Visa to China digital photo - size and requirements

About the document

Chinese Visa Guide

A visa is an official document issued by the government to foreign citizens permitting entry, transit through or exit from the country. When planning to visit the People's Republic of China, Australians need to apply for and obtain a Chinese visa, otherwise, entry will be denied. The only exceptions are if you plan to visit Macao or Hong Kong, in which case a visa won’t be required.

Depending on the main purpose of your visit to China, you can apply for different types of visas, such as tourist visas, transit visas, study visas and business visas. Despite the different types of visas, the application process is always the same. You can’t go directly to the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in Australia for your visa. Instead, you need to submit your application to any Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVAS). You have two options to apply for it: you can fill in and print out the application form, available on the Chinese government website, and then send all the required documents by mail or you can go in person to the nearest CVAS, that you can find in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane or Adelaide. If you choose the mail option, be aware that it usually takes ten working days to process the application and that the process cannot be rushed in any way, so think carefully about how far in advance you should begin the application process. 

The documents you need to apply for a China visa are: 

• A passport with blank visa pages and that is valid for another six months or more
• Photocopies of data along with your passport photo pages.
• A Visa Application Form that has been properly filled out. 
• A single colour photo, taken within six months of the application.

If you bring the required documents in person to the CVAS, it usually takes only four working days to process your Visa application. Assuming that the visa photo and the documents you submitted don’t carry any mistakes, you should then have your China visa ready in just a few days. 

Types of China visa

Before filling in the application form for your Chinese visa, you must be sure to check which type of visa is the most suitable option for you. 

There are twelve main types of China visas: 

• L Visa - Tourist Visa, covers all types of leisure trips.
• M Visa - This is for those travelling to China for work trips, along with other business reasons.
• F Visa - This is for people who are travelling to China for non-commercial visits, such as exchanges.
• Q Visa - This is intended to accommodate family reunification with relatives living in China, Native or otherwise. It is split into two categories based on time spent in China.
• Q1 Visa - Issued for longer stays, identified as over 180 days.
• Q2 Visa - Issued for shorter stays, identified as up to 180 days.
• S Visa - This accommodates visits to relatives who are currently working or studying in China, and who currently have a regular residence permit, or for personal trips, for example, visits for medical treatment. As with the Q Visa, there are two categories for different durations.
• S1 Visa - Issued for longer stays, identified as over 180 days.
• S2 Visa - Issued for shorter stays, identified as up to 180 days.
• C Visa - Reserved for people who work in aviation, and may be travelling to China for work. This can include airline pilots and cabin crew members, along with any family members who may be accompanying them.
• G Visa - Transit visa, issued to those who may have a travel connection to make in China as part of a longer journey. Before you apply for this visa, you need to do some research into the conditions to see if you qualify for the 72-hour or 144-hour travel exemption.
• Z Visa - A visa for those who are permanently employed in China, along with any relatives and dependents they may have.
• R Visa - This is given to specialists, with key qualifications in their field, who are coming to work in China.
• X Visa - This is a study visa, given to those who are travelling either to enrol in a school, college or university. Depending on your trip’s duration, it is split into:
• X1 Visa - Issued for longer stays, identified as over 180 days.
• X2 Visa - Issued for shorter stays, identified as up to 180 days.
• J Visa - Issued to foreign correspondents of foreign news outlets that are residing in China. This visa is split into two subcategories, based on duration of stay:
• J1 Visa - Issued for longer stays, identified as over 180 days.
• J2 Visa - Issued for shorter stays, identified as up to 180 days.
• D Visa - Visa for those who are planning to emigrate to China, and are applying for permanent residence. 

Once you select the proper visa for your visit to China, make sure to check the detailed requirements and the specific documents you need.

Chinese Visa Prices

The cost of a China visa naturally depends on your intentions, with different visas carrying different fees. For Australian citizens, the difference is based on the number of months of validity of the visa combined with the number of entries in the country. The fees can be a bit more expensive, should you choose to apply for the China visa by post. 

• 3-month single entry visa: $ 109.5 (regular) - $ 131.5 (post)
• 6-month double entry visa: $ 139.5 (regular) - $ 161.5 (post)
• 6-month multi-entry visa: $ 169.5 (regular) - $ 191.5 (post)
• 12-month multi-entry visa: $ 229.5 (regular) - $ 251.5 (post)

Note that if you choose the express option (not available for postal application) or want to rush the entire application process there are going to be additional fees to pay. 

Chinese Visa Exemptions

Australian citizens are required to carry visas to access China in most circumstances. However, there are certain exemptions to this rule, allowing Australians to access the country without a visa:

• If you are travelling into the country by air, intending to take a connecting flight within 24 hours, not passing through border control. In order to qualify for this, you have to be able to present a boarding pass or another form of confirmation that you have a seat on an outbound flight.
• Australian passport holders can travel through certain airports visa-free, provided they plan to take a connecting flight to a third country within 72 hours of landing in China and can prove intent to do so. The following airports qualify:
• Beijing (travelling through Beijing Capital International Airport)
• Shanghai (travelling through Shanghai Hongqiao and Pudong International Airport)
• Chongqing (travelling through Jiangbei International Airport)
• Guangzhou (travelling through Baiyun International Airport)
• Chengdu (travelling through Shuangliu International Airport)
• Shenyang (travelling through Taoxian International Airport)
• Xi’an (travelling through Xianyang International Airport)
• If you are planning on travelling to Hainen Island, and have joined a tour group of 5 or more people, led by a registered international travel agency in Hainen, with the authorisation of the China National Tourism Administration. Under this exemption, Australian passport holders are allowed to stay for up to 15 days.
• If you carry an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Card. As full members of APEC, all Australians who carry this card can expect short-term visa-free travel to China. The card is valid for 3 years and, in that time, you can present it along with your passport at border areas in order to enter the country. You may enter multiple times in the three year validity period but for no more than two months each time.
• If you carry a Residence Permit. Residence Permits tend to be granted by China’s Public Security Bureau to long term students or workers in the country, including foreign journalists who are living in China while they are working. While the permit is valid, you can enter and exit the country multiple times without a visa.

Withholding Chinese Visas

Under Chapter 3, Section 1, Article 21 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China, China reserves the right to withhold visas from foreign nationals under the following conditions:

• If the applicant had previously been deported from China or had previously been repatriated upon decision, and their No-Entry-into-China period has not yet expired.
• If the applicant is suffering from a medical condition, for example, an infectious disease (like tuberculosis) or a serious mental disorder that may make them a danger to the public.
• If the applicant is likely to jeopardise Chinese interests, or endanger the security of the country. This could also mean that they are likely to disrupt the public or social order of the country, or that they might engage in some form of criminal activity.
• If the applicant has engaged in fraudulent or deceptive acts as part of their visa application.
• If the applicant cannot provide evidence that they have sufficient funds to be financially independent over the course of their stay in China.
• If the applicant fails to submit either sufficient information for the Chinese authorities to process their application or the necessary documentary evidence, for example, a passport or a passport-style photo. If you want to avoid being denied a visa on these grounds, make sure to use Passport Photo Online to make your photo fit their standards exactly.
• Other reasons that may be determined at the discretion of the Chinese visa authorities. These may be determined and carried out with no explanation for the applicant.

Extending Your Chinese Visa

If you are staying in China as an Australian, and decide you wish to stay longer, it’s possible to extend your Chinese visa’s period of validity. 

In the vast majority of Chinese cities, you can find Entry and Exit Administration Bureaus, who will be more than happy to extend your visa, provided you fulfil their conditions. You have to visit them in a timely manner, no fewer than seven days from the expiration date for your current visa. You must also be prepared to present all of the same documentary evidence you needed for your initial visa application, including your passport and the existing visa. Along with this, you will need to provide some form of evidence justifying the reason for your visa extension, or change. After that, the Chinese authorities will consider your request, and they will notify you of the outcome of your request. You must bear in mind that it will take 5 working days to process and approve visas and other travel documents through the Entry and Exit Administration Offices, so be sure to submit your request in good time.

You will also need to take 2 new passport-style photos, fulfilling the criteria set out by the Chinese Government, and present them at the Bureau. If you don’t have the time to take a professional photo, or if you want to save yourself some money, you can take a Chinese Visa Photo anytime, using our photo editing tool, which will precisely adapt your photo to the governmental standards.

COVID-19

As of the 15th July, direct flights between China and Australia are limited, but Australians may still be able to access China, provided they have the correct documentation. The Chinese authorities will require you to provide multiple negative COVID-19 tests within a short timeframe, that may change at short notice. If you have been vaccinated with a vaccine produced in China, you will need to confirm your eligibility through the embassy or consulate. A 14-day mandatory quarantine is in effect upon your arrival, along with other prevention measures, which will be laid out at the discretion of the local authorities. All of this is accurate at the time of writing, be sure to keep updated on any developments.