China Visa Information for SEA Travellers (2026)

- Maximum stay: 30 consecutive days per visit

- Purpose: Tourism, business, transit, family visits

- Documents needed: Valid passport (6+ months), return ticket, hotel booking

- Extension: Possible at local PSB offices, but not guaranteed

- Pro tip: Make sure your passport has at least two blank pages.

- Maximum stay: 15 consecutive days per visit

- Purpose: Tourism, business, transit

- Documents needed: Valid passport (6+ months), return or onward ticket, hotel booking

- Important: Overstay even by one day = fines and potential bans.

- Pro tip: If you want to stay longer than 15 days, apply for a visa in advance.

- Visa type: L-visa (tourist) — single or double entry

- Duration: Usually 30 days per entry

- Processing time: 4–7 working days for standard, 2–3 for express

- Fee: Around IDR 800,000–1,500,000 depending on type and speed

- E-visa: Apply through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC) online.

Step 1: Fill out the online visa application form.

Step 2: Gather your documents — passport, photo, flight itinerary, hotel bookings, bank statement.

Step 3: Submit your application online and book an appointment.

Step 4: Pay the visa fee.

Step 5: Collect your passport with the visa sticker.

- Wrong photo size: China visa photos have very specific requirements.

- Booking flights before visa approval: Wait until you have the visa.

- Assuming visa-free = guaranteed entry: Immigration officers can still deny entry.

- Ignoring passport validity: Your passport needs at least 6 months validity AND blank visa pages.

- Overstaying: Even one day over = fines of ¥500/day and possible bans.