How to get a 10 year visa for China

You read correctly ! It is possible to obtain a multiple entry visa for China valid for 10 years!

Only a few countries, including Canada, have this recent opportunity. The 10-year period is conditional on the passport's expiration date, so it is a theoretical maximum period of 10 years. But it is also a visa with as many entries as desired and a duration of 60 days each. No minimum exit period is necessary between each of these entries.

Obtaining from Canada

It is possible to obtain a Chinese visa from other countries in the world. But the 10-year visa must be requested from the country of origin. In any case, it is generally advantageous to apply for your visa before leaving, even for a long period of time, since the rules can change without notice within the various foreign embassies.

For tourism, it is necessary to apply for a visa of category L (see other categories here). The cost is around $ 110 plus consulate fees (total of around $ 140-150).

The Chinese authorities are also asking for more information and evidence during this request. Notably :

• proof of entry and exit by air (plane tickets),

• a travel itinerary, and

• hotel reservations for the duration of the stay.

For each of these items, I explain how it is possible to get by without having to pay.

Shanghai, the modern.

Airline tickets

This proof is only required for the first entry. If your trip is already planned and you plan to arrive by plane anyway, then it's not too complicated. But if you plan to enter by train, boat or bicycle, you will still be asked for this proof.

The trick is to show a ticket reservation rather than a real purchase. It is common practice for travel agencies to issue a reservation to the customer before confirming and paying for the purchase. The paper shows flight numbers, times and airports. But this is an estimate and not a real ticket. It costs nothing for an agency to produce this document. How much will you charge for this (or the lack of it) will likely be based on your relationship with the agent.

With some airlines it is also possible to buy tickets and get a full refund without penalty within a short time. To my knowledge, this is not an option with Canadian companies, but it is sometimes possible with European companies like Virgin or British Airways.

Showing tickets or booking tickets to get your visa does not mean that you then have to enter the country in this way. Once the visa has been obtained, all means of entry are good. Even if you plan to enter the country by plane, this method can be practical since you will not end up with expensive unnecessary tickets in the rare event that your visa is refused.

Village in the many Chinese mountains where rice is grown.

Itinerary and hotels

Along with airline tickets, it is also necessary to submit a travel itinerary and hotel reservations. Here also only for the duration of a first stay. In the absence of a real itinerary already planned, any typical itinerary will do.

During my own request, I therefore chose three cities somewhat at random in Google Maps and then I booked hotels for a few days in each of these cities. Booking.com, Hotels.com, or any other online booking site will work. Please make sure that you can then cancel free of charge.

It is not necessary to prove the mode of transport to get from one place to another. If necessary, say that you will take the train.

China is a (very) big country to cross by bicycle.

Finally, for the passport photo needed for the application, please make sure you have the correct size requested by the Chinese consulate (probably 48 x 33 mm).

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Other links

• More details on the other visa categories here.

• More information on the visa here (in English on the iVisa website).

• Even more information on the visa here.

I furthermore have a affiliate link with iVisa.com. If you use their services to obtain a visa, no matter the country, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. They unfortunately do not offer the 10 year visa although they do offer other options for China.

Feel free to add your own tips and advice in the comments!