Chinese Visas
A visa is required for many foreign nationals wishing to visit China.
We offer two types of visa service:
Tourist visa: allowing for one or two visits (valid for entry during a maximum period of 90 or 180 days respectively)
Business visa: allowing for a single, double or multiple visits (for entry during a maximum period of 1, 3, 6 or 12 months)
If required, for example due to your travel arrangements, we may also be able to process this visa in Moscow.
The Chinese Consulate in London have announced new requirements for United Kingdom passport holders visiting mainland China starting from the 26th December 2011.
These include; a copy of train/plane tickets for arrival, departure and internal travel, a confirmation of hotel bookings for every days stay in China and an itinerary for every day you plan to be in China (i.e. which cities on which days / travel plans).
If you are arranging your travel through Real Russia we will provide these documents as part of our visa service. Please contact us for more information.
How much will it cost?
We offer twelve levels of service dependent upon which type and how quickly you need your visa with prices starting from £93.00 for UK nationals and £83.00 for many others.
What is included in the price?
Our prices include all costs necessary to get your visa including:
- Consular tariffs
- Visa Application Centre costs
- Delivery, collection and management of your application at the consulate by our staff.
You also have the option of choosing:
- Central London courier delivery the day your visa is ready
- Royal Mail Special Delivery of your passport and Chinese visa back to you (UK only)
- £2,500 of consequential loss postal insurance (UK mainland only).
The price you see is the price you pay!
What types of visa are available?
There are two types of visa available depending on the purpose of your visit, how long you wish the visa to be valid for and how many times you expect to visit within the visa validity period.
Chinese tourist visas are generally used by people who travel to China for tourism or leisure trips, allowing for either a one (single entry) or two (double entry) visits, usually of up to 30 days each time.
The visa will be issued with a validity “window” that starts from the date the application is made to the Consulate and you should enter China before this validity “window” expires. For single entry visas the validity “window” is 90 days and for double entry visas it is 180 days.
Please note that if you visit Hong Kong from China, and then intend to return to mainland China, you will need a double entry visa.
It is possible to request a visa allowing for stay(s) of up to 60 days or 90 days rather than the standard 30 days, but the issuance of such visas is at the Consulate’s discretion.
Business visas are generally used by people who travel to China on official or private business and may be single entry, double entry or multi-entry and allow for trips of up to 30 days during each entry.
The visa will be issued with a validity “window” that starts from the date the application is made to the Consulate and you should enter China before this validity “window” expires. For single entry visas the validity “window” is 90 days, for double entry visas it is 180 days and for multiple entry it may either be 6 or 12 months.
Please note that if you visit Hong Kong from China, and then intend to return to mainland China, that you will need a double entry visa.
How do I order?
Please take note of the “What is the Processing Time?” information below when ordering your visa. To start the process, simply select your nationality from the options below and click on the price to go to the online order form.
Tourist visas
| Service type |
Single visit |
Double visit |
Processing time |
| Standard service |
?93.00 |
?108.00 |
4 days |
| Express service |
?126.00 |
?141.00 |
3 days |
What is the processing time?
The processing time is the number of business days that it will take us to obtain your visa once we have received your documents and lodged your application with the Chinese Consulate. We will lodge your application the next consular working day after we receive it.
The day we receive your visa from the Consulate, we will send it to you by Royal Mail Special Delivery so you will have it the next business day before 1pm or optionally hold it at our office for your collection.
Business days exclude weekends, UK and Chinese public holidays.
What documents do I need to provide with my application pack?
The documents that you need to provide to allow us to prepare and lodge your application at the Consulate depend on the visa type you require and your nationality.
Please note, if you have dual nationality for UK and another country outside the EU, the Consulate requires that you apply for your Chinese visa using your UK passport.
Please note, regardless of visa type, non-UK passport holders who require a UK visa or work permit should present the original of this to the Consulate along with their application. The UK visa/work permit should be valid for at least 6 months.
Check your visa application requirements by selecting your passport nationality, purpose of visit and service level from the options below:
Nationality: Purpose of visit: Service:
Documents required for passport holders of United Kingdom:
- The completed, signed consulate visa application form.
- Your passport (with minimum two blank pages and valid for at least 6 months after the end of the visa).
- A single recent colour passport photograph.
- Payment (if not paying online).
If you have not made your travel arrangements through Real Russia we will also need you to provide the following documents:
- Copy of return flight/train bookings (including any internal flights/train).
- Copy of a hotel booking showing every day you plan to be in China.
- Itinerary for every day you plan to be in China (i.e. which cities on which days / travel plans).
I am travelling on the Trans Mongolian, can you help me with Mongolian and Russian visas as well?
Yes, of course we can. We will process all necessary visas "back to back" and return your passport with all three visas when they are complete. See the following links for further details:
Can I deliver my passport and collect my visa from your office in person?
Yes, of course you can; we have an office in central London and we will be happy to see you and assist with your application if needed. If you intend to deliver an application in person or collect your passport and visa we are open for collection and deliveries during the following times.
| Passport Collection and Delivery times |
| Weekdays |
09.00 |
18.00 |
| Saturday |
09.00 |
11.00 |
| Bank / public holidays |
By arrangement |
Visa applications received by our office after 16.30 on weekdays or at any time on Saturdays or non-working days will not start to be processed until the following working day.
How can I pay for my visa?
You have several options to pay for your visa including:
Sounds good, how do I get my visa?
To order your Chinese visa online, simply click on the level of service you want from the options above.
What will happen when I click the service I want?
1
When you select the service you want from the options above we will ask you to fill in a simple online form with details about yourself, your trip and finally you will have the option to pay using your credit or debit card through our secure servers.
2
We will then email your visa application form to you.
4
We will complete all the necessary forms and submit your completed visa application to the Chinese Visa Application Centre (CVAC). During the processing of your application, we will be on hand to answer any queries the Consulate may have and to ensure that your application is dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.
5
The day your visa is ready we will collect it in person and return this to you using Royal Mail Special Delivery so you will have it the next business day before 1pm, or hold it at our office for your collection.
You can follow the progress of your order through our online order tracking system which will detail the steps taken and the steps remaining to obtain your visa.
Can you tell me more?
We try to give you as much information as we can to help you choose the service you need, though if you still have more questions please feel free to look at our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us directly and we will be happy to help.