Chinese Visa Highlights: Tips & Reminders

For people who plan to travel to China, this year or next, here are some reminders to keep handy. It’s best to apply for a Chinese visa once your trip is firm. Here is some important information before applying for a visa for your trip to China.

It’s best to renew a passport if it will have less than a year’s validity at the time of your travel.  It will be more convenient for you this way, as the visa for Chinese travel will be included in that passport, showing 10 years of Chinese travel approval as well as multi-entry approval.  

Should match the name on your driver’s license, bank statement, or utility bill.

Specific guidance for an adoptee, needed by the Chinese consulate: 

Adoptees who are traveling on a first return trip will be asked to provide one of the following: 

A. Certificate of Naturalization
B. Certificate of Citizenship
C. If none are currently in hand, complete the N-600 form here: https://www.uscis.gov/n-600

Note: If an adoptee’s US passport name is different than the name on the Adoption Certificate or Adoption Notarized Paper, one should also submit a document that shows the legal name change

If you would like to read the detailed procedures along with detailed instructions, those can be found HERE.

Nothing has changed in these procedures from the Chinese Embassies and the Chinese government has focused on simplifying travel processes for international visitors as a focal point for the past several years. There has also been robust investment to to support long-term initiatives to preserve and restore cultural landmarks throughout the country. 

Questions regarding the Transit Visa for China travel: 

China is focused heavily on boosting tourism, especially tourism designed to attract international visitors, it rolled out a visa-free transit policy to streamline and simplify processes for international travelers. The series of improvements includes expanding cashless payment options, increasing Engligh signage and streamlining on-site and online ticket purchase capabilities. 

A number of adoptees and adoptive families have inquired recently regarding the “ transit visa”, wondering if that would fit into their travel planning. Since this narrowly defined visa is limited to staying limited number of  designated cities and under 240 hours, it would rarely fit the goal of most returning adoptees and families.

Here is a quick summary of what that covers: 

Transit from China to a third country (or region) allows visa-free entry to China from any of the 60 open ports in 24 provinces, territories, or municipalities, with a maximum stay of 240 hours in the designated area. You can’t be out of the designated area before traveling to a third country (region). 

Lotus Travel actually began serving adoptive families decades ago, as the owner, Louie Yi, saw that adoptive families were not getting informed support about how to obtain a Chinese visa for adoption travel.  We are happy to be a source of information for what can feel like an unfamiliar process.  

Here is a link to  our detailed guidance regarding obtaining a visa for travel to China, for a regular visit, that does not have time or geographic restrictions – https://lotustours.net/visa-more/