From 2008/09/24, Beijing Olympics related extra requirements for Chinese visa application are lifted. The information on this page no longer apply. [details]

The consulate announced and effective on April 15, 2008 some new visa requirement(s) that are affecting your visa application. We know some of the requirements are difficult to meet (e.g. hotel reservation and certificate of kinship). Through communications with the consulate, we established the following guidelines for applications through our agency (the title in bold are the new requirement). These guidelines may change overtime as the consulate makes small adjustments.

Recently, a lot of customers contacted us about different document requirements in other agencies, often requiring more documents. We want to emphasize that, if you apply Chinese visa through our agency and follow these guidelines, your application will be approved by the consulate.

1. ALL visa types: please provide round trip air ticket and hotel reservation.

   Please provide your itinerary, i.e. confirmations of your flight (showing flight number, departure and arrival time) and hotel (showing check-in/out dates). Please also read items 2-4 for additional requirement(s) and exceptions.

   • If you book through a traditional travel agency, you should get a copy of your itinerary in print.
   • If you book online, you can print the confirmation page or confirmation email. Flight itinerary can also be printed from airline's web page.
   • Flight should include the international section from a US city to a Chinese city. Sections within China or US are optional.
   • Hotel should cover major stops (cities) in China, but there is no need to cover every day.
   • If your applicaiton includes multiple applicants, each applicant must provide a copy of flight and hotel itinerary, even through all applicants may share the same itinerary!

2. Family visit

   In addition to flight itinerary, the official requirement also asks certificate of kinship. Through consultation with the consulate, now you do not provide certificate of kinship. Instead, please

   • provide the name, address, phone/email of the person you are visiting on the consulate visa application form (Q1), and in particular write down the relationship with you on the form.
   • put a statement in Section 5, like "I certify that I will stay at xxx (your relative)'s home during my whole visit in China".
   • If your family/relative is not a Chinese citizen, please also include an informal invitation (e.g. email, fax) from your family/relative in China.
   • If you do the above, you do not need to provide hotel reservation.

3. Business (F): visa notification letter from an authorized unit.

   This is a new requirement. Please get a visa notification letter (form) from your Chinese organization(s) who invites you. Your Chinese organization must get it for you from local or provincial level foreign affairs office, foreign trade and economic office. This is a printed form with a unique serial number. It should not be difficult to get, but just takes time.

4. Student/Study (X): JW201/JW202 and an admission/enrollment letter from an authorized unit.

   This requirement is not much different from before, but the authorized unit/organization requirement is tightened. Some previously eligible universities may need to turn to their provincial educational authority to get the letter issued, which takes longer time.