China Visa Fee: What It Costs
The headline figure is rarely the whole bill. This page separates the four charges that make up what you actually pay — and gives the verified figures for the United States, Canada and Schengen-area applicants.
A China visa bill is usually consular fee + visa-centre service fee, plus express or rush charges if you pay for speed, plus an agency fee if you hire one. In the United States there is no visa centre, so US citizens applying there pay a flat $140 consular fee for any number of entries, under the reduced schedule in force until 31 December 2026. Everywhere else, check your local centre's total — the consular figure alone understates what you pay.
The four charges, and who sets each one
People overpay — or get surprised at the counter — because these four charges get quoted as if they were one price. They are not.
| Charge | What it is | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Consular fee | The fee for the visa itself, set by reciprocity: what your country charges Chinese citizens for an equivalent visa | Chinese embassy or consulate |
| Visa-centre service fee | The handling charge of the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC) that takes in documents and biometrics | The centre, separately from the consulate |
| Express / rush fee | An extra charge per visa for faster processing | Embassy, consulate or centre, depending on where you apply |
| Agency fee | What a commercial visa agency charges for checking, submitting and collecting on your behalf | The agency itself — there is no standard rate |
Two consequences follow. First, the consular fee is the only part that is the same in principle wherever you apply — and even it varies by nationality, as the tables below show. Second, the visa-fee reduction that runs until 31 December 2026 applies to the consular fee; it does not apply to the express fee or to the centre service fee, as the Toronto consulate notice states expressly.
Flights, hotels, passport photos, courier postage and travel insurance are real trip costs, but none of them is a visa fee, and none is collected by the consulate or the centre as part of the visa charge. This page gives no figure for them, because they vary by supplier.
United States: the flat $140 case
The United States is the simplest case, and the exception that proves the rule: there is no visa centre, so there is no centre service fee layer, and US citizens pay the same consular fee whatever they request.
| Number of entries | US citizen | Non-US citizen* |
|---|---|---|
| Single entry | $140 | $23 |
| Double entries | $140 | $34 |
| Multiple entries, 6 months | $140 | $45 |
| Multiple entries, 12 months or more | $140 | $68 |
| J1 / J2 (journalist) | $171 | — |
* Visa fees for certain non-US citizens vary from this list under bilateral agreements — the embassy notice says so expressly, so a non-US applicant should confirm with the visa office rather than assuming the table row applies.
| Service | Extra charge per visa | US citizen total (regular fee + speed charge) |
|---|---|---|
| Regular (4 business days) | — | $140 |
| Express (2–3 business days) | +$25 | $165 |
| Rush (1 business day, emergencies only) | +$37 | $177 |
That is the whole bill for a US citizen applying directly: $140, $165 or $177 depending on speed, with nothing else added. US applicants submit directly to the embassy or consulate for their state — see China visa for US citizens for that route in full.
How nationality and entries change the price
Outside the United States, the pattern is the opposite of the US flat rate: the consular fee normally rises with the number of entries and the validity period, and it is set per nationality. Two officially published examples show the shape of it.
| Applicant | Single | Double | Multiple, 6 months | Multiple, 12 months or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian citizen, applying in Canada | CA$75 flat, any number of entries | |||
| US citizen, applying in Canada (except J visas) | CA$190 flat, any number of entries | |||
| Other nationalities, applying in Canada | CA$40 | CA$60 | CA$75 | CA$110 |
| Schengen-country citizen, applying in Estonia | €45 flat, all visa types | |||
| Other nationalities, applying in Estonia | €25 | €37 | €49 | €74 |
Notice what these tables do not show: the centre service fee. In Canada and in Schengen-area countries you apply through a visa centre, so the amount you actually hand over is the consular fee above plus that centre's service fee, which varies by centre and is not covered by the reduction. The Estonia notice also publishes separate flat rates for some other nationalities (for example Canada €68, United States €131 except J visas), which is a reminder that the same passport can be charged differently in different countries — always use the schedule of the mission where you actually apply.
A US citizen pays $140 in the United States, CA$190 in Canada and €131 in Estonia for the same visa. A fee table is only valid for the mission that published it. If you apply in a third country, use that country's schedule, not your home country's.
Where and how you pay
Where you pay follows where you apply — and, in the United States, when you pay follows the decision.
In the United States: pay on collection
Per the New York consulate fee page, you pay the visa fee when you collect your visa, once your application has been processed and approved. Accepted methods there are credit card (Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay), money order, cashier's check, WeChat Pay and Alipay. Cash, personal checks and online payment are not accepted. A check or money order must be for the exact amount and made payable to the embassy or to the consulate in the city where you applied. Other US consulates publish the same structure; confirm the payee name for your own consulate before you write a check.
In a visa-centre country: pay at the centre
Where a CVASC handles intake, you pay at the centre under its own rules — which centre, which payment methods, and whether you pay at submission or at collection all vary by city. The centre's own fee page is the authority: this page deliberately quotes no centre service-fee amount, because the figure differs by centre and the official centre schedules were not re-verified as a single total on the day this page was written. The step-by-step guide covers the centre appointment itself: China visa application, step by step.
Through an agency: pay the agency, itemised
An agency charges its own fee on top of the consular fee (and, where applicable, the centre fee). There is no standard agency rate, so this page quotes none. Before you hire one, ask for an itemised quote that separates the consular fee from the agency's own charge, and check the consular part against the mission's published schedule above. If the two do not match, ask why before you pay.
Book your accommodation cancellably
Many visa centres still ask for confirmed accommodation covering your stay. Fully refundable rooms give you the paperwork if it is requested — and the freedom to change plans after the visa is issued. US applicants no longer submit hotel bookings as part of the application.
Find cancellable hotels in ChinaWe may earn a commission if you book through this link. It does not affect what we recommend.
When the fee is zero
If you qualify for a visa-free route, there is no visa fee at all — nothing to pay, because there is no visa. That is the cheapest outcome on this page, and it is worth checking before you budget for any figure above: China visa: everything you need explains the visa-free routes and which category fits your trip. A round trip home, a stay longer than the visa-free allowance, or a need for multiple entries all push you back into needing a visa — and paying for one.
What this page does not quote, and why
Two gaps are deliberate. First, no total fee for the United Kingdom or Australia is given here: their totals combine a consular fee with a centre service fee, and the official centre schedules were not re-checked as a single verified total on the day this page was written, so agency and third-party totals were not copied in their place. Second, no agency fee range is given, because agencies set their own rates and no standard figure is published. Both gaps close the same way: check your local centre's own fee page, or get an itemised agency quote, and compare it with the consular schedules above.
Frequently asked questions
What does a China visa fee actually consist of?
Usually two parts: the consular fee set by the Chinese authorities, and, outside the United States, a separate service fee charged by the visa application centre. Express or rush processing and any agency you hire are further, optional charges on top.
How much is a China visa for a US citizen?
US citizens applying in the United States pay a flat $140 consular fee for any number of entries, under the reduced schedule in force until 31 December 2026. Express adds $25 per visa and rush adds $37 per visa.
Does a multiple-entry China visa cost more?
It depends on your passport. US citizens pay the same $140 for single, double or multiple entries. For most other nationalities the consular fee rises with entries and validity, so check your own country's schedule.
Where do I pay the China visa fee?
In the United States you pay at the embassy or consulate when you collect your visa, after it has been processed and approved. In countries with a visa centre you pay at the centre under its own rules. If you use an agency, you pay the agency — ask for an itemised quote first.
Is the visa-centre service fee included in the consular fee?
No. It is charged on top, it varies by centre, and the fee reduction does not apply to it. Always read the centre's own total, not just the consular figure.
Can I avoid the visa fee altogether?
Only if you qualify for a visa-free route, in which case there is no visa fee to pay. If you need a visa, the consular fee applies.
Where to confirm all of this
Fees change, and the reduced schedule on this page runs only until 31 December 2026 — recheck before you pay. The official sources worth bookmarking are the Chinese embassy or consulate in the country where you will apply (the US figures above come from us.china-embassy.gov.cn and the New York consulate fee page; the Canada figures from the Toronto consulate notice; the Schengen example from the Estonia embassy notice), the application centre network at visaforchina.cn, and the consular affairs visa guide at consular.mfa.gov.cn.
If anything on this page conflicts with what your local centre tells you, your local centre is right.