Right from the Great Wall of China to the dazzling business city of Shangai or the palatial exuberance of Beijing, China has a lot in store for tourism. Needless to say, apart from the select visa-exempt nations, the other nationals do require a China Visa.

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While a flight ticket to some of the Chinese cities is not exorbitant, it isn’t cheap either. The same can be told about a China visa, which may cost you three-fourth of the air ticket to China. Thus, an inevitable visa expense is often an overlooked aspect that piles on the travel expense. Nevertheless, with Blinkvisa, you can save a lot as we provide a 100% cashback on the China visa online

apply for china visa

A Guide on China Visa

While certain countries have an easy online visa process, China is not one among them. And, for the nationals of the countries requiring a visa, the application process involves the submission of the applicant’s original passport along with a duly filled China Visa Application.

Did you know?

China has 16 major categories of visa marked with Chinese phonetic letters L, M, F, Z, X1, X2, S1, S2, Q1, Q2, C, J-1, J-2, G, D, and R. The China tourist visa belongs to the L category while the business visa is of the M category for instance. A detailed description of the various visa categories is provided further in the blog.

China has a sticker visa

On submission of the application form and passport, the Embassy will verify the information provided. In the case of visa approval, your China visa is pasted on your passport and couriered to your furnished address. Thus, getting an offline visa involves a lot of paperwork where one must take the utmost care to fill in the right details. Because the smallest of the errors in duly filling the visa application form may turn out to be the major reason for visa rejection.

How to increase the chances of your visa approval?

While you may download the application form from a government website, and submit it along with your passport, which is, in fact, a tedious process. There is another convenient alternative. It involves seeking the aid of a qualified, reliable visa expert like Blinkvisa. Needless to say, you unlock a plethora of benefits by choosing Blinkvisa.

But before dwelling into the numerous advantages, let us first learn, which are the countries requiring a China visa.

Do you need a visa to enter/travel Mainland China?

Find out if you need a visa to enter/travel Mainland China. This is imperative as few of the countries are exempt from the visa requirements, while others can travel visa-free for specific periods. For more information, refer to the illustration below (source);

China visa policy map

As you can see, most of the countries need to apply for a visa in advance to visit China for tourism, business-related purposes, etc. As India is one such country requiring a pre-approved visa, it is important to understand China Visa for Indians.

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Visa for Hong Kong and Macau Residents

Residents of Hong Kong and Macau who belong to the non-visa-exempt countries must apply for a visa in advance. The detailed description of the same is as follows:

For Hong Kong residents

Individuals with Hong Kong identity cards may apply for 6 or 12 months multiple-entry visa. However, they are only eligible only if,

  • they had applied and received a Chinese visa at least once before
  • are residing in Hong Kong for more than seven months
  • they are not residing as domestic helpers

Note: The permanent residents of Hong Kong may avail a 3-year visa only if they had received an approved 6 or 12-month, multiple-entry type visa at least once in the past. 

Hong Kong residents employed as domestic helpers may apply for:

  • single or double entry tourist visa for stay periods up to 30 days
  • multiple entry L-visa, but only if they had previously received an approved Chinese visa in the past

Important

A written letter issued by the employer stating that they would be travelling with the domestic helper is a must.

For Macau residents

Non-permanent Macau residents may apply for a 6-months (validity) multiple-entry visa while the permanent residents may apply for a 12-months (validity) multiple-entry visa.

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Did you know?

Rather than a China eVisa the country issues only pre-approved offline sticker visa, which is processed by the Chinese Embassy. However, China Online Visa is a possibility where the visa is delivered to you when you visit www.blinkvisa.com

China Embassy in India

There are only two Chinese Embassies in India located in Mumbai and New Delhi respectively. Thus, to Apply for China Visa, one must submit the hardcopy of the duly filled application form along with your original passport.

On the contrary, you can avoid all these hassles by simply seeking the assistance of a qualified visa expert. Filling a typical Chinese visa offline application form is difficult indeed. And, one may reach the end of their witts as it will take up much time, which cannot be wasted in the fast-paced city life. However, with Blinkvisa, you can all leave it all on us and receive your visa at your doorstep.

Important

Blinkvisa provides pick-up and drops facility for China visa for Bangalore residents. Apply for hassle-free China visa from Bangalore with the convenience of safely delivering your original passport back to you along with your approved visa. Make use of this wonderful opportunity to get your visa securely delivered to you.

Read More: China Visa for Indians

Classification of the Types of China Visa

Earlier, we mentioned the 16 Chinese visa categories. Now let us understand them in detail to determine the type of visa you need to visit China for varied purposes. The different categories are as follows;

  • L Visa or Tourist Visa/Visit Visa
  • F Visa or Non-commercial Visit Visa
  • M Visa or Business Visa
  • Z Visa or Work Visa
  • X Visa or Student Visa

1. X1 – Student visa for study stay periods more than six months

2. X2 – Student visa for study stay periods under six months

  • C Visa or Crew member Visa
  • J Visa or Journalist Visa
  1. J1 – Issued to journalists posted in China for at least one year
  2. J2 – Issued to journalists on assignments to China for short periods of up to 30 days
  • G Visa or Transit Visa
  • D Visa or Residence Visa
  • Q Visa or Family Visa or Personal Visit Visa
  1. Q1 (Long-term) – for stay periods exceeding 180 days
  2. Q2 (Short-term) – for stay periods up to 120 days
  • S Visa or Relatives of Foreigners Visa
  1. S1 (Long-term) – for stay periods of 180 days and above
  2. S2 (Short-term) – for stay periods in between 30 to 90 days
  • R Visa or Visa for Highly Qualified Persons

Popular types of China visa for Indians at a glance

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China tourist express visa

Also, read China Tourist Visa

Note: Most of the countries, which are not exemot from visa, apply for L visa when transiting via China with a layover period exceeding 24-hours.

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China business express visa

Also, read China Business Visa

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1.  L Category

The L visa or the tourist visa is the most popular types of visa. Typically, there are single and multiple entry types allotting stay periods between 30 to 90 days. For all your L category visas, visit www.blinkvisa.com

2.  F Category

The F visa or the non-commercial visit permit is similar to the tourist visa. However, rather than staying at a hotel in the case of the tourist category, you will be visiting a family/friend residing in China. Similar to the former, the stay periods may range from 30 to 90 days.

3.  M Category

The M or the China business visa serves the purpose of visiting the country for various types of business purposes. Typically, in this category, you may find single, multiple, and double-entry types of visas. For more information or to apply, visit www.blinkvisa.com

Note: You cannot use a business visa to seek employment or to start a business or to invest in China.

4. Z Category

Also known as the work visa, it is ideal for foreigners taking up employment in China. It entitles them to bring their immediate family members to stay with them. However, one must also apply for a residence permit within the first three months of staying in the country using their Z visa.

For more information on the requirements for the various categories, read China Visa Requirements

5. X Category

The X visa or the study or student visa is issued to students wishing to pursue education. There are two main types here, X1 and X2 based on the duration of the study course. While the X1 is for study periods or course duration of more than six months, the X2 is for courses under six months.

6. C Category

Also known as Crew Member visa is specifically issued to the crew members of international transportation including and not limited to ships, trains, aircraft, etc. This particular permit is also issued to the family members of the transportation personnel. However, the 5-year multiple-entry crew visa is issued to only the US passport holders.

Visa-free entry for crew members

The crew members of the following nations may travel visa-

Visa-free entry for crew members

Note: UAE Nationals may trave visa-free only when on duty with Emirates Airlines

7. J Category

Issued to foreign journalists on assignments to cover China. It is of two types, J1 and J2 where the J1 is issued to journalists posted in China for at least a year. The latter is for shorter assignments for stay periods up to 30 days.

8. G Category

Also known as China Transit Visa, issued for travellers transiting to a third country via China. While some of the cities in China offer visa-exemptions, other nationals may require a transit visa. Nevertheless, the features and process are similar to those of the L Category. Hence, most often, travellers opt for the L category rather than the transit category.

Read More: China Transit Visa

9. D Category

The D category visa or the Residence visa is for foreigners who wish to live in China permanently. It is also referred to as the Chinese Green Card.

10. Q Category

Also known as the family visit visa or personal visit visa, specifically issued to family members of Chinese citizens. It is issued to the spouse of a Chinese national as well.

However, in the case of latter, they must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entering the country, which is issued at the Public Security Bureau (Police Station.)

Q1 and Q2 visa

The Q visa is issued to family members including spouse, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons/daughters, brothers/sisters, grandparents, grandsons/granddaughters, and parents-in-law.

Applicants may have to undergo a Q visa interview and the original proof of kinship is a mandatory document.

The Q2 visa is generally multiple-entry type. While there is a 10-year multiple-entry Q2 visa, which is issued to only individuals with a valid US passport.

11. S Category

It is considered to be an equivalent of the Q category. It is issued to the relatives/family members of the foreigners who are working or studying in China. It is further divided as S1 and S2 where the latter is issued for stay periods up to 180 days or less.

The S1 is issued for stay periods exceeding 180 days. Needless to say, one must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of arrival at the Public Security Bureau.

Typically, the S2 is a multiple-entry visa. A 10-year multiple-entry S2 visa is granted to US passport holders only. Unlike the Q visa, the S visa is granted to immediate family members including spouse, parents, and children (under 19-years of age.) Also, proof of kinship and visa interview is mandatory for this visa.

12. R Category

Granted to only Highly Qualified Persons, it refers to the Tier A Talents that come under China’s Tiered Work Permit Classification System. Typically, this is a multiple-entry visa and is valid for up to 5 or 10 years.

China Group Visa

Apart from the ones mentioned above, there is also a special kind of visa allotted to a group of at least five tourists as a group and is thus referred to as the Chinese group visa. Rather than issuing it on individual passports, it is issued as a sheet along with an Official Visa Notification Letter*. The notification letter must be issued at the head office of either China Travel Service (CTS), China International Travel Service (CITS), or China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), or Chinese National Tourism Bureau.

*Mandatory

Visa-exempt countries for group tours

Select countries may travel without a visa for a period of 30 days but as a part of a tour group. The eligible countries are listed below;

China group tour eligible countries

Note: The tour group must be accompanied by a tour operator registered in both China and the afore-mentioned country.

What are the Required Documents for the Various Categories?

Typically, the following are the list of the common documents;

  1. Original passport
  2. Two passport-sized photographs taken against a white or light blue background
  3. Confirmed flight tickets (round-trip or on towards)
  4. Proof of accommodation
  5. Last three months’ bank statement as proof of sufficient funds
  6. China travel itinerary*

For the complete checklist of visa requirements for the different categories, read China Visa Requirements

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 How to Apply?

Applying for a China visa gets easier with Blinkvisa. It is, even more, easier for Bangaloreans who can also avail a free documents pickup and drop facility. All you need to do is;

  1. Reach us at www.blinkvisa.com
  2. Fill in basic details and make a payment of INR 500 as registration fee and receive the complete visa fees as cashback*
  3. Schedule an appointment for the required documents pickup
  4. Receive your visa in seven to ten working days

Also, refer to Apply for China Visa

Important*

While generally, one has to pay the complete visa fee for visa processing with other visa agents, at Blinkvisa we only charge INR 500 for visa processing. The best part is, as soon as you pay INR 500, the complete visa fee, including the GST and our service charges, is credited back to your account’s Blinkwallet in the form of Blinkcash.

Using this Blinkcash, you can unlock attractive offers and discounts on travel-related expenses, right from flight tickets to hotel bookings. To understand this better, first, let us have a look at the China visa cost.

China Visa Fee

The visa fee is as follows;

Type of China Visa Visa Fee Blinkvisa Charges SGST + CGST Total Avail Cashback
Tourist Visa INR 8999 INR 500 18% INR 9589 INR 9589
Express Tourist Visa INR 14499 INR 500 18% INR 15089 INR 15089
Business Visa INR 10499 INR 500 18% INR 11089 INR 11089
Express Business Visa INR 14499 INR 500 18% INR 15089 INR 15089

Also, read China Visa Fee

Now coming to how the cashback works; earlier, we mentioned cashback, which is credited to the Blinkwallet linked to your registered email id. While it is credited as Blinkcash, you will also get discounts of up to 12% on your flight tickets, hotels, travel activities, etc. when booked via our travel portal.

Examples of discounts with Blinkcash

Beijing air tickets

Let us consider this example of flight tickets to Beijing (PEK) fro Bangalore (BLR). As you can see, one every ticket you can get a discount of up to INR 3000. Well, this is not all, you can also get discounts on your activities booking and hotels too.

Note: The charges implied in the illustration may vary with the actual time of booking. 

Frequently asked questions – FAQs

1. Is there a China Visa on Arrival for Indians?

There is no China visa on arrival for Indians. Except for the visa-exempt nations, others must obtain a pre-approved visa. However, there is a visa on arrival for emergency purposes. Needless to say, there is no certainty that it would be issued upon reaching the country. Thus, we recommend applying in advance.

2. Are Diplomatic and Service Visa issued to non-ordinary passports?

Yes, it is issued to foreign government officials and personnel of diplomatic missions. It is also issued to the UN staff travelling to China for accreditation or missions.

3. Is my fee refundable?

Typically, when you apply for a visa via other visa agents, you are expected to pay the complete visa fee, which is non-refundable even if the visa gets rejected. However, at Blinkvisa, we only charge INR 500 to initiate your application. Thus, you would only have to pay the remaining visa fee only after visa approval.

Moreover, as soon as you pay INR 500, the complete visa fees is credited back to you as cashback. While it is akin to a refund, you cannot encash it. Nevertheless, you can use 10% of the amount for flight tickets, hotel bookings, activities, etc. on the Blinkvisa travel portal.