Q:How to apply for a Chinese visa?

A: I. Filling out the COVA form. Complete the online application form at the China Online Visa Application (COVA) website. Please refer to the consular jurisdiction of the Chinese Embassy and Consulate General in the United States and select corresponding Embassy/Consulate-General when you submit the form online. Attention: Once the application form is submitted, it cannot be modified. Please make sure that the information is true, accurate, and complete.

II. Preparing documents. Prepare the required documents by referring to the Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application. The application documents for each visa type consist of two parts: basic documents and general documents. Please read the instructions carefully.

III. Submitting the physical documents. Print out the full set of paper application form and required documents. Submit them in person or by an agent within office hours of the corresponding Embassy or Consulate-General. The Visa Section of the Embassy locates at: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 110, Washington, D.C. 20007. Office hours: 9:30-14:30 (Monday to Friday, closed on weekends and holidays).  The staff will review the documents and schedule the time for pickup. Usually, it will take 4 working days if the application meets all the requirements.

If there is an urgent need for travel, the applicant may apply for expedited processing by presenting the supporting documents. The processing time will be 3 working days (additional fee will be charged).

In some cases, it may take longer-than-usual-time, please be patient and wait for pickup notice.

IV. Pickup. Please use credit card (Master or Visa), Money Order or Cashier's Check for payment. More details.

Q: After I finished the COVA form, I find there is incorrect/incomplete information. Do I need to fill out another form?

A: Core personal information including Name (full name, middle name included), Gender, Date of Birth, Current Nationality, Passport/Travel Document Type and Number must be exactly the same as the personal information page of the applicant’s passport. If any information above is incorrect, the applicant must fill out another application form. As to other information, please follow the instructions of the staff on-site to correct or supplement.

Q: My passport expires in 6 months/ has less than 2 visa pages, can I use it to apply for a Chinese visa?

A: No. Please renew the passport first.

Q: I renewed my passport recently. I previously had a Chinese visa on my expired passport which is still within the valid period.Do I need to apply for a new visa?

A: Please check whether there is any change of Name, Gender, Date of Birth and Nationality between the new and expired passports. If the information above has not changed and the purpose of your upcoming trip to China is consistent with the visa type, a new visa is not required. Please travel to China with both passports. If your personal information has changed or the purpose of your trip to China is different from the type of current visa, please apply for a new visa.

Q: I am a Chinese citizen. My child was born in the U.S. with a U.S. passport. What are the requirements for my child applying Chinese visa for the first time?

A: According to the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, a person whose parents are both Chinese nationals and have both settled abroad, or one of whose parents is a Chinese national and has settled abroad (for example, holding a non-conditional permanent resident card of the U.S.), and who has acquired foreign nationality at birth shall not have Chinese nationality. These foreign nationals are required to apply for a visa to travel to China. Please refer to the Chinese Visa Application Requirements for U.S.-born Children of Chinese Descent.

Q: I live in Florida. Florida belongs to the embassy's consular jurisdiction, but it is far from D.C.. Can I apply my Chinese visa through the mail?

A:The Chinese Embassy does not provide mailing services for visa application. Please follow Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application and submit the application material in person or by an agent.

Q: It has been more than 4 working days since I submitted my application documents to the Embassy but I haven't obtained my visa yet. What will be the reason of delay?

A: Please check the email address or phone number provided in the COVA form. The Embassy might inform the applicants to provide additional documents. Also, check with your agent for updated information. Some applications may take longer to process. If the staff informs you to wait for phone call to pick up, please be patient.

Q: Why the visa is different from my application in terms of type/number of entries/validity/duration of each stay?

A: Whether to issue a visa, the type of visa, number of entries, validity and duration of each stay will be determined by consular officials. Consular officials will take the applicant's purpose of travel, the duration of stay and the supporting documents into comprehensive consideration and make the decision.

Q: I found that my personal information on the visa is inaccurate. What should I do?

A: Please contact the Visa Section of the Embassy through email washington_visa@csm.mfa.gov.cn or call 202-855-1555 (12:30-16:30, Monday to Friday, except for holidays) as soon as possible. You may also contact staff on-site to adjust the information in time.

Q: My 10-year multi-entry visa was suspended due to the COVID-19. Is there any compensation measures?

A: U.S. citizens holding multi-year multi-entry visas issued by Chinese authorities abroad before March 28, 2020 under bilateral reciprocity agreements, whose visas temporarily suspended of use between March 28, 2020 and March 14, 2023 due to the COVID-19, may apply for compensation. However, if a new multi-year multi-entry visa or residence permit has been issued after March 28, 2020, no compensation will be given for the original multi-year multi-entry visa. Applicants may choose whether to apply for compensation after the expiration of their visas. A three-year multi-entry visa can be applied free of charge in compensation. If applicants choose to give up the compensation, a new 10-year multi-entry visa can be applied for with normal charge. Please check for more details.