China Visa Requirements: Documents for Every Category
One page for what to prepare, and nothing else. Every applicant needs the same basic set, each category adds one supporting document, and a handful of hard thresholds decide which category you are in. Filing order, fees and processing times live on their own pages and are not repeated here.
Prepare two layers: the basic documents every applicant files — a passport with more than 6 months of validity and at least 2 blank visa pages, a completed application form with a recent photo — plus one category document from the table below. The category is decided by your main purpose, and the 180-day line splits Q1 from Q2, S1 from S2 and X1 from X2. If your local centre asks for something this page does not list, your local centre is right.
Documents by category
The basic documents come first, because they apply to every row of the table. Then each category adds its own supporting document — and only that document.
Basic documents (all categories). Original passport with more than 6 months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, plus a photocopy of the passport data page. One completed visa application form with a recently taken colour passport photo — bare-head, full face — against a light background. If you apply outside your country of citizenship, proof of your legal stay or residence status there. If you were formerly a Chinese citizen and this is your first Chinese visa since naturalisation, your previous Chinese passport and its data page; if you hold a renewed foreign passport with no Chinese visa in it, photocopies of the previous passport data page and of your previous Chinese visa. If your name has changed since your last Chinese passport or visa, an official name-change document.
| Category | Issued for | Supporting document to add |
|---|---|---|
| L — Tourist | Tourism | Itinerary documents — round-trip air ticket booking record and proof of hotel reservation — or an invitation letter from an entity or individual in China. Exception: applicants in the United States no longer submit these for L visas (see the note below). |
| M — Business | Commercial and trade activities | Documents on the commercial activity issued by a trade partner in China, or a trade-fair invitation or other invitation letter from a relevant entity or individual in China. |
| F — Exchange | Exchanges, visits, study tours and other non-commercial activities | An invitation letter from a relevant entity or individual in China. |
| Z — Work | Work in China | The Notice for the Work Permit for Foreigners, or the Work Permit for Foreigners itself. |
| X1 — Study, long-term | Study for more than 180 days | Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or JW202) plus the admission letter from the school in China; school-age pupils use the Confirmation Form for Elementary-Stage Foreign Students instead where applicable. |
| X2 — Study, short-term | Study for no more than 180 days | Admission notice from the receiving institution in China (plus Form DQ, the short-term visit information form, if the institution provides one). |
| Q1 — Family reunion | Family reunion of more than 180 days with relatives who are Chinese citizens or foreigners with Chinese permanent residence; also foster care | Invitation letter from the inviter in China, a photocopy of the inviter's Chinese ID card or foreign passport plus permanent residence permit, and the original and a photocopy of the certification (marriage certificate, birth certificate or equivalent) proving kinship. |
| Q2 — Family visit | Short visit of no more than 180 days to relatives who are Chinese citizens or foreigners with permanent residence in China | Invitation letter from the inviter in China, plus a photocopy of the inviter's Chinese ID card or foreign passport plus permanent residence permit. No kinship certification is listed for Q2. |
| S1 — Private visit, long-term | Visit of more than 180 days to a foreigner working or studying in China (spouse, parent, child under 18 or parent-in-law), or other private affairs | Invitation letter from the inviter in China, a photocopy of the inviter's passport and residence permit, and the original and a photocopy of the certification proving the family relationship. |
| S2 — Private visit, short-term | Visit of no more than 180 days to a foreigner working or studying in China, or other private affairs | Invitation letter from the inviter in China, a photocopy of the inviter's passport and residence permit, and a photocopy of the certification proving the family relationship. Other private affairs need the documents the consular officer asks for. |
| R — Talent | High-level foreign talents, or foreigners whose skills are urgently needed in China | Confirmation Letter for High-Level Foreign Talents. |
| C — Crew | Foreign crew of international transport, cross-border drivers, and accompanying family of ship crew | Guarantee letter from the foreign transport company, or an invitation letter from a relevant entity in China. |
| D — Permanent residence | Residing in China permanently | Confirmation Form for Foreigner's Permanent Residence Status. |
| G — Transit | Transiting through China to a third country | An onward air, train or ship ticket with a confirmed date and seat to the destination country or region. |
| J1 — Journalist, resident | Resident foreign journalists stationed in China, staying more than 180 days | Visa Notification Letter from the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, plus an official letter from the journalist's media organisation. |
| J2 — Journalist, short-term | Foreign journalists on short-term news coverage, no more than 180 days | Visa Notification Letter from the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or another authorised entity, plus an official letter from the journalist's media organisation. |
| Group L — Group tourism | Tourists travelling as a group | Invitation Letter for Tourist Group issued by the authorised tourism unit. |
Since 1 January 2024, tourist visa applicants in the United States no longer submit a round-trip air ticket booking record, proof of hotel reservation, itinerary or invitation letter. That simplification applies to L visas in the United States only — outside the United States, the L row of the table above still applies. Applications are still decided case by case, so the embassy or consulate for your state can still ask for more. See China visa for US citizens for the US route in full.
What an invitation letter must contain. Wherever a row above asks for one, the letter covers three things: the applicant (name, gender, date of birth and nationality); the visit (purpose, arrival and departure dates, places to be visited, relationship to the inviter, and who pays for the stay); and the inviter (name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp where applicable, and signature). A fax, photocopy or printout is normally accepted, but the consular officer may ask for the original.
The hard thresholds that decide your case
These numbers are not guidance — they are the lines the consulate applies. Check each one before you pick a category, because crossing a line changes the category, not just the paperwork.
| Threshold | The rule | What it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Passport validity | More than 6 months of remaining validity, with at least 2 blank visa pages | Whether your application is accepted at all. A passport short of either fails before the category is even considered. |
| Multiple-entry cover | Remaining passport validity must cover the visa's validity plus the duration of each stay — for example, a 6-month multiple-entry visa with 30 days per stay needs at least 7 months left | Whether a multiple-entry visa can be issued on your current passport, or you must renew the passport first. |
| 180 days | Q1, S1, X1: more than 180 days. Q2, S2, X2: no more than 180 days | Which letter you apply for. A 200-day family visit is Q1 or S1, not Q2 or S2; a 90-day course is X2, not X1. |
| 30 days after entry | Holders of Q1, S1, X1, Z, D and J1 visas must apply for a residence permit at the local public security exit-entry administration within 30 days of entry | Whether your stay needs a second, in-China registration step after arrival. Short-stay categories do not carry this step. |
| Photo standard | Recently taken colour photo, bare-head, full face, against a light background | Whether the form accepts your photo. This page states the embassy wording only — the exact crop is applied by the online form's photo check and your local centre, so no millimetre figure is quoted here. |
Two things this page deliberately does not quote. No fee figures — those are on the visa fee page, because fees vary by nationality and by the mission where you apply. And no "typical" validity or stay length — both vary by nationality and consulate, and the figures that bind you are the ones printed on your own visa sticker once it is issued.
Printable checklist
Print this and tick it off
- Passport with more than 6 months of validity and at least 2 blank visa pages Plus a photocopy of the data page
- Completed application form, with a recent colour photo Bare-head, full face, light background
- Proof of legal stay or residence Only if applying outside your country of citizenship
- Previous Chinese passport or visa records If formerly a Chinese citizen, or applying on a renewed passport with no Chinese visa in it; add a name-change document if your name has changed
- Your category document from the table above One document kind per category — check your row, not the whole table
- Invitation letter checks, if your category needs one Applicant details, visit details, inviter details — all three present
- 180-day check Over 180 days means Q1, S1 or X1; no more than 180 days means Q2, S2 or X2
- 30-day residence-permit reminder Only for Q1, S1, X1, Z, D and J1 — apply within 30 days of entry
Once the boxes are ticked, the filing itself — form, appointment, submission and collection — is covered in order on the step-by-step application guide. This page does not repeat it.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Do all China visa categories need the same documents?
No. Every applicant files the same basic set — passport, form with photo, and where applicable proof of legal stay and previous Chinese passport or visa records — and each category then adds exactly one kind of supporting document, as listed in the table above.
What if I apply in a country that is not my own?
Add proof of your legal stay or residence status in the country where you apply, such as a residence permit, visa, employment or student document. The consular officer may also ask for extra proof or an interview, case by case.
Do US tourist visa applicants still need flight and hotel proof?
No. Since 1 January 2024, L applicants in the United States no longer submit a round-trip ticket booking record, hotel proof, itinerary or invitation letter. Outside the United States, an L applicant still provides itinerary documents or an invitation letter.
What is the difference between Q1 and Q2, or S1 and S2?
The 180-day line. Q1 and S1 are for stays of more than 180 days; Q2 and S2 are for stays of no more than 180 days. Q covers relatives of Chinese citizens or foreigners with Chinese permanent residence; S covers relatives of foreigners working or studying in China.
Do I need a residence permit after entering China?
Only for the long-stay categories: Q1, S1, X1, Z, D and J1 holders must apply at the local public security exit-entry administration within 30 days of entry. Short-stay categories such as L, M, Q2, S2 and X2 do not carry that step.
Where are the filing steps and the fees?
Not on this page, by design. Filing order is on the step-by-step application guide and fees are on the visa fee page. This page covers only what to prepare.
Where to confirm all of this
Requirements change, and local centres apply their own variations. The official sources worth bookmarking are the COVA online application system at consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/, the application centre network at visaforchina.cn, and the embassy requirement notices — the US embassy's Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application (September 2025) at us.china-embassy.gov.cn and the ordinary-visa notice (June 2025) published by the Chinese embassy in Belgium. For the category map as a whole, see China visa: everything you need.
If anything on this page conflicts with what your local centre tells you, your local centre is right.