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Answers about China visas, the COVA application, U.S. passport service, and document authentication & apostille. Can't find what you're looking for? Contact us and we'll help directly.
Yes. U.S. passport holders are not on China's unilateral visa-free list, so a visa is required to enter mainland China for any purpose — tourism, business, work, study, or a family visit. China does not offer visa-on-arrival for U.S. citizens, so your visa must be issued before you travel.
There are two narrow exceptions: a 240-hour visa-free transit for travelers connecting through certain Chinese cities to a third country, and a 30-day visa-free entry to Hainan Province for eligible travelers arriving directly from outside mainland China. Both have specific eligibility rules, so contact us if you think one might apply to your trip. Hong Kong and Macau have separate entry rules from mainland China.
In most cases, yes. We can assist non-U.S. citizens who are lawful residents of the United States — for example, Green Card holders or holders of a valid, long-term U.S. residence visa. You'll need to include a notarized photocopy of your proof of U.S. residence with your application.
Non-U.S. passport holders are typically issued a single- or double-entry China visa valid for 3–6 months, rather than the longer multiple-entry visa that's often available to U.S. passport holders. If you're not a U.S. resident, contact us and we'll let you know whether we can help with your specific situation.
No. Under Chinese visa policy in effect since September 1, 2013, you must be physically present in the United States when applying for a China visa through a U.S.-based Embassy or Consulate. If you're currently overseas, you'll need to apply through a Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence instead.
A Chinese visa is a full-page sticker — not a stamp or a separate document — that a consular officer affixes directly into your passport. It shows your visa category (a letter such as L, M, F, Z, Q, S, X, C, or R), the number of permitted entries, the validity period during which you may enter China, and the maximum duration of each stay. It does not include your photo.
As soon as you get your passport back, check these details carefully — confirm the visa type, dates, and number of entries match what you applied for, and let us know right away if anything looks off.
The best time to apply is 2–3 months before your departure date. The online application form only allows you to enter an arrival date within the next 90 days, so applying much earlier than that isn't possible.
Our service fees depend on the processing speed you choose. Typical options are:
Fees vary by visa type (L, M, Q, S, etc.) and consulate workload, and Chinese Embassy/Consulate fees are additional. During busy periods the consulates may have a backlog that extends processing by several weeks, so we always recommend applying well ahead of your travel date.
No. For most visa types, including the tourist (L) and business (M) visas, you do not need to appear in person. VisaRite submits your application at the Chinese Embassy/Consulate on your behalf, picks up your passport once the visa is issued, and ships it back to you.
Your application must be submitted to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate that has jurisdiction over your state of residence — not where you happen to be located. For example, Florida residents fall under the Embassy in Washington, DC, and Arizona residents fall under the Consulate in Los Angeles.
Yes. A valid, unexpired Chinese visa in an expired (or cancelled) passport remains valid for entry into China, provided the personal details on both passports match. Simply travel with both your old passport (containing the visa) and your new valid passport.
Chinese visas are affixed on the pages specifically marked "Visas" in your passport, and can only be placed on a page that doesn't already contain another stamp or visa. If you don't have a blank visa page available, you'll need to renew your passport before applying.
No. The amendment pages at the back of a passport are reserved specifically for official changes and endorsements made after the passport was issued — they are not valid visa pages. Embassies and Consulates will not place a visa on those pages.
It depends on the visa type:
A compliant business invitation letter should include: the applicant's full name, gender, and date of birth; the purpose of the visit and a detailed itinerary; the applicant's relationship to the inviting company; planned arrival/departure dates and length of stay; the Chinese company's name, address, and contact details; the relationship between the U.S. and Chinese companies, where relevant; and the signature of the inviting person along with the official company seal or stamp. In some jurisdictions, a PU Letter issued through China's official online invitation portal can be used instead. Ask us for a sample letter your inviting company can follow.
Not necessarily. The decision to grant a visa — including the visa type, validity period, number of entries, and duration of each stay — is made solely at the discretion of the Chinese Embassy/Consulate. Most U.S. passport holders applying for L or M visas do receive 10-year multiple-entry visas, but this is never guaranteed, and the consular officer may issue a shorter validity or fewer entries without explanation.
It depends on current consulate processing times. Even with Rush service, the Chinese Embassy/Consulates require a minimum processing window (during busy periods this can stretch to 3–3.5 weeks or more due to application backlogs). If there isn't enough time before your departure, we'll tell you honestly rather than take your money. For true emergencies, you may contact the Chinese Embassy directly to explain your urgent travel situation and ask whether they can accommodate your timeline.
You do not need exact flight information at the application stage. However, the application does require an itinerary with a hotel address in China — a tentative hotel reservation or your host's address is acceptable. Again, we recommend not purchasing non-refundable tickets until the visa is approved.
Yes. The cities and itinerary you list on the application form are for reference only, and you're not limited to them. Once your visa is issued, you're free to travel to other cities in China as well.
Travel history to certain countries may prompt additional scrutiny. In these cases the consulate typically requires a signed explanation letter describing the purpose and dates of that travel (for example, tourism or medical visits). We'll provide a template, review your letter during pre-check, and include it with your submission.
Yes, families routinely apply together, and multiple applicants can be managed under one COVA account — you do not need a separate email address for each child. Minor children need their own visa application, plus a copy of the child's birth certificate and the parent's proof of address (a driver's license, or alternatives such as a bank statement if your license is expired). Also note that the Chinese Consulate allows only one valid visa at a time: when a new visa is issued, any existing valid visa is cancelled.
COVA is the China Online Visa Application — the mandatory online form every applicant must complete before a Chinese visa can be issued. It's filled out at the official Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs site: consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/. You create an account with an email address, complete the form, upload supporting documents, and submit it online. The consulate then reviews it before your passport is physically submitted.
Yes. Our full service includes a professional pre-check of your COVA form and supporting documents before submission — we review every field, correct errors, upload missing materials, and submit the form online for you. We also offer a standalone pre-check-only service (from $100) if you only want your self-completed application reviewed. For applicants who have difficulty with the online system, we offer a simplified "COVA easy version" worksheet (web form or Excel) — you provide the information and we handle the online entry.
To review your application, correct mistakes, upload documents, monitor your status, and download the barcode page required for submission, we must be able to log in to your COVA account. When you're ready, email us your COVA login email and password along with your Service Request (SR) number. If you completed and submitted the COVA entirely on your own, you may not need to share your login as long as you can provide the full COVA barcode printout (including the "Additional Reminders" section) and status screenshots.
The COVA system requires two-factor authentication: each time anyone logs in, a verification code is emailed to the account's login email address, and the code expires in 5 minutes. So that we can access your application without bothering you at every login, we offer three options:
Common fixes:
After your COVA form is submitted online, the consulate performs a preliminary review. When your status changes to "Passport to be submitted," your application has passed preliminary review and it's time for the next step: sending us your physical passport (with the barcode page and supporting documents) so we can submit it to the Embassy/Consulate. If your status shows "under review," the consulate is still processing — this typically takes a few days.
Once a COVA form has been submitted online, it can no longer be edited. Minor issues are often acceptable and we simply wait for the consulate's review. Significant errors — and especially a wrong jurisdiction/consulate selection, which is fixed the moment the form is created — require filling out a completely new application. This is exactly why we pre-check every form before submission.
If you've ever held a Chinese visa, answer "Yes" and provide as much detail as you can (visa type, issue/expiry dates, place of issue, old passport number). If your old passport with the visa was lost and you can't recover the details, we'll provide a draft explanation letter stating that you no longer have access to that information; you edit it as needed and sign it with a wet signature to include with your application.
A few questions that come up again and again:
During pre-check we correct all of these for you.
Yes. You don't need to create a separate email account for each family member. Log in to your COVA account, click the button under "Start my application," and add an additional applicant. Each person gets his or her own application form under the same login, and you can complete them one by one (for example, both of your children under one parent's account).
A passport is an official identity document issued by your home country that verifies your citizenship — it establishes who you are and lets you travel internationally and return home. A visa is different: it's an endorsement or stamp placed inside your passport by a foreign government, granting you official permission to enter, stay, or work in that country for a specific period. In short, your passport identifies you; a visa authorizes a particular trip.
Yes. VisaRite Service Corp is an officially registered courier service with the U.S. Passport Agency and appears on the U.S. Department of State's list of registered Courier and Expeditor Companies. That registration is what authorizes us to hand-carry and submit passport applications on behalf of our customers to accommodate urgent travel needs. You can verify our listing directly on the State Department's website: travel.state.gov — Registered Courier Companies.
Yes. We expedite passport renewals by submitting your application in person at the New York Passport Agency through our registered courier service — significantly faster than mailing your application or waiting for an agency appointment yourself. You complete the DS-82 renewal form and a letter of authorization, send us your application package by FedEx, we pre-check everything, submit it, and ship your new passport back to you as soon as it's issued. Super Rush options are available for imminent travel.
Processing time depends on the service level you choose, generally ranging from about 1 to 3 weeks with the Passport Agency. Once your passport is issued, we ship it to you via FedEx.
The government fee can be paid by personal check, company check, or money order, made payable to "U.S. Department of State." Starter checks are not accepted, and this fee is separate from the VisaRite service fee.
For expedited processing the application form must be typed/filled out on a computer and printed — handwritten forms are not accepted. You also need one recent passport-type photo taken within the last six months (2×2 inches, white background, no glasses). We pre-check your entire package before you send anything, and tell you exactly what to fix.
Yes. A lost/stolen passport requires a new application (DS-11 with a DS-64 lost/stolen statement), which must be executed in person at a passport acceptance facility. We guide you through the paperwork, pre-check everything before your appointment, and expedite the processing afterward. Practical tips: scan or photograph your entire application package for your records before your acceptance-facility appointment, and bring solid ID — a driver's license issued less than 12 months ago may not be accepted as primary ID on its own, so bring additional identification.
For applications we courier to the passport agency, we monitor status and notify you of any updates — including administrative reviews or requests for more information. Once approved, the State Department typically ships passports via UPS Next Day Air or USPS Express Mail with tracking. If you applied on your own (not through us), privacy rules prevent us from checking for you — contact the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 or check status online at travel.state.gov.
After your pre-check is complete and approved, we email you detailed shipping instructions with the correct address. Please use a traceable courier service (FedEx preferred) and avoid certified mail, which can cause significant delays. Include your check to the U.S. Department of State in the package. If needed, we can email you a prepaid FedEx shipping label for an additional $36. Always email us your tracking number so we can watch for the package.
Since China joined the Hague Apostille Convention, most U.S.-issued documents intended for use in mainland China now need an apostille rather than the old multi-step Chinese consular authentication. State-issued documents (birth certificates, notarized affidavits, diplomas, etc.) are apostilled by the relevant Secretary of State; federal documents (such as FBI background checks) are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. We handle both.
Yes — this is one of our most common services, typically needed for Chinese work permits and residency applications. Because the FBI issues background checks electronically, we can usually work directly from your digital copy — no mailing of originals required. Email us the PDF, we submit it to the U.S. Department of State for the apostille, and we FedEx the completed document back to you. Make sure the name on your FBI report exactly matches your passport.
Diplomas and similar education documents (degrees, TESOL certificates) must first be notarized — which requires the physical document — then authenticated by the state's Secretary of State, before the apostille can be completed. If you haven't yet received your physical diploma, you'll need to wait for it before starting. Send us a copy of the document first and we'll confirm it's workable and quote the exact steps, timeline, and cost.
A One and the Same Person affidavit is a notarized, apostilled statement declaring that two different names (for example, after a legal name change or naturalization) refer to the same individual. It's commonly required by Chinese authorities from former Chinese citizens who changed their names when they naturalized in the U.S. We can assist with the apostille process for these affidavits once they're properly notarized. Note that we do not provide remote (online) notarization — the notarization itself must be completed with a notary first.
Timelines depend on the issuing office: state-level apostilles are generally faster, while U.S. Department of State apostilles for federal documents take longer and depend on the current government queue. We submit applications promptly (typically within one business day of receiving your document), monitor progress, and return the completed apostilled document by trackable FedEx with a ship notification and tracking number.
To save you time, here's what falls outside our scope:
Service fees, government fees, and processing times are subject to change without notice. Visa issuance is at the sole discretion of the Chinese Embassy/Consulate.
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