China Visa: Everything You Need
One page to pick the right category, check whether you need a visa at all, and find the guide that covers your case in full. This is the map, not the filing manual — the step-by-step detail lives on the three guides linked below, and is not repeated here.
China sorts visas by main purpose. Tourism is L, business is M, family visits to Chinese citizens or permanent residents are Q, study is X, work is Z, and passing through to a third country is G. Before you apply anything, check the visa-free routes below — a large share of short trips now needs no visa at all. Once you know your category, go straight to its guide: the step-by-step application guide, the US citizens guide, or the tourist visa (L) guide.
All the categories, at a glance
Use this table only to identify your category. It gives the deciding test for each one, and nothing more — no filing steps, no fee table, no processing times. Those live on the application guide.
| Category | Issued for | The deciding test |
|---|---|---|
| L — Tourist | Going to China as a tourist | Your trip is sightseeing or personal travel, booked around hotels and transport. See the tourist visa guide. |
| M — Business | Commercial and trade activities | Your main purpose is meetings, trade fairs or contract talks, even if you also do some sightseeing. |
| Q1 — Family reunion | Family reunion stays of more than 180 days, for family members of Chinese citizens or foreigners with Chinese permanent residence | You are joining family in China for over 180 days. |
| Q2 — Family visit | Short visits to relatives who are Chinese citizens or foreigners with permanent residence in China, no more than 180 days | You are visiting such relatives for no more than 180 days. |
| X1 — Study | Study in China for more than 180 days | Your course runs over 180 days. |
| X2 — Study | Study in China for no more than 180 days | Your course runs no more than 180 days. |
| Z — Work | Work in China | You are taking up employment in China. Your employer sponsors the work-permit process that supports the application. |
| G — Transit | Transiting through China to a third country | You hold an onward ticket to a third country, not back to where you came from. |
Two less common categories also exist — S for private visits to foreigners working or studying in China, and F for non-commercial exchange visits. If none of the rows above fits your trip, ask your local visa centre which category fits before you file, rather than forcing your trip into the nearest letter.
Judge by your main purpose, not your side activities. A business traveller who spends a weekend sightseeing still needs an M visa. A tourist who has dinner with a friend still needs an L visa. A wrong-category application is one of the most avoidable reasons for refusal.
Do you need a visa at all? Check this first
Two visa-free routes now cover a large share of short trips, and checking them first can save you the whole application:
- Unilateral visa-free entry (up to 30 days). Citizens of around 50 countries holding ordinary passports can enter visa-free for business, tourism, family visits, exchange or transit, for stays of no more than 30 days. The country list has changed more than once — confirm your nationality is on the current list before you rely on it.
- 240-hour visa-free transit (10 days). Open to eligible nationalities with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country. You must stay within the designated areas for your port of entry.
You still need a visa if your trip outlasts the allowance that covers you, you are flying home rather than onward to a third country, or you want to enter more than once. For the tourist case in full, see the tourist visa guide.
Three questions that pick your category
- What is the main purpose of this trip? Sightseeing, business, family, study, work or transit — that answer alone picks the letter in most cases.
- Who is on the other side? A hotel booking points to L. A Chinese company inviting you points to M. Relatives who are Chinese citizens or permanent residents point to Q. A school points to X. An employer points to Z.
- How long, and how many entries? The Q and X categories split at 180 days, and the visa-free routes split at 30 days and 240 hours. Beyond those splits, the figures that bind you are the ones printed on your own visa sticker — this hub page deliberately quotes no "typical" validity or stay length, because both vary by nationality and consulate.
Where to go next
Each guide below covers one case in full. Pick one and stop here — you do not need to read all three.
- Ready to file, any nationality: China visa application, step by step — the online form, the document set, fees and processing times, in filing order.
- What documents you need: China visa requirements: documents for every category — the basic documents, the document each category adds, and the hard thresholds, with no filing steps.
- Applying from the United States: China visa for US citizens — the route without a visa centre, and what US applicants no longer need to submit.
- Tourist trip, still deciding: China tourist visa (L visa) — what the L visa covers, who needs one, and how it differs from M, Q and G.
- How much it costs: China visa fee: what it costs — consular fee, visa-centre service fee, express and agency charges, and where you pay.
- Skipping the visa entirely: China visa-free entry: who qualifies — the 30-day unilateral route, 240-hour transit, Hainan 30 days and the 15-day cruise rule.
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.
Once your visa is in hand
Two things are worth sorting before you fly, both covered on this site: staying connected in China and travel insurance for a China trip. Neither is part of the visa application itself, so they sit after the visa guides, not inside them.
Frequently asked questions
Which China visa do I need?
Pick by your main purpose: L for tourism, M for commercial and trade activities, Q for visiting relatives who are Chinese citizens or permanent residents, X for study, Z for work, and G for transit to a third country. If your main purpose is business, apply for an M visa even if you also do some sightseeing.
Do I need a visa if I am only passing through China?
Not necessarily. A G transit visa is for travellers passing through China to a third country, and eligible nationalities can use 240-hour visa-free transit with a confirmed onward ticket. A round trip home does not count as transit.
Can I work or study on a China tourist visa?
No. Paid work requires a Z visa and study requires an X visa. Doing work or study on an L visa risks denied entry. Apply for the category that matches your real purpose.
Is visiting family always a Q visa?
No. Q is for relatives of Chinese citizens or foreigners with Chinese permanent residence. Visiting a friend, or a relative who is in China on a work or study visa, is a different situation — ask your local visa centre before you file if you are unsure.
Where do I start a China visa application?
Start with the step-by-step application guide, which covers the online form, the document set, fees and processing times in filing order. This hub page deliberately does not repeat that detail.
Do US citizens apply differently?
Yes. The United States has no visa application centre, so US applicants submit directly to the embassy or consulate that covers their state. See China visa for US citizens for that route in full.
Where to confirm all of this
Visa categories, fees and visa-free lists change. The official sources worth bookmarking are the COVA online application system, the consular affairs visa guide at consular.mfa.gov.cn, and the application centre network at visaforchina.cn, where you find your local centre's specific rules. Applicants in the United States should start at us.china-embassy.gov.cn, which publishes its own requirements, fee schedule and consular jurisdictions.
If anything on this page conflicts with what your local centre tells you, your local centre is right.