just got my china tourist visa, here's how it went (2026)

VisaMaster

thought I'd share my recent experience applying for the Chinese L visa since things changed a bit this year.

I applied at the NYC consulate. First thing you need is a valid passport with at least 6 months left on it. Then fill out the online form - that took me about 30 mins, pretty straightforward. You'll need a recent photo, white background. I just used a CVS photo and it was fine.

For documents, I prepared my flight booking (round trip, I used a refundable one just in case), hotel reservations for the whole stay, and my bank statement showing around $1500. They didn't ask for the bank statement actually but better to have it.

The visa fee was $140 for US citizens, and I got it back in 4 business days. They have express service for like $70 more but I wasn't in a rush.

Pro tip - apply at least 3 weeks before your trip. I saw someone get turned away because they only had 10 days left.

One thing I didn't know - they now give 10 year multiple entry to US passport holders automatically I think? That's what I got. Pretty sweet.

anyone else applied recently? curious if your experience was similar.