Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the China Online Visa Application(COVA) Form in Oct 2025

Important note: New China Visa online Application System officially launched by the Chinese Embassy in the United States on September 30, 2025. Applicants could enjoy more convenience using the system to fill out forms, upload materials for online pre- review and track the status of application.

To help applicants adapt to the new system, you may try our  Limited-Time Offer: All-Inclusive Service: $155 (was $195), Consular Fee: $140. This service cover all states in US.

This service suitable for applicants don’t have the time, or if you don’t want to deal with complicated paperwork, or have urgent time constraints, our All-Inclusive Service is designed for you— which is now available at a special promotional discount at $155. All you need to do is check out and fill in this brief form: https://visitchinavisa.com/brief-form/, You just need to mail us your passport, that’s it. You can stop here—there’s no need to keep reading this rather long China visa guide.

If you plan to complete the application form and upload the required documents by yourself, please Continue this Step by Step Chinese Application Filling Guide.

Filling out Chinese visa application with new online system correctly is crucial, as errors can lead to your application being rejected, Then you have to modify and supplement your application materials according to the Embassy or Consulate’s requirement and waiting for several days to been review again .

This guide provides the latest instructions for Oct 2025, specifically for those applying for a Chinese visa in the United States. Let’s get started:

1. Prepare required documents for new Chinese Visa Application System

Consulates no longer accept handwritten applications . You must now complete the new (COVA) Chinese Visa Application online , submit it, waiting for pre-review, get approve confirmation Message, then submit the passport in person or by agent.

Please note: The new system has limits for resubmit applications: each applicant can only submit two applications within a short period. If both applications are unsuccessful in the end, you must wait another 30 days before reapplying Therefore, please think over carefully before apply submitting to avoid delays caused by mistakes and the need to re-do the new application . If you use all inclusive service like Visit Chinese Visa Center, we will help for application and reduce risk of delay .

Passport : you will need 1, photo of information page; 2, two blank page with “visa” word on it.

Personal Photo ：Please take a personal photo using your phone. For specific requirements and how to create the white background, please refer to our Chinese visa photo guide

Invitation letter required for (M) business visa, (F)Academy and exchange visa, (Q2/Q1/S2/S1) Family visit Visa. No invitation letter required for (L) tourist visa.

Photo copy of Inviter’s ID for a family visit visa (Q2/Q1/S2/S1)

Work permit for (Z) Chinese work visa

JW 202 and Admission letter for X1 Chinese Student visa-long term;

DQ letter and Admission letter for X2 Chinese Student visa- short term

YES invitation letter for Chinese YES program visa

High end talent Confirmation letter for (R) High end talent visa

Diploma of renowned universities for (K ) Chinese STEM talent visa

Visa Notification Letter and Invitation letter and Employment letter for (J1/J2）Chinese Journalist Visa

PhotoCopy of Employee ID and Employer letter for (C) Chinese Crew Visa

Please use this link: https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ to fill out the new COVA Chinese visa application online.

2. Important Filling Notes

• Accuracy: All information must be true, accurate, and complete. Any false information may lead to visa denial or future entry issues.
• Consistency: The information on your application form must be consistent with all supporting documents you provide (e.g., passport, invitation letter, inviter’s ID information, etc.).
• Language: The form can be filled out in English, Chinese, or a mix of both.
• Blank Fields: If a question doesn’t apply to you, please fill in “N/A” (Not Applicable) and input a reason.
• Chinese visa application statement(Download): The application form must be personally signed by the applicant. Minors can have their parents or legal guardians sign on their behalf. Please refer to our Chinese Visa Application Form Signature Template.
• Photo: If you successfully upload your personal photo when filling out the application form, you do not need a physical photo. However, if the upload is unsuccessful, you will need to provide one physical photo. For details on the photo requirements, please refer to the our Chinese Visa Photo Guide.

3. Detailed Explanation of Important Sections

I. Signing up and logging into your account

Visit: http://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ (click to redirect). Click the [Sign In] button at the top-right corner of the page

If you already registered with China Consular before, you may logging in with your email account and password. If this is your first time using the system, please Click the “Register a new account” then use your email address to sign up.

Now that you have logged into the system, you can choose to view the application guide, start a new application, or check your application status. At this point, you will begin a new application—let’s select ‘Start My Application.

II, Start Your Chinese Visa Online Application

1，Select your Consular Jurisdiction

Be sure to select the consular Jurisdiction that corresponds to your place of residence. If you select wrong consulate, you have to restart a new application, For the latest consular Jurisdiction Adjustment, please refer to the our updated consular Jurisdiction guide.

Part One: Personal Information

On the Personal Information page you’ll first need to upload a personal photo and the passport information page.

• Photo: When uploading your photo, the system allows you to edit it using drag-and-drop and cropping tools and will automatically check if it meets the requirements. If your photo fails the check after multiple attempts, you can continue filling out the other sections of the application. However, remember to bring a standard ID photo when you submit your passport to the Consulate-office.
• Passport information page: New system use Optical Character Recognition Technology to automatically recognize and populate your Name, Birth Date, Passport number, Gender, Expiration date and other information, You only need upload passport’s bio-page, This greatly reducing the error rate compare with manual entry. However, due to factors like passport photo resolution, lighting, and glare, the system can still make mistakes—so be sure to carefully re-check the auto-filled information.

If you have ever held a nationality other than the United States, such as Chinese, you will need to provide the date of your naturalization, including the year and month

For rest of personal information:

• Former Names: If you have any officially used other name or former names, please fill it in here.
• Name in Native Language: For those born in China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan): fill in your Chinese name e.g., 张三. If you were not born in China, you can leave this section blank.
• Marital Status: For minors, please select Single.
• Gender: Currently, Chinese visa applications do not support “X” or other non-binary genders. Applicants with such designations may need to obtain a new passport before applying.
• Place of Birth: You need to fill in the country, state, and city of birth. Note: This is not your current place of residence.
• National ID Number: You can select “N/A” or enter your driver’s license number or passport number. Please do not fill in your SSN here.
• Have you “ever held other nationalities or resident statuses”? For those born in China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan): select “Yes”, then select China. Continue to fill in the required information.
• Passport Type: Select Ordinary.
• Place of Issue: It is recommended to fill in your state name plus USA, for example: Texas USA.
• Passport Expiration Date: Please ensure this matches the expiration date on your passport.

Part Two: Visa Type Application

Please select your visa type based on the purpose of your visit to China

• For L (Tourist) visa and M (Business) visa, please fill in 90 days, 120 months, multiple entries.
• For Q2/S2 (Family Visit) visa, please fill in 180 days, 120 months, multiple entries.
• For F (Exchange/Visit) visa, please fill in 90 days, 6 months, 2 entries.
• For Z (Work) visa and X1 (Study) visa, please fill in 365 days, 3 months, single entry.
• For other visa types, please fill in according to your actual needs.

Please note that whether to issue a visa, the type of visa, number of entries, validity and duration of each stay will be determined by consular officials. It may differ from those you filled in on the application.

Part Three: Work Experience

• Fill in at least 5 years of work experience.
• If you graduated less than 5 years ago, fill in your actual year of work experience.
• If you are retired, fill in the 5 years of work experience before retirement.
• Position and Responsibilities are also mandatory fields.

Part Four: Education Background

• Fill in your highest degree only. The name of the school and your major are required fields.

Part Five: Family Information

• Current Address: Your detailed address in the U.S., including street, city, state, and zip code.
• Contact Phone Number and Email: Mandatory required.
• Spouse, Parents, Children: Please fill in truthfully. If deceased, please check “N/A” and indicate “deceased.”

Part Six: Travel Information to China

• Currently, Chinese consulates no longer require flight and hotel information.
• Address of Stay: This can be a hotel address or a residential address. If it’s a Q2 family visit visa, it usually matches the inviter’s address.
• Inviter Information:
  • For L (Tourist) visa, this section can be left blank.
  • For Q1/Q2/S1/S2 (Family Visit) visas, please fill in the information of your Chinese inviter.
  • For M (Business) visa and F (Exchange/Visit) visa, please fill in the information of the Chinese inviting company or institution.
  • For Z (Work) visa, please fill in the information of your Chinese employer company.
  • For X (Study) visa, please fill in the information of the Chinese school or educational institution.
• Travel Expenses: If the applicant is a minor, please select “Other” and fill in the information of one of the parents.
• Companion Persons: For applications in the U.S., please be sure to select “No.”

Part Seven: Past Travel Information

• Countries visited in the last 12 months: This does not include the U.S. and China. Please fill in truthfully.
• Have you been to China before? If you are a Chinese citizen who naturalized in the U.S. and are applying for the first time, please select “Yes” here.

Part Eight: Declaration

III: Upload support Docuemnts

• Please take photos and upload the required documents as per system instructions (only image files are supported; PDF and other formats are not accepted). To expedite processing, make sure that all uploaded materials are complete, clearly visible, and evenly lit. Documents marked with red dashed borders are mandatory and must be uploaded.
• You will be asked to upload signed Visa Application Statement(Download) Please fill out and print out, then sign it and take photo then upload it .
  

Different types of visas require different invitation letter. For invitation letters from non-individual entities, they must include the inviter’s official seal, signature, and mobile phone number. The invitation letter template can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

After uploading materials, click [Next] to proceed to confirm your information. Here, you may review the submitted information and the uploaded materials. To make changes, click the [Modify] button at the upper-right corner of the page. Once confirmed, click [Submit the application form]. Please carefully review all the information, as submitted form cannot be modified until consular officials’ review.

After submission, your application will enter the online pre review status, where the consular officers y will conduct online review. You may check the progress by clicking the [Track the status of my application] on the homepage.

If the submitted application does not meet the requirements or need to upload additional materials, consular officer will reject it, and the application status will change to [Rejected and to be modified]. Please modify and supplement your application materials according to the Embassy or Consulate’s requirement to avoid delays in the review process due to failure to provide supplementary materials in a timely manner.

After the application pre review is approved, the status will display as “Passport to be submitted.” The applicant or agent should visit the Visa office of the Corresponding consular office to submit :1, passport, 2, a printed copy of the application information page with your name, the barcode and show the consulate message, Some applicants may ask to proved certain original documents requiring submitted on-site.

    Please note: Online review approval does not guarantee visa issuance. Consular officers may require an in-person interview with the applicant or request additional documentation. Besides, processing times may vary depending on individual circumstances, and some visa applications may require longer processing time.

We hope this guide helps you successfully complete your Chinese visa application, you can choose to submit it yourself to the consulate office in person. If everything goes smoothly, you’ll be able to pick up your visa in person after 4 business days.

Alternatively, you can entrust a reliable agency like Visit China Visa Center to handle it for you. To help applicants adapt to the new system, you may try our  Limited-Time Offer: For submission+ Pick up+ Mail back service for just $59, Consulate fee will be $140. We offer the service for all US States.

Q: It looks like there’s a lot of paperwork. I don’t have time to fill out the form—Is it possible Visit China Visa Center help with that?
A: Absolutely. If you choose our service, after place your order we will send you a brief form. All you need to do is fill out that short form. We’ll take care of the rest and quickly send you the completed application form for your signature.

Q:Do i need submit a paper photo?
A: No, as long as you successfully upload a digital photo when filling out the COVA application form, a paper photo is not required.

Q: Do I need to make an appointment?
A: Not for applications in the US. Starting from October 23, 2023, appointments are no longer needed for in-person Chinese visa applications in the U.S. You can simply walk in.

Q: How long does it take?
A: Standard processing: 4 business days. Expedited service (2–3 business days) available at additional cost.

Q: How much the visa fee for U.S. citizens?
A: Fees vary by nationality and type. For U.S. citizens, China visa fee costs $140.

Q: Can I get a 10-year visa?
A: Under the U.S.–China agreement, most Q2 (family), L (tourist), M (business), and R (talent) visas for U.S. citizens are issued for 10 years multiple-entry, each stay 90–180 days. Final approval is at the discretion of the consulate officer.

Q: Do I need an agency?
A: You can apply on your own. However, if you’re busy or unfamiliar with the process, a professional service like Visit China Visa Center can save time and avoid costly mistakes.

To See Why Other Applicants Choose Visit China Visa Center:

• Full Refund Guarantee – If your visa is not approved, you pay nothing.
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• Fast Turnaround – As quick as 3–5 business days.
• Professional Review – Avoid mistakes and delays.
• Step-by-Step Guidance – Clear instructions and support.
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• Secure Shipping – Trackable passport with Visa Shipping.

📞 Call: 202-202-2888
📧 Email: service@visitchinavisa.com

✨ Wishing you a smooth visa application and a wonderful trip to China!

📌 Important: If you don’t hear back from us within 24 hours after placing your order, please feel free to contact us at service@Chinavisanet.com or call 202-202-2888.