Some frequently asked questions on how to prepare for your China trip.
-> Go to the official visa application website
1. All applicants are required to fill in the application form and submit materials online. We advise all travelers to submit their online visa applications at least 30 days before travel.
2. Once the applicant passes the online review and receives a confirmation email saying that their application review has been approved, they can go to their nearest Chinese Consulate to submit their physical documents.
3. Applicants coming to China for diplomatic and official purposes are still required to submit their documents at the nearest Chinese Consulate.
4. Applicants must submit their application materials at the Chinese Consulate within 30 days after passing the online review and receiving the “Visa Application Certificate.” The approval status will become invalid after 30 days.
5. Before submitting your passport and application materials to the Chinese Consulate, please confirm that your application status says “Review Completed.” The confirmation email should have been sent to your registered email address. Bring your passport and a printed copy of the “Visa Application Certificate”to the Consulate visa center.
Visa processing typically takes around 4-5 days once the physical documents are submitted. First-time travelers to China are not eligible to apply for express or rush processing services.
If you want to access foreign social media and communication apps (Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.) while in China, then you must access them through a VPN. We recommend Mullvad VPN, VPN07, and WannaFlix as some good options.
All payments are done through either WeChat or Alipay, cash and credit cards are now very rarely used. We recommend that you download and set up both WeChat and Alipay before arriving in China. They should be available in your app store. Connect your phone number (the number you use normally at home, your non-Chinese phone number) and payment card to these apps. These will be your most-used apps in China.
Other than WeChat and Alipay, which are absolute essentials, AMap (map and navigation), Didi (ordering cars, Chinese equivalent of Uber), and Dianping (store ratings, Chinese equivalent of Yelp) are good apps to have to enjoy yourself in China.
For communication, Baidu Translate, or AI translation apps such as Deepseek, Yuanbao, Doubao are all good for translation. If you have an iPhone, Apple’s default translation app Translate is a good option as it works without a VPN.
Plug A, Plug C and plug I. The supply voltage is 220V and 50Hz.
| Chinese Public Holidays | Statutory Days | Exact Holiday Dates |
| New Year’s Day | 3 day | Jan 1st to Jan 3rd |
| Spring Festival | 9 days | Feb 15th to 23rd |
| Qingming Festival | 3 day | April 4th to 6th |
| Labor Day | 5 days | May 1st to May 5th |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 3 day | June 19th to 21st |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | 3 day | Sep 19th to 21st |
| National Day | 7 days | Oct 1st to Oct 7th |
The Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival follow the Chinese lunar calendar, so their dates differ a little every year.
