China Tourist (L) Visa: Fees by Nationality, COVA Form and Processing
How to get a China tourist visa in 2026: the online COVA form, the visa application centres, the reduced consular fees for US, British, Indian, Nigerian and Pakistani passports, documents, and the four-working-day standard.
What This Means for You
You need this visa if your passport is American, Indian, Nigerian, Pakistani, Philippine, South African or from any country not on the visa-free or transit lists. Fill in the COVA form online, book the centre appointment, take the passport, printed form, photo, flight and hotel bookings, and expect the passport back about a week later. The fee is at its lowest in years, so a multi-year visa is worth considering if you will return.
Overview
The L visa is China's ordinary tourist visa, and in 2026 it is the visa most Americans, Indians, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, South Africans and Bangladeshis need, because none of those nationalities is covered by the 30-day waiver. The process is the same everywhere: complete the Foreign Ministry's online form, then hand in the passport and supporting documents in person or through a visa application centre. What differs is the fee, which China fixes per nationality by reciprocity.
Fees, reduced by 25% until 31 December 2026: - United States: US$140 for any validity, per the consulate notice of 30 December 2025. Express costs US$25 more. Tourist visas for US citizens are normally issued with ten-year multiple-entry validity under the 2014 reciprocal arrangement, so the US$140 buys a decade - United Kingdom: £64 single entry, £128 five-year multiple entry, £191 ten-year multiple entry, per the embassy notice of 26 December 2025, plus the London centre's service fee - India: Rs2,900 single, Rs4,400 double, Rs5,900 six-month multiple, Rs8,800 twelve months or longer, Rs1,800 per person for a group visa, per the embassy notice of 4 January 2026; express Rs1,800 and urgent Rs2,700 extra, unchanged; plus the centre's service fee - Nigeria: NGN 10,500 single, NGN 15,750 double, NGN 21,000 six-month multiple, NGN 31,500 one-year multiple, per the embassy notice of 26 December 2025 - Pakistan: no consular fee at all; the embassy states that Pakistani ordinary passports are exempt from every visa fee. Only the Gerry's centre service fee applies - Other nationalities: the reduced schedule at each mission; at US missions non-US citizens pay US$23 single, US$34 double, US$45 six-month and US$68 twelve-month multiple; at the UK mission £21, £32, £43 and £64; in India Rs2,000, Rs3,000, Rs4,100 and Rs6,100
Where to apply: In the United Kingdom, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Australia, Canada and some 60 other countries, at the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre, an outsourced office that checks the file, collects the fees and passes the passport to the consulate. In the United States there is no centre: applications go by appointment to the visa office of the embassy in Washington or the consulate for your state. In Pakistan, Gerry's handles collection for the embassy in Islamabad and the consulate in Karachi.
Processing: Four working days from submission is the standard stated by the embassy in Pakistan and the consulate in Lagos. Express and urgent services exist at most centres for a surcharge; Pakistan offers none. The clock starts at submission, so add the wait for an appointment and the courier or collection time.
Fingerprints: Not required for stays of up to 180 days until 31 December 2026, including for multiple-entry visas, under the exemption extended in December 2025. Applicants for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas still give fingerprints. Some centres still ask for the passport to be submitted in person; check yours.
Validity and duration: Two separate things are printed on the visa. Validity is the window in which you may enter: three months for a typical single-entry visa, up to ten years for US citizens. Duration of stay is the maximum length of each visit, usually 30, 60 or 90 days. A ten-year visa with 60 days per entry does not allow a six-month stay.
Eligibility Requirements
- Purpose is tourism, sightseeing or visiting friends; visits to Chinese relatives use the Q visa and business trips the M visa
- Ordinary passport valid for at least six months from the intended date of entry with at least two blank pages
- Round-trip flight bookings and hotel reservations, or an invitation from a friend in China with a copy of their identity document
- Proof of funds where the mission requires it; the Lagos consulate asks Nigerian applicants for bank statements
- Not intending to work, study, report or reside; those need Z, X, J or D visas
- For repeat multi-year visas, a previous Chinese visa is usually expected
Required Documents
Passport
RequiredValid for at least six months from the planned entry date with two or more blank visa pages
Bring the old passport too if a previous Chinese visa is in it; centres ask for it
COVA application form
RequiredCompleted online at cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn, printed, and signed
The form runs to about 30 pages of questions including every employer for the past five years, so allow an hour and save as you go
Photograph
RequiredRecent colour passport photo on a white background, uploaded to COVA and one printed copy
The COVA upload rejects photos with glasses, shadows or the wrong dimensions; the centre can retake it for a fee
Flight bookings
RequiredRound-trip or onward flight reservations matching the dates on the form
A reservation is enough; you do not need to have paid for the ticket Try it now
Hotel reservations
RequiredBookings covering the whole stay, or an invitation letter from a host in China with a copy of their ID card or passport and residence permit
Free-cancellation bookings are accepted; the name on the booking must match the applicant Try it now
Proof of legal stay
OptionalIf applying outside your country of nationality, evidence of residence in the country where you apply
A residence permit or visa; tourists cannot normally apply in a third country
Bank statements
OptionalRecent statements showing funds for the trip
Required by some missions, including the Lagos consulate for Nigerian applicants; optional elsewhere
Previous Chinese visas
OptionalCopies of earlier visas, especially when requesting multi-year validity
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Application Steps
Check whether you need the visa
If your passport is on the 30-day list or you qualify for the 240-hour transit, you may not. Americans on a return trip, and all Indian, Nigerian, Pakistani and Philippine passports, do.
Complete the COVA form online
At cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn, choose the mission you will apply to, answer every section, upload the photo, and submit. Print the confirmation page and the full form, and sign it.
Book the appointment
Through the visa application centre's website (visaforchina.cn) or the embassy's AVAS system in countries without a centre. Peak-season slots can be a week or more away.
Submit the passport and documents
Take the passport, printed form, photo, flight and hotel bookings and any invitation. Fingerprints are not taken for stays up to 180 days until 31 December 2026.
Pay the fees
The consular fee for your nationality plus the centre's service fee, and any express surcharge. In India the express (Rs1,800) and urgent (Rs2,700) charges are on top of the reduced consular fee.
Collect the passport
Four working days as standard. Check the visa: validity window, number of entries and duration of each stay, and that your name and passport number are correct.
Visa Fees
| Type | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| US citizens, any validity | $140 | Reduced fee until 31 December 2026; express US$25 extra; normally issued as ten-year multiple entry |
| British citizens, single entry | £64 | Five-year multiple £128, ten-year multiple £191; plus the centre service fee; reduced until 31 December 2026 |
| Indian citizens, single entry | INR 2,900 | Double Rs4,400, six-month multiple Rs5,900, twelve months or more Rs8,800, group Rs1,800 per person; express Rs1,800, urgent Rs2,700; plus the centre service fee |
| Nigerian citizens, single entry | NGN 10,500 | Double NGN 15,750, six-month multiple NGN 21,000, one-year multiple NGN 31,500; reduced until 31 December 2026 |
| Pakistani citizens | PKR 0 | Exempt from all visa fees; Gerry's service fee applies; no express service |
| Other nationalities at US missions | $23-68 | Single US$23, double US$34, six-month US$45, twelve-month US$68 |
| Other nationalities at the UK mission | £21-64 | Single £21, double £32, six-month £43, twelve-month £64 |
Example savings (paying from India)
Example savings based on typical bank markup (3–5%) vs Wise mid-market rate. Your savings depend on your currency and bank. Actual amounts vary. Affiliate disclosure
Common Reasons for Refusal
Understanding these can help you strengthen your application
- 1Incomplete or inconsistent COVA form, especially employment and travel history gaps
- 2Bookings or invitation that do not match the stated dates or purpose
- 3Applying in a country where you are not a national or legal resident
- 4Photo that fails the COVA specification
- 5Previous overstay, immigration violation or a criminal record disclosed on the form
- 6Journalists, and people whose stated purpose points to work or study, applying for an L visa instead of the correct category
If your application is refused: You will receive a letter explaining the reason. In most cases, you can reapply immediately with a stronger application addressing the concerns raised.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a China visa for US citizens?
How much is a China visa for Indian citizens?
How much is a China visa for Nigerian citizens?
Is a China visa free for Pakistani citizens?
Do I need to attend in person for a China visa?
How long is a China tourist visa valid?
Can I apply for a China visa in a country other than my own?
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Important
Requirements may change. Always verify current requirements with the official embassy or consulate website before applying.
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Official Sources
This information is based on the following official sources. Always verify with these sources before submitting applications.
The Foreign Ministry's online application form that every visa applicant completes before booking a submission appointment.
Directory of the outsourced centres in more than 70 countries where most visa applications are lodged, with each centre's fees and opening hours.
Reduced fees in US dollars for US citizens and others until 31 December 2026, with the express surcharge.
Reduced consular fees in pounds for British and other passports until 31 December 2026.
Reduced consular fees in rupees for Indian and other passports until 31 December 2026, and the unchanged express and urgent surcharges.
Reduced consular fees in naira for Nigerian citizens until 31 December 2026.
Confirms that Pakistani ordinary passports are exempt from all visa fees and that processing takes four working days with no express service.
Applicants for stays of up to 180 days, including multiple-entry visas, are exempt from fingerprinting until 31 December 2026.
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