How to get a China L tourist visa, step by step

An L tourist visa is a sticker you collect in person: file online, wait for the file to clear a preliminary review, hand in your passport, and collect it about four working days after submission. Check the visa-free routes first, though. China's unilateral 30-day visa-free entry runs to 31 December 2026, and the 240-hour transit scheme covers 55 nationalities — including US passports — for anyone with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country. If neither fits, or you want more than 30 days or multiple entries, here is the sequence.

1. Confirm which office handles you. You apply where you live, not where you were born. In the US that is the embassy in Washington DC or a consulate in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Chicago; since the Houston consulate closed, Texas and eight other southern states file through Washington. Wrong office, refused at the door.
2. Complete the COVA form. Create an account on the China Online Visa Application system, which replaced the paper form in September 2025. It asks for every employer of the past five years, every country visited in the last 12 months, and a day-by-day itinerary. Budget an hour, save as you go, then upload the passport bio page, photo and supporting documents. The photo must be 33×48mm on white with no glasses, and uploads are usually image files rather than PDFs.
3. Wait for preliminary review. A submitted form is not an accepted one. The reviewing office can send it back for corrections, and expedited service does not skip this stage. Watch the account rather than the calendar.
4. Submit once the status reads "Passport to be submitted". That means hand over the original passport, the printed barcode page and any originals requested. It does not mean the visa is granted, and you cannot travel internationally on that passport until you collect it. At US posts you walk in during office hours without an appointment; in most other countries, including India and the UK, you book a slot at a visa application centre, and slots fill a week or more ahead around Chinese holidays.
5. Bring the documents. Passport valid at least six months with two blank pages, printed and hand-signed form, photo, and proof of residence if you are applying outside your own country. Since 1 January 2024, US applicants are generally no longer asked for flights, hotels or an invitation letter for an L visa, but centres elsewhere still want them — India commonly expects a tour-operator invitation plus bank statements. Carry old passports holding previous Chinese visas.

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6. Pay and collect. Fees follow reciprocity, so they differ by passport. US citizens pay a flat US$140 for any entry type, including the ten-year multiple-entry visa, until 31 December 2026, plus US$25 for express service. Most other nationalities pay less, and visa centres charge a service fee on top. Standard processing is four working days from passport submission; some posts offer collection after two.
7. Check the sticker before leaving the counter. Validity and duration of stay are separate things — a ten-year visa may permit only 60 days per entry. The consular officer decides entries and stay length, not your form.

One thing that has changed: short-stay applicants (180 days or less, including multiple-entry) are exempt from fingerprinting until 31 December 2026, so at many offices the passport can be lodged by someone else on your behalf. Do not buy non-refundable flights until the visa is in hand.

Last checked: 2026-09-14