China Entry Requirements
Travel Documents U.S. Citizens Need to Enter and Exit China
CHINA ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
U.S. Passport Service Guide – www.us-passport-service-guide.com
A valid passport and China visa are required to enter and exit China and must be
obtained from Chinese Embassies and Consulates before traveling to China. You can
apply yourself or authorize a professional China visa expediter to submit your
application and obtain your visa faster.
Americans arriving without valid passports and the appropriate Chinese visa are not
permitted to enter and will be subject to a fine and immediate deportation at the
traveler's expense. Travelers should not rely on Chinese host organizations claiming to
be able to arrange a visa upon arrival. Chinese authorities have recently tightened
their visa issuance policy, in some cases requiring personal interviews of American
citizens. Although a bilateral United States-China agreement provides for issuance of
multiple-entry visas with validity of up to one year for tourists and business visitors,
Chinese consulates often limit visas to only one entry.
Visas are not required of aliens who hold air tickets to the final destination, have
booked seats on international airliners flying directly through China, and will stay in a
transit city for less than 24 hours without leaving the airport. Persons transiting China
on the way to and from Mongolia or North Korea or who plan to re-enter China from
the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions should be sure to obtain visas
allowing more than one entry. Permits are required to visit Tibet as well as many
remote areas not normally open to foreigners. A travel permit for Tibet can be
obtained through local travel agents. Permits cost approximately renminbi (RMB) 100,
are single-entry and valid for at most three months. Most areas in Tibet are not open
for foreigners except Lhasa City and part of Shan Nan. Foreigners can be fined up to
RMB 500, taken into custo