Application Process

1. Fill out the form and upload materials online by visiting“https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/”.

2. Visit the Chinese Embassy to submit the application and have fingerprints of all ten fingers collected.

The following visa applicants are exempt from fingerprint collection. Applicants who are exempt from fingerprint collection may authorize another person to submit the visa application on their behalf:

l Applicants under 14 or over 70 years of age;

l Holders of diplomatic passports, or applicants who meet the requirements for the issuance of Chinese diplomatic, official, or courtesy visas;

l Applicants who, within the past five years, have applied for a visa at the same Chinese Embassy/Consulate or Chinese Visa Application Service Center using the same passport and have already provided their fingerprints;

l Applicants whose ten fingers are physically impaired or whose fingerprints cannot be properly collected or stored;

l In accordance with an announcement by the Chinese government, until December 31, 2026 (inclusive), applicants applying at Chinese visa-issuing authorities abroad for single- or double-entry short-term visas (with a stay of no more than 180 days) are exempt from fingerprint collection.

Required Documents

1.Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and with at least two blank visa pages

2. A recently-taken colour passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a white background (size: 48mm x 33mm)

3. Proof of legal stay or residence permit（Applicable to applicants other than Botswana.）

4. Previous Chinese passport（Applicable to individuals who previously held Chinese nationality but subsequently acquired foreign nationality.） or previously issued Chinese visa

l If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you should provide the last Chinese passport.(Applicable for those who were Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship.)

l If the applicant has previously been issued a Chinese visa and is applying with a newly issued foreign passport, the homepage of the previous foreign passport and the previously issued Chinese visa must be submitted.

l If the name recorded in the foreign passport is different from the name in the previous Chinese passport or previously issued Chinese visa, an official name-change document must also be submitted.

5. Additional supporting documents：

Additional documentation requirements vary according to the type of visa being applied for.(Please refer to the attached table at the end of this document.)

6. For applications made due to urgent humanitarian reasons, such as attending a funeral or visiting a critically ill family member relevant supporting documents must be submitted， such as medical reports and proof of kinship.

Important Notes

1. Please carefully read all system instructions and complete every section truthfully, completely, and accurately, and upload a photograph that meets the specified requirements.

If information such as the applicant's name, gender, date of birth, passport number, passport-issuing country, etc. is entered incorrectly, or if a photograph that does not belong to the applicant is used, or if the applicant is suspected of intentionally concealing or providing false information in key sections of the application form, the application will not be accepted. Applicants who submit false documents or make false statements when applying for a Chinese visa may be prohibited from entering China for a period of one to five years.

2. The invitation letter must contain the following information:

(1) Personal information of the invitee:

Name, gender, date of birth, nationality, etc.

(2) Information concerning the visit to China:

Purpose of the visit to China, arrival and departure dates, places to be visited, relationship with the inviting organization or inviter, source of expenses while in China, etc.

(3) Information about the inviting organization or inviter:

Name of the inviting organization or inviter, telephone number, address, etc.

3. When necessary, the visa officer may, depending on the individual case, require the applicant to provide additional supporting documents or supplementary materials, and may also require the applicant to attend an interview.

Additional documents for different visa types are listed below: