AgateTravel WeLiveToServe
US & Canada: 1-800-315-3949
  • AU: 1-800-665-977
  • UK: 0-808-189-1339
  • Global: 86-29-8526-9897

Visa & Travel Permit

Necessary Written Materials
  1. Must I have a visa to visit China?
  2. Can I get an on-arrival visa at any airport?
  3. My trip will take me back to the Chinese mainland again after visiting in Hong Kong. Should I apply for a single or a double-entry visa?
  4. How do I apply for my visa to China?
  5. Should I apply for a Hong Kong visa?
  6. What should I do if I lose my passport before I leave China? 
  7. Is a Tibet Travel Permit necessary to enter Lhasa?
  8. How can I get a Tibet Travel Permit? 

Question: Must I have a visa to visit China?

Answer: Yes, non-Chinese passport or ID holders must have a valid China visa to enter China.

Usually all rooms have a water heater or thermos and boiled water is available 24/7 free of charge. Bottled water is also available in stores and at street stalls.

Question: Can I get an on-arrival visa at any airport?

Answer: In some cases, it is possible to obtain an on-arrival visa, but it is best to get your visa in advance. To get an on-arrival visa, you need to go through a complicated procedure; also, it is not certain that your application will be granted.


Question: My trip will take me back to the Chinese mainland again after visiting in Hong Kong. Should I apply for a single or a double-entry visa?
Answer: You will need a double-entry visa.


Question: How do I apply for my visa to China?

Answer: You need to have a valid passport and photos, fill out an application form and contact a Chinese Embassy in Foreign Countries by person or through an agent. You can read more details at the following page: China Visa and Passport.


Question: Should I apply for a Hong Kong visa?

Answer: People who hold certain passports do not need visas for Hong Kong during a specified period. You need to apply for a Hong Kong visa in a Chinese Embassy or the HKSAR Immigration Department if you do not hold the following passport or wish to stay longer:

Nationality of foreign country (Territory)/ Type of Travel Document Visa free period for visit not exceeding
ALGERIA 14 Days
ANDORRA 90 Days
ANGOLA Diplomatic/Official Passport 14 Days
ANGUILLA 90 Days
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 90 Days
ARGENTINA 90 Days
AUSTRALIA 90 Days
AUSTRIA 90 Days
BAHAMAS 90 Days
BAHRAIN 14 Days
BANGLADESH 14 Days
BARBADOS 90 Days
BELGIUM 90 Days
BELIZE 90 Days
BENIN 14 Days
BERMUDA 90 Days
BHUTAN 14 Days
BOLIVIA 30 Days
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 14 Days
BOTSWANA 90 Days
BRAZIL 90 Days
BRITAIN (British citizens) 180 Days
BRITAIN (British Overseas Territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British subjects and British Protected persons) 90 Days
BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY 90 Days
BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 90 Days
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 90 Days
BRUNEI 90 Days
BULGARIA 90 Days
BURKINA FASO 14 Days
BURUNDI Diplomatic/Official Passport 14 Days
CAMEROON Diplomatic/Official Passport 14 Days
CANADA 90 Days
CAPE VERDE (REPUBLIC OF) 30 Days
CAYMAN ISLANDS 90 Days
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 14 Days
CHAD 14 Days
CHILE 90 Days
COLOMBIA 90 Days
COMOROS 14 Days
CONGO (REPUBLIC OF) 14 Days
COSTA RICA 30 Days
CROATIA 14 Days
CYPRUS (REPUBLIC OF) 90 Days
CZECH REPUBLIC 90 Days
DENMARK 90 Days
DJIBOUTI 14 Days
DOMINICA (COMMONWEALTH OF) 90 Days
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 30 Days
ECUADOR 90 Days
EGYPT 90 Days
EL SALVADOR 30 Days
EQUATORIAL GUINEA 14 Days
ESTONIA 90 Days
ETHIOPIA Diplomatic/Official Passport 14 Days
FALKLAND ISLANDS & DEPENDENCIES 90 Days
FAROE ISLANDS 90 Days
FIJI 90 Days
FINLAND 90 Days
FRANCE 90 Days
GABON 14 Days
GAMBIA 90 Days
GERMANY 90 Days
GHANA 14 Days
GIBRALTAR 90 Days
GREECE 90 Days
GREENLAND 90 Days
GUATEMALA 30 Days
GUINEA 14 Days
GUINEA-BISSAU 14 Days
GUYANA 90 Days
HAITI 14 Days
HONDURAS 30 Days
HUNGARY 90 Days
ICELAND 90 Days
INDIA 14 Days
INDONESIA 30 Days
IRELAND (REPUBLIC OF) 90 Days
ISRAEL 90 Days
ITALY 90 Days
JAMAICA 90 Days
JAPAN 90 Days
JORDAN 14 Days
KENYA 90 Days
KIRIBATI 90 Days
KOREA (REPUBLIC OF) 90 Days
Nationality of foreign country (Territory)/ Type of Travel Document Visa free period for visit not exceeding
KUWAIT 14 Days
LATVIA 90 Days
LESOTHO 14 Days
LIECHTENSTEIN 90 Days
LITHUANIA 90 Days
LUXEMBOURG 90 Days
MACEDONIA 14 Days
MADAGASCAR 14 Days
MALAWI 90 Days
MALAYSIA 90 Days
MALDIVES 90 Days
MALI 14 Days
MALTA 90 Days
MARSHALL ISLANDS (REPUBLIC OF) 14 Days
MAURITANIA 14 Days
MAURITIUS 90 Days
MEXICO 90 Days
MICRONESIA (FEDERATED STATES OF) 14 Days
MONACO 90 Days
MONGOLIA 14 Days
MONTSERRAT 90 Days
MOROCCO 30 Days
MOZAMBIQUE 14 Days
NAMIBIA 90 Days
NAURU 90 Days
NETHERLANDS 90 Days
NEW ZEALAND 90 Days
NIGER 14 Days
NORWAY 90 Days
OMAN 14 Days
PAKISTAN Diplomatic/Official Passport 14 Days
PALAU 14 Days
PAPUA NEW GUINEA 90 Days
PARAGUAY 30 Days
PERU 30 Days
PHILIPPINES 14 Days
PITCAIRN, HENDERSON, DUCIE & OENO ISLANDS 90 Days
POLAND 90 Days
PORTUGAL 90 Days
QATAR 14 Days
ROMANIA 90 Days
RWANDA 14 Days
SAMOA (WESTERN) 30 Days
SAN MARINO 90 Days
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE 14 Days
SAUDI ARABIA 14 Days
SEYCHELLES 90 Days
SINGAPORE 90 Days
SLOVAK REPUBLIC 90 Days
SLOVENIA 90 Days
SOUTH AFRICA 30 Days
SPAIN 90 Days
SRI LANKA Diplomatic/Official Passport 14 Days
ST. HELENA 90 Days
ST. HELENA DEPENDENCIES (ASCENSION, TRISTAN DA CUNHA) 90 Days
ST. KITTS - NEVIS ANGUILLA 90 Days
ST. LUCIA 90 Days
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES 90 Days
SURINAME 14 Days
SWAZILAND 90 Days
SWEDEN 90 Days
SWITZERLAND 90 Days
TANZANIA 90 Days
THAILAND 30 Days
THE SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS 90 Days
THE SOVEREIGN BASE AREAS OF AKROTIRI AND DHEKELIA 90 Days
TOGO 14 Days
TONGA 90 Days
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 90 Days
TUNISIA 30 Days
TURKEY 90 Days
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS 90 Days
TUVALU 30 Days
UGANDA 90 Days
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 30 Days
URUGUAY 90 Days
U.S.A. 90 Days
US TRUST TERRITORY OF PACIFIC ISLANDS (holders of US Trust Territory passports only) 14 Days
VANUATU 90 Days
VATICAN CITY 14 Days
VENEZUELA 90 Days
YEMEN (REPUBLIC OF) 30 Days
ZAMBIA 90 Days
ZIMBABWE 90 Days


Question: What should I do if I lose my passport before I leave China?
Answer: If you lose your passport, tell your guide immediately. Your guide will accompany you to the Public Security Bureau, where they will issue you a certificate. You then must apply for a new passport in person with this certificate at the nearest embassy of your country. When you get your new passport, you need to return to the Public Security Bureau to apply for a new visa, so that you can leave China.


Question: Is a Tibet Travel Permit necessary to enter Lhasa?

Answer: All non-Chinese passport holders and non-Chinese ID holders must have a Tibet Travel Permit. People who have Hong Kong passports and Macau passports do not need Tibet Travel Permits.


Question: How can I get a Tibet Travel Permit?

Answer: Foreigners must be on an organized tour in order for a Tibet Travel Permit to be issued, which is usually done about ten days prior to arrival in Tibet. Foreigners need to provide their travel agencies with copies of valid passports and visas and also some additional information, so their travel agencies can apply for the permits.