Tourist visa（L Visa)

Issued to those who intend to go to China as a tourist.

Application:

1. Basic documents

(1) Passport
Original passport with at least six months remaining and blank visa pages; and a photocopy of the passport's data page and photo page if they are separate.

(2) Visa Application Form and photo
One completed Visa Application Form with a recently-taken color passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background attached (Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application).

(3) Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)
If you are not applying for the visa in your country of citizenship, you must provide the original and a photocopy of your valid certificates or visa of stay, residence, employment or student status, or other valid certificates of legal stay provided by the relevant authorities of the country where you are currently residing.

(4) Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas (applicable to those who were Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship)
If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you should provide your previous Chinese passport and a photocopy of its data page.
If you have obtained Chinese visas before and want to apply for a Chinese visa with a renewed foreign passport that does not contain any Chinese visa, you should present a photocopy of the previous passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate, as well as the previous Chinese visa page. (If your name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, you must provide an official document of name change.)

2. Supporting documents
Documents showing the itinerary, including air ticket booking record (round trip) and proof of a hotel reservation, or an invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China. The invitation letter should contain:
(1) Information on the applicant (full name, gender, date of birth, etc...)
(2) Information on the planned visit (arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, etc...)
(3) Information on the inviting entity or individual (name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual)

3. Application procedure, processing time and fees
Please visit the Chinese Embassy/Consulate General's websites for more details based on your State of residence.

4. Special reminder
(1) Each item of the application form must be filled in truthfully, clearly and completely. Any false information, missed items or illegible handwriting may lead to a delay in the processing of the application or even refusal of the visa application.
(2) If necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other evidence or supplementary materials, or require an interview with the applicant.
(3) The consular officer will decide on whether or not to issue the visa and on its validity, duration of stay and number of entries in light of specific conditions of the applicant.
(4) For further details, please visit the website of the relevant Chinese Embassy or Consulate General.
Extension:
The L Visa holder shall submit the travel and itinerary plan and the certification letter issued by the travel agency for a group tour. The duration of stay can be extended for 30 days at most.

Note:

In 2013, China issued the 72/144 visa-free transit policy, which is introduced here.

China's 72/144-hour visa-free transit policies now cover 54 countries

China has expanded the scope of its 72/144-hour transit visa-free policies to benefit visitors from Norway from Nov 17, 2023, increasing the number of countries covered by the policies to 54. Please check the updated list below of eligible countries:

Europe (40 countries): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine;

The Americas (six countries): Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the United States;

Oceania (two countries): Australia and New Zealand;

Asia (six countries): Brunei, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Qatar, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.

In addition, the latest List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption Between the People’s Republic of China and Foreign Countries was released on May 28, 2024, which can be found here: http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/zlbg/bgzl/cgqz/201202/t20120207_961630.shtml

China and the Solomon Islands have agreed to exempt citizens of both countries from travel visa requirements since Nov 7, 2024.