ( Order Form – Mandarin Visa Order Form) on your behalf or you could visit https://bio.visaforchina.cn/user/login?site=LON3_EN for online applications. Note: Hand-writing form is not accepted – application form MUST completed electronically Form filling instruction is available at https://mandarinvisa.co.uk/filling-in-chinese-visa-application-form/

Return Air ticket + Hotel Reservation to cover your first trip

Document should include the following details:

1. Full name of traveller

2. Check-in / Check-out dates

3. Destination and Flight number for air ticket

4. Full hotel Address for hotel reservation

5. Printed on company letterhead paper/ from official booking website(e.g. through booking.com)

Invitation letter from China

(if you cannot provide Air Ticket and Hotel Reservation)

Your invitation letter should include the following information (Download template of invitation letter):

– Your FULL NAME, Gender and Date of birth

– Your intended Entry and Exit dates to China

– Your purpose of visit to China

– Your intended destination(s) in China

– Your source of financial support for your trip to China

– Your relationship with the inviter

– Name, address and contact telephone number of the inviter

– Signed and dated by the inviter

– A photocopy of inviter’s passport and Chinese residence permit (i.e.,Passport, work permit, residence permit).If your inviter is a Chinese national, you will need to provide both sides of his/her Chinese ID (Chinese passport is not accepted).

Special Cases

You will need to provide additional information if you are:

Media professional/ NGO/ Government officials
Applicants born outside the country of origin
Intended to stay for longer than 30 days
You will need additional documents if you’re under 18
The Embassy may also request other documents (e.g. bank statements, marriage certificate, pay slips etc)
If you are a Chinese origin, you may need additional documents. Click here for more details.

More information is available at https://mandarinvisa.co.uk/chinese-visa/your-extra-needs/special-cases/

Please note that tourist visa will usually be single or double entry (for non-UK passport). If you need to apply for a double entry visa, you will need to provide inbound flights for both entries or provide your original previous Chinese visa as supporting document.

A great and painless service. It allowed us to plan our trip without the added stress of navigating through the mire of visa processing. – Mark Greensmith

How to submit your documents – Chinese visa

Mandarin Visa accepts application documents via different channels, and most successful applications received by 3pm will be submitted to the authority on the next working day. Our office address is: Mandarin Visa, Blackwell House, Guildhall Yard, London EC2V 5AE.

How to submit your documents	Process
In Person	Our office opens from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm (excl Bank holidays). For applications delivered in person to our offices an application checking service is available but is provided on a discretionary basis. Charges may apply for this service.
Deliver by Courier	You may send your documents by a same day / next day courier, and we will review your case as soon as your package arrived at our office.
Send by Post	You may send your documents via post, and we will review your case as soon as your package arrived at our office. Please make sure you send it via Royal Mail Special Delivery as it can be tracked via the Royal Mail’s system.

Fees

All fees are charged per applicant. Total price of your order will depend on the services you select and the number of applications.

Fees charged by Mandarin Visa are per application and inclusive of VAT + Embassy’s fees. All fees are listed and charged in Pound Sterling.

Fee (in British Pounds)		VAC Processing time – 48hrs	VAC Processing time – 72hrs
UK Passport	Up to 2 Yrs Multiple Entry	£290	£255
Canadian/ USA/ Israel/ Argentina Passport	Up to 5/10 Yrs Multiple Entry	£330	£295
Polish/ Serbian/ Romanian Passport	Single/ Double Entry	£250	£215
All Other Passports	Single/ Double Entry	£230/ £245	£195/ £210

Payments – How to Pay

Mandarin Visa offers varies payment methods, and you will only need to pay before collection, and all fees will be charged according to the type of visa issued and the service you have chosen.

Payment Method	Process
Online Card Payment	After we have submitted your application to the Chinese Embassy, we will send you a confirmation email and a payment link. The payment link allows you to pay over the internet, and it is all secured by Paypal (you will not need a Paypal account to proceed forward).
Bank Transfer	Please confirm the amount with us before making a bank payment, as price may vary and sometimes additional postage may incur. Our bank account is: Company name: Mandarin Management Limited Sort code: 30-95-74 Account Number: 41779560 After making a payment, please provide the proof of payment (e.g. payment record) in your application documents.
Cheque	If you wish to pay by cheque, please send us a cheque address to: Mandarin Management Limited. Please confirm the amount with us before sending your cheque, as price may vary and sometimes additional postage may incur. We will return your passport and visa back to you after the payment has been cleared.

Our Solution

With our expertise, your visa application will be processed quickly, securely and as easily for you as possible. Our service is:

Fast. We provide the fastest way to obtain a visa.

Secure. All of your data will be protected.

Easy. Our expertise is available by phone or email.