Tips for Filling out the Chinese Visa Form

Some of the questions in the Chinese Visa Application Form ( in Acrobat Format | in Word Format ) are self-explanatory, and are not elaborated on. Make sure to fill out the form legibly in its entirety. Before you work on the visa form, you need to affix one 2" x 2" color photo (passport style) to the area on the top right section of the form                         

For Question 1, leave it empty if you don't have a name in Chinese. However, if you are of Chinese Decent, you must write your name in Chinese characters, regardless of where you were born.

For Questions 2, list your maiden name (former name).

For Question 3, "surname" is your last name, and "given name" is your first name. Make sure the name on this form should be consistent with that on your passport. If you had a maiden name, list that as well. If your name has been amended in your passport, enter as it reads on the amendment.

For Question 4, check the appropriate box. 

For Question 5, you must enter the year of your birth, then the month, followed by the day you were born. This is the Chinese way of sequencing D.O.B.

For Question 6, if you were born in the US, just enter the city and state where you were born.  If you were born out side of the US, enter the city and country. 

For Question 7, it refers to the country you hold a passport from.  Do not list your ethnic background.  For example, if your were born in France or are of French decent but are now traveling on a US passport, you are an American, you should enter USA.

For Question 8, if you ever held citizenship of a country other than that of the passport you are now traveling with, list it here.  If you enter, China, Taiwan or Tibet, expect processing delays.

For Question 9, you need to mark the category of "ordinary".  

For Question 10, if you hold a US passport, the passport number is located on the top right-hand side of the profile page; information of expiration date and issuance authority is also on that page.

For Question 11, you need to list your current job as your profession, e.g. businessman, student, homemaker, college professor, graphic designer, etc. If you are retired, enter as such.  Note: Any occupation associated with the media (i.e.: Journalist, Publishing, Editor, Photographer, Film, etc) will result in processing delays and visa restrictions.   

For Question 12, enter your work telephone number, if applicable. List the name AND address of the organization where you are employed.  If you are not employed, enter N/A.

For Question 13, enter your full home address, including street address, city, state and zip code.  Then enter your full home phone number including your area code.

For Question 14 through 16, make sure to state your purpose of trip to China, e.g. business, travel, lecture, etc.; list a few cities to visit in China; for the inviting party in China, list his or her name, address and phone number. Also, if you list Tibet or any city in Tibet, you will need additional support to get the visa.

For Question 17, the intended date of entry is the date you will arrive in China. Make sure that you should have sufficient time for obtaining a Chinese visa before you travel to China. Enter the year, month and then date you expect to enter China.  This only need be an estimate as the visas are not date specific. 

For Question 18, most people check single-entry visa, which is valid for three months starting from the date of issuance. Reminder:  there are no multiple entry tourist visas.

For Question 19, you may give a realistic number if you know the duration of your trip to China. All the visas allow you to stay in China for up to 30 days.

For Question 22, if you have someone go with you, please list his or her name, date of birth, and relationship to you. In addition, he or she also needs to fill out a separate visa application form.