I.Who can apply

1.The Consulate General of China in Los Angeles only accepts visa applications from foreign nationals who reside within its consular jurisdiction. (Click here to view the jurisdiction.) Applications submitted by applicants outside of this jurisdiction will be returned. As required by visa policy, applicants who are not physically in the United States may not apply for a Chinese visa through Chinese embassies or consulates in the U.S.

2.If you have previously obtained a Chinese visa, you must ensure that the previous visa has become or is about to become unusable before applying for a new one. For example:

l The original visa has been lost or damaged;

l Personal information on the original visa (such as name, gender, date of birth) has changed. If only your passport has been renewed and your personal details remain unchanged, you may use your old visa along with the new passport;

l The purpose of travel has changed, e.g., switching from a tourist visa to a family visit;

l The original visa has less than six months of validity. If it has more than six months of validity and there are no other limiting factors, the Consulate will not process a new visa; you must continue using the existing one.

3.Foreign nationals may enter China without a visa under Bilateral Agreement/240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy/Direct Transit/Visa-Free Entry for Nationals of Certain Countries and some other circumstances.(Click here to view the Visa Exemption.)

4.According to Chinese law and international practice, the Consulate General reserves the right to refuse any visa application without providing specific reasons.II.Visa Types and Required Documents

II. Visa Application and Pick-up Procedures

Step One: Prepare All Required Documents

Visit the visa application system at https://cova.mfa.gov.cn, select the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, and fill out the application form online. Print the completed application form and confirmation page. Then, prepare your supporting paper documents according to Section III: “Required Documents” and your visa type.

Note: Online submission of the form does not constitute a completed visa application. You must print and sign the form and confirmation page, and submit them with all other required documents to the Consulate.

Step Two: Submit Documents to the Consulate

Bring your completed application documents to the Consulate in person during office hours—no appointment required. You may also entrust someone else or an agency to submit the application on your behalf.

During submission, staff may request additional documents based on your case. These may be submitted at the same window on the same day without requeuing. The Consulate may later contact you by email for further supplementation, interviews, or to reschedule your pickup date—please check your email regularly.

Note: We strongly advise avoiding peak periods such as Mondays, Fridays, and the first business day after holidays. 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is also a busy time.

Step Three: Pick Up the Visa with Your Pickup Slip

If your application passes the preliminary review, staff will issue a pink pickup slip. You must collect your visa within one month of the pickup date indicated on the slip or upon receiving the email notification. Others may collect the visa on your behalf.

Please check the visa content carefully upon pickup. You are solely responsible for any issues resulting from failure to inspect the visa at that time.

Note: For details on processing time, fees, collection, and payment methods, please refer to:Visa Information.

III. Required Documents

1.Passport: Original passport with more than 6 months’ validity and at least one blank visa page, plus a photocopy of the bio-data page.

2.Visa Application Form, Confirmation Page, and Photo:

One printed copy each of the visa application form and confirmation page (completed at https://cova.mfa.gov.cn), and one printed photo as uploaded in the form.

Note: Online completion does not count as submission. You must print, sign, and submit the documents along with the rest of your materials.

3.Additional Documents (if applicable):

l Submitting through a representative: Provide a copy of proof of U.S. residence (e.g., driver’s license or bank statement) and a signed "Where You Stay" form (click to download).

l Previous Chinese visa/residence permit holders: Include copies of your last Chinese visa/residence permit and the bio-data page of the foreign passport used at the time.

Note: If the visa/residence permit is still valid or you’re applying for a compensation visa, the original must also be submitted. If you cannot provide the original, complete and submit the Visa Loss Declaration Form (click to download).

l Former Chinese citizens applying for the first time after naturalization: Provide a copy of the naturalization certificate and original and copy of your Chinese passport. If the passport is long expired or unavailable, submit the Chinese Passport Loss Declaration Form (click to download).

l Third-country nationals in the U.S.: Provide a copy of your legal stay/residency document in the U.S. (e.g., Green Card, visa, I-20, or I-94).

l Name discrepancy cases: If the name on your current foreign passport differs from that on your old Chinese passport or prior visa, submit an official name change document (e.g., court order or marriage certificate).

l Applicants under 16 applying for the first time: Submit a copy of the birth certificate. If a parent listed is/was a Chinese citizen at the time of birth, include copies of that parent’s passport ID page and legal residency document (e.g., U.S. Green Card). If the parent is now naturalized, include their naturalization certificate.

l Visa Compensation Applicants: Submit the completed Visa Compensation Declaration Form  (click to download) for counter verification.

Eligibility requirements:

a. Your multi-entry visa issued before March 28, 2020, has expired and was not canceled;

b. You can present the original expired visa;

c. Personal information (name, gender, DOB) remains unchanged;

d. The new visa type matches the old one (e.g., tourist, business, family visit);

e. Your current passport has more than 1 year of validity remaining.

For details, please refer to:Compensation Arrangement for Suspended Multi-Entry Visas Due to COVID-19.

4.Category-Specific Supporting Documents:

Please refer to the corresponding table for documents required based on the visa type you are applying for.

5.For visa applications based on urgent humanitarian reasons (such as attending a funeral or visiting a critically ill patient), an Emergency Visa Application Statement must be submitted along with supporting documents such as medical records, critical condition notices, and proof of kinship.

IV. Q&A

For more information(e.g.mail service/Pickup slip lost/apply for visa while in China/original or a copy of Invitation letter)about visa application, please click here to view:Frequently Asked Questions

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Annex 1 Important Tips for online COVA visa form filling

(1) Please carefully read the prompts and requirements of the COVA form system, and complete the entries of the visa application COVA online form step by step, making sure that the information is true, accurate and complete. Please note: Once the application form has been submitted, it cannot be modified in any way.

(2) The"location"option for submitting the visa application should be in line with the consular jurisdiction.

(3) Basic personal information. Surname, middle name (please fill the middle name into  1.1C together with the given name),given names, gender, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport type, etc. must be exactly the same as those on the passport information page, otherwise your visa application will be returned.

(4) If you were born in China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), please note:

1. Application form 1.1E The native language name must be entered in Chinese with the Chinese character input method, please do not fill in "Chinese", "Chinese language", etc.

2. In the application form 1.6G, select "Yes" for "former nationality", and then select the nationality information.

3. Item 1.6H of the application form is required if the applicant was born in China and is applying for a Chinese visa for the first time. This entry will be automatically generated during the form filling process.

(5) Completely fill in the work experience and educational background

1. Please fill in the complete work experience after graduation from school.

2. The “position” and “duty” of the application form 3.3D and 3.3E must be filled in completely.

3. Please fill in the complete learning experience since high school in 4.2, and the diploma/degree and major in 4.2C and 4.2D must be completed.

(6) Completely fill in each address

The address of the spouse in 5.5A of the application form, and the addresses of the parents in 5.5B and 5.5C must fill in the address of the current location, not the address of the place of birth. The address must be filled in completely, including street, city, state, and country.

(7) If you choose "not applicable" for any entry in the form, you need to state the reason for “not applicable”. 

(8) Printing and signing. After completing the COVA online form filling, you must print out a full set of application forms, including the "Confirmation of Online Visa application" and "Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China" (depending on the individual filling situation, a total of 9 to 10 pages will be generated). All the pages of the forms must be printed to turn in, the signature and date on the Confirmation Page and the 8th page of Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China must be handwritten by the applicant him/herself. Visa applicant under the age of 16 is signed by their guardian, and meanwhile add a handwritten signature in the "For person filling in the application on the applicant’s behalf".

Annex 2 Contents of S1, S2, Q1, Q2 Visa Invitation Letter

Inviter’s name XX, gender X, date of birth: XX, Chinese ID number XXX (or foreign passport number XX, Chinese permanent residence card number XX), current address in China is XX, contact phone number XX, email XX.

I hereby invite the following relatives to visit China for a short-term visit/long-term residence. He/She plans to go to China on XX, and stay in China for XX days.

Invitee information: name XX, gender X, date of birth XX, nationality XX, passport number XX, and the relative relationship with the inviter is XX.

Inviter's signature:      Date:

Annex 3  Contents of M, and F Visa Invitation Letter

(1) Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, passport number, etc.

(2) Information about the invitee’s visit to China: reason for coming to China, date of arrival and departure, place of visit, relationship with the inviting unit or inviter, who will pay for the travel, etc.

(3) Inviting party information: inviting party name, address, telephone number, official seal, legal representative or inviter’s signature, date, etc. (the information must be included in the text of the invitation letter)