Earlier this year, China resumed most of its visa types for application except for tourist visa, shortly after the country lifted its Covid-19 travel restrictions. As a result, you were unable to visit China for tourism purposes from the UAE. However, there is some good news for you.
As per the notice published on March 14 by the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, overseas visa agencies can resume all visa types for foreigners coming to China from March 15, 2023, including tourist visa (L visa). In case you want to know about the detailed procedure and cost, here is our guide:
Step 1: Get your documents ready
These are the documents you need to prepare for L visa application:
- Valid passport (original)
- Passport front page (copy)
- Filled and printed ‘People’s Republic of China visa application form’.
- If you are in Abu Dhabi, you can access the digital form via this link: cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn/.
- If you are in Dubai and other northern emirates, you can access the digital form via this link: https://www.visaforchina.cn/#/nav/quickSelection?visacenterCode=DXB2&request_locale=en_US&site_alias=DXB2_EN&isAuthentication=N.
- A passport photo of you, taken in the past six months, with a light-coloured background. This should be attached to your original application form.
- A valid UAE visa or resident permit, if you are a foreign resident living in the UAE (both the original and a copy).
- Proof of round-trip flight tickets between the UAE and China, as well as proof of hotel reservation in China.
- If you are invited to China, you will need an invitation letter issued by the inviter including the following information. The inviter can be an organisation or an individual.
- Your personal information, such as name, gender, date of birth.
- Your itinerary, including arrival and departure date to and from China, as well as the places you plan to visit.
- Inviter’s information, such as name, contact number and address.
- If the inviter is an organisation, organisation stamp and legal person’s signature are required on the letter.
- If the inviter is an individual, only the signature is needed.
- Any additional, supporting documents that are required by the Chinese embassy or its consulate for your case.
Step 2: Make an appointment for submitting application
After you get all your documents ready, you will need to make an online appointment with the Chinese Embassy or its consulate’s visa centre in the UAE to submit your documents.
- If you are in Abu Dhabi, you should make an appointment via this link: avas.cs.mfa.gov.cn.
- If you are in Dubai or other northern Emirates, you should make an appointment via this link: https://www.visaforchina.cn/#/nav/quickSelection?visacenterCode=DXB2&request_locale=en_US&site_alias=DXB2_EN&isAuthentication=N
Step 3: Submit your documents
Once you have booked your appointment, you should go to the Chinese embassy or its consulate’s visa centre, at the appointed time for document submission. After you have completed the process, you will be issued a ‘pick-up certificate’, with the date and time when you can pick up your passport with the stamped visa.
Step 4: Make the payment
You should go to the embassy or its consulate’s visa centre at the given date and time, to pick up your passport. Make the payment at the counter. As per the Chinese embassy staff, only bank card payment via Point Of Sale (POS) machine is available there. According to the Chinese embassy’s website, the cards accepted are Visa and Mastercard only.
Processing time
It normally takes four working days to process a Chinese tourist visa. However, it may take longer depending on individual cases.
What is the cost of the tourist visa?
The cost of the visa depends on your nationality, the length of the visa stay as well as the number of entries you wish to make. Here is the list of costs as provided by the website of the Chinese embassy in the UAE:
American citizens – Dh520 for all types of visas
Canadian citizens – Dh295 for all types of visas
Romanian citizens – Dh270 for single entry, and six-month double entry visa
Dh550 for six-month multiple-entry visa and one-year or longer multiple-entry visa.
Argentinian citizens – Dh540 for all types of tourist visas
Brazilian citizens – Dh520 for all types of visas
Panamanian citizens – Dh220 for all types of visas
All other nationalities –
Single entry: Dh135
Six month, double entry: Dh203
Six-month, multiple entry: Dh270
One year or longer, multiple entry: Dh405
Contacts
Here is the contact information, in case you have any questions:
- If you are in Abu Dhabi, you can contact the consular department of the Chinese embassy. Here is their contact information:
• Phone number: 02 4434276
• Email address: abu-dhabi@csm.mfa.gov.cn
- If you are in Dubai or the northern Emirates, you can contact the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre:
• Phone number: 04 3711711/05 89732538
• Email address: dubai@visaforchina.org
