| Visa | Purpose | Typical validity | Key document |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | Tourism | 30–90 days per stay; US citizens eligible for 10-year multi-entry | Flights, hotels, itinerary |
| M | Commercial trade | 30–90 days per stay | Invitation from a Chinese company |
| F | Non-commercial exchange, study tours | 30–180 days | Invitation from a Chinese host unit |
| S1 / S2 | Visiting a foreign family member working/studying in China | S2 up to 180 days | Relationship proof + host’s residence permit |
| Q1 / Q2 | Visiting Chinese citizen or PR relatives | Q2 up to 180 days | Invitation letter + ID copy of relative |
| Z | Work | 30 days to enter, then residence permit | Work permit notice |
| X1 / X2 | Study over / under 180 days | Per course length | JW202 form + admission letter |
The L visa, which is 90% of cases
Tourist visa. Apply at the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre for your jurisdiction — not the embassy directly. You need an appointment, fingerprints for first-time applicants, a 33×48 mm photo on a light background, flight and hotel bookings, and a completed COVA form.
Standard processing is four working days; express is two to three at roughly double the fee. US citizens should note the ten-year multiple-entry L visa: the consular fee is fixed, and if you expect to return it is the best value item in this entire guide.
Business trips on a tourist visa
Attending meetings, negotiating, visiting a trade fair — the M visa is the technically correct one, and Chinese immigration does occasionally ask about activity inconsistent with the visa class. In practice, a short business trip on an L visa is common and rarely questioned. Do not, however, describe your trip as work at the border.
The three most common refusals
- Photo specification. The single highest failure rate. 33 mm wide × 48 mm high, light background, no glasses, no white shirt on white background, face 28–33 mm from chin to crown.
- Incomplete itinerary. “China, two weeks” is not an itinerary. Give city names and dates matching your hotel bookings.
- Name mismatch. Your COVA name must match your passport exactly, including middle names and any hyphens. A missing middle name delays processing by a week.
If you are transiting and unsure
Read the 240-hour transit guide first. If your routing qualifies, you need no visa at all, and a great many travellers apply for an L visa they did not need.