China Tourist Visa (L Visa): 2026 Requirements for Applicants in the U.S.
✓ Government information last checked: September 20, 2026
Going to mainland China for tourism? The L visa is China's tourist visa. You complete COVA online yourself. Once your status reaches "Passport to be submitted," eligible ChinaVisaMail customers can email us the approval screenshot, mail us the passport, and we handle the physical submission, pickup, and tracked return.
Quick Answer. The L visa is China's standard visa category for tourism and sightseeing in mainland China. U.S. citizens generally need a visa for ordinary tourism because the United States is not part of China's general 30-day unilateral visa-free program. Separate exceptions can apply in specific situations, including qualifying 240-hour visa-free transit and eligible Hainan regional travel — neither is general nationwide visa-free tourism for Americans.
For an ordinary L-visa application, you complete COVA online. After COVA shows "Passport to be submitted," a ChinaVisaMail customer emails one screenshot showing the applicant name, barcode, and that status, then mails the original passport and any case-specific originals requested. Customer printing of the COVA information page is optional because ChinaVisaMail can print it for physical submission.
ChinaVisaMail currently serves eligible applicants in 29 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico through the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. jurisdictions we serve. For one U.S.-citizen applicant, Standard service is $449 total and Express is $494 total — we do not add another $140 government visa fee on top. Our service estimate begins when we receive the passport: approximately 11–13 business days Standard or 8–11 business days Express. COVA preliminary review and your shipping time to ChinaVisaMail occur before ChinaVisaMail's service clock begins.
*For eligible applicants using ChinaVisaMail's mail-in service. Visa approval, category, validity, and duration of stay are determined by the consular officer — not guaranteed by ChinaVisaMail.
Before You Read Further
Is This L Visa Guide for Me?
✅ This page is probably relevant if:
You hold a foreign passport and are applying from within the United States
Your primary purpose is tourism or sightseeing
Mainland China is your actual destination, not just a layover
You will complete the official COVA application yourself
You live in a jurisdiction ChinaVisaMail currently serves
Chinese Embassy guidance allows applicants of other nationalities who are legally in the United States to apply through the same U.S.-based process. A few specifics on this page — the government visa fee amount and 10-year multiple-entry eligibility — are stated for U.S. citizens specifically, since those rules vary by nationality. If you hold a non-U.S. passport, your government fee and long-term-visa eligibility may differ; contact ChinaVisaMail to confirm your exact total before applying.
↪ Another path may be more appropriate if:
Your primary purpose is visiting qualifying Chinese family → Q2 may apply
You are conducting commercial/trade activity → M may apply
You are working in China → Z
You are studying in China → X
You are visiting a foreign family member working/studying in China → S2 may apply
You are only transiting China to a third country/region → check 240-hour transit eligibility
Your trip is limited to Hainan and fits that regional policy → check Hainan visa-free eligibility
30-Second Check
Why Are You Traveling?
Tourism / sightseeing→L visa
Primarily visiting qualifying Chinese family→Check Q2
Commercial / trade activity→Check M
Only transiting China en route to a third country/region→Check 240-hour transit
Working→Z
Studying→X
Choosing the Right Category
Do I Actually Need an L Visa?
Visa category depends on your real purpose for traveling — not which one sounds simplest.
Your Real Purpose
Likely Category / Path
Tourism / sightseeing
L
Visit Chinese-citizen or Chinese-permanent-resident family
Consider Q2
Commercial / trade activity
M
Visit foreign family member working/studying in China
Consider S2
Work
Z
Study
X
Qualifying transit to a third country/region
May qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit
Trip limited to Hainan, purpose and routing match the policy
May qualify for Hainan 30-day visa-free entry
Visa type depends on the true purpose and circumstances of the trip. The consular office makes the final determination.
2024 Simplification — Still Current in 2026
What Changed for China Tourist Visas in 2024?
Official visa rule
Starting January 1, 2024, tourist L-visa applicants applying within the United States are generally no longer routinely required to provide:
Round-trip airline booking
Hotel reservation
Travel itinerary
Invitation letter
Per the Chinese Embassy's own notice: applicants "will no longer be required to submit round-trip air ticket booking record, proof of hotel reservation, itinerary or invitation letter."
Applications are still reviewed case-by-case, and the Embassy or Consulate may request additional material when needed. This is not a guarantee that no supporting documents will ever be required.
Documents
What Documents Do I Need for an L Tourist Visa?
Split into two stages: what you handle online in COVA, and what happens after your status reaches "Passport to be submitted."
Stage A — In COVA
Official visa rule
What You Complete/Upload Online
Passport bio-page image
Blank visa-page image
Digital visa photo
Most recent Chinese visa/residence-permit information, if applicable
Proof of U.S. residence/address
Any other information or documents COVA prompts for your specific circumstances
Verify the current COVA screen for your exact case — required fields can vary by applicant.
Stage B — After "Passport to be Submitted"
ChinaVisaMail workflow
ChinaVisaMail's Workflow
Take one screenshot showing your name + barcode + "Passport to be submitted" on the same screen.
Email the screenshot to ChinaVisaMail. For our customers, this lets us match the passport to the approved COVA application before physical submission.
Mail your original passport plus only the case-specific originals ChinaVisaMail tells you are required.
Printing the COVA page yourself is optional.
ChinaVisaMail can print the application-information/barcode page and physically submit it with your passport.
Official visa rule
The government's own procedure requires the passport, a printed application-information page with barcode, and any case-specific originals to physically reach the handling mission once COVA status shows "Passport to be submitted" — that requirement applies regardless of who delivers them. ChinaVisaMail's screenshot-and-mail workflow is simply how ChinaVisaMail, as an agent its customers authorize, obtains the application information it needs and prepares that same physical submission on the customer's behalf. It does not replace the government's requirement, and it does not mean the customer must print anything themselves — printing the application-information page is optional for the customer because ChinaVisaMail can print it.
Division of Responsibility
What You Do vs. What ChinaVisaMail Does
You
ChinaVisaMail
Choose the correct visa purpose
Helps explain the process but does not determine government eligibility
Complete your own COVA account
Does not take ownership of your COVA account
Monitor COVA for corrections/status
Explains what to do once status reaches "Passport to be submitted"
Email the required screenshot
Reviews the submission package
Mail your passport
Physically submits eligible documents
Provide additional documents if requested
Handles pickup and tracked return
ChinaVisaMail is an independent document submission service. We cannot approve a visa, control COVA review time, or guarantee the validity, entries, or duration of stay issued by the consular officer.
Before You Apply
Could a Visa-Free Policy Apply Instead?
Official visa rule
240-Hour Visa-Free Transit
A qualifying U.S. traveler transiting mainland China on the way to a third country or region may be eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit. This applies specifically to genuine transit itineraries, not ordinary tourism.
U.S. → China → Japan may potentially qualify if all transit requirements — including an eligible entry/exit port and permitted area, confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, departure date, and other applicable conditions — are met. U.S. → China → U.S. is not a third-country transit itinerary and would not qualify.
Hainan Regional 30-Day Visa-Free Entry
The United States is one of 61 eligible countries whose ordinary-passport holders can currently enter through Hainan's open ports and stay up to 30 days for permitted purposes — tourism, business, visits, family visits, medical treatment, conferences, exhibitions, and sports. This exemption is limited to Hainan province; it does not permit onward travel into the rest of mainland China without a visa.
This applies only to Hainan province, not mainland China generally, and does not cover travel outside Hainan. Neither the 240-hour transit policy nor the Hainan policy is a substitute for an L visa simply to avoid applying for one — they have their own eligibility, routing, geographic, and stay-length requirements. Check current official sources before relying on either.
Tourism or Family Visit?
L Visa or Q2?
L
Q2
Main purpose
Tourism
Short-term family visit
Invitation
Not routinely required for ordinary L applications under current U.S. simplification
Invitation from qualifying family member is generally part of the application
Inviter documents
Not normally part of ordinary tourism
Relevant inviter identity/residence documents are normally required
Relationship evidence
Not normally relevant to ordinary tourism
May be requested depending on the case
Choose based on
True tourism purpose
True family-visit purpose
Choose the visa category that matches your real primary purpose — not merely the one that looks easier. The consular office makes the final determination.
Passport & Photo
Passport and Photo Rules
Official visa rule
Passport: Must have more than six months of remaining validity and the required blank visa pages for the handling mission.
Photo: Uploaded digitally in COVA. If COVA accepts your digital photo, a printed physical photo is normally not required. A physical photo is only needed if repeated COVA photo checks fail but COVA allows you to continue, or if the consulate specifically requests one. When a physical photo is required, the standard size is 33mm wide × 48mm high.
See our complete COVA photo guide for cropping and upload troubleshooting.
Visa Validity
Can U.S. Citizens Get a 10-Year China Tourist Visa?
Official visa rule
U.S. citizens may be eligible for a 10-year multiple-entry L visa. The Chinese Embassy's long-term-visa guidance states that the passport submitted for a 10-year visa should have at least one year of remaining validity. The consular officer determines the final visa validity, entries and permitted duration of each stay.
This is a separate, stricter condition from the ordinary China-visa minimum of more than six months' remaining validity described above — the six-month minimum applies to a standard visa application, while the at-least-one-year guidance applies specifically to a 10-year multiple-entry application.
How It Works
How Does ChinaVisaMail Handle an L Visa Application?
1
Confirm L FitsConfirm the L visa matches your real purpose.
2
Complete COVAYou complete COVA yourself — the account stays yours.
3
Wait for StatusNo fixed guaranteed preliminary-review time.
4
Email ScreenshotName + barcode + "Passport to be submitted."
5
Mail PassportPlus only case-specific originals we request.
6
We Handle the RestPhysical submission, pickup, tracked return.
Coverage
Which Chinese Visa Office Handles My L Visa?
The handling office depends on the applicant's U.S. residence/jurisdiction. ChinaVisaMail currently serves eligible applicants across 29 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico through the following jurisdictions.
Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
Washington D.C.
Texas, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Delaware, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico
This is not an exhaustive list of all Chinese consulate/embassy jurisdictions in the United States — other jurisdictions (for example Chicago and New York) exist but are not currently served by ChinaVisaMail.
How Much Does ChinaVisaMail Cost for an L Tourist Visa?
ChinaVisaMail workflow — U.S.-citizen pricing
Service
1 Applicant
2 Applicants
Standard
$449 TOTAL
$799 TOTAL
Express
$494 TOTAL
$849 TOTAL
One applicant: $449 Standard or $494 Express. Two applicants: $799 Standard or $849 Express. Those are the total ChinaVisaMail prices for U.S. citizens, and we do not add another $140 government visa fee afterward.
The applicable U.S.-citizen government visa fee is already built into the total shown above. China's government visa fee varies by applicant nationality, so if you hold a non-U.S. passport, contact ChinaVisaMail to confirm your exact total before applying.
3 or more applicants? Family/group pricing is shown after you choose the applicant count on the Apply page.
Timing
How Long Does an L Visa Take with ChinaVisaMail?
ChinaVisaMail workflow
Standard: approximately 11–13 business days after ChinaVisaMail receives your passport. Express: approximately 8–11 business days after ChinaVisaMail receives your passport.
Shipping your passport to ChinaVisaMail occurs before that clock starts. COVA preliminary review is also separate and does not have an officially published guaranteed duration.
These are estimates, not guarantees.
How Early Can I Start COVA?
Official visa rule
COVA accepts the application when the applicant's intended China entry date falls within the currently permitted 90-day window. This 90-day COVA application window is a separate concept from visa validity and from ChinaVisaMail's service timeline above — don't confuse the three.
If your intended entry date is within COVA's currently permitted application window, don't wait until the last minute merely because your trip is still several weeks away. COVA review, correction requests, passport shipping, holidays, and case-specific document requests can all add time. If you're eligible to start, starting earlier creates buffer.
Avoid Delays
Avoid These Common L-Visa Delays
✕Using a visa category that does not match the real purpose of the trip
✕Mailing the passport before COVA reaches "Passport to be submitted"
✕A screenshot that doesn't show name, barcode, and status together on one screen
✕Assuming COVA preliminary review has a guaranteed number of days
✕Using an incorrect photo format or specification
✕Ignoring a COVA correction request
✕Forgetting prior Chinese visa or passport information when COVA asks for it
✕Waiting until immediately before departure to begin
Once your COVA status changes to "Passport to be submitted," see our dedicated guide for exactly what that status means, what it does not mean, and what to email and mail next. (For the SF Consulate's screen-by-screen COVA walkthrough specifically, see the COVA Form Guide — the status itself and the screenshot/mail workflow above apply the same way whether your jurisdiction is SF, LA, or DC.)
The consular officer's final decision authority over category, validity, entries, and stay
ChinaVisaMail workflow
$449 / $494 / $799 / $849 pricing
The screenshot-email workflow
Which states/jurisdictions we currently serve
The 11–13 / 8–11 business-day estimated service timeline
The tracked pickup and return process
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The L visa is China's tourist visa, issued to travelers visiting mainland China primarily for sightseeing, leisure, or general tourism. It is not the default category for every kind of trip — an applicant visiting qualifying Chinese family, conducting business, working, or studying should generally consider a different visa category matching that real purpose.
Usually, yes, for ordinary tourism to mainland China. The United States is not part of China's general 30-day unilateral visa-free program. Separate, narrower visa-free policies can apply in specific situations, including qualifying 240-hour transit and Hainan's regional 30-day visa-free entry policy — these are not general nationwide visa-free tourism for Americans and have their own eligibility, routing, and geographic conditions.
Starting January 1, 2024, tourist L-visa applicants applying within the United States are generally no longer routinely required to provide a round-trip airline booking, hotel reservation, or itinerary. Applications are still reviewed case-by-case, and the Embassy or Consulate may request additional material when needed.
An invitation letter is generally no longer routinely required for ordinary L tourist visa applications under the 2024 simplification. It may still be relevant for other visa categories, such as a Q2 family visit visa, or if the reviewing office requests one for an individual case.
Choose the visa category that matches your real primary purpose. If your trip is primarily tourism, the L visa is generally appropriate. If your trip is primarily to visit qualifying Chinese-citizen or Chinese-permanent-resident family, a Q2 family visit visa may be more appropriate. The consular office makes the final determination.
U.S. citizens may be eligible for a 10-year multiple-entry L visa. The Chinese Embassy's long-term-visa guidance states that the passport submitted for a 10-year visa should have at least one year of remaining validity. The consular officer determines the final visa validity, entries and permitted duration of each stay.
You complete the COVA application yourself online. For routine eligible cases using ChinaVisaMail, you generally do not need to travel to the consulate or embassy yourself — ChinaVisaMail can handle the physical passport submission, pickup, and tracked return as an agent you authorize. The handling mission may still request additional documents or an interview in an individual case.
"Passport to be submitted" is the COVA status shown after your online application has passed preliminary review and is ready for the physical passport and application-information page to be submitted to the handling consulate or embassy. Do not mail your passport before your COVA status reaches this stage.
Take one screenshot clearly showing your name, application barcode, and "Passport to be submitted" status on the same screen, and email it to ChinaVisaMail. Printing the COVA page yourself is optional — ChinaVisaMail can print the application-information page for physical submission. Then mail your original passport plus any case-specific originals ChinaVisaMail tells you are required.
Standard service is $449 total for one applicant ($799 total for two). Express service is $494 total for one applicant ($849 total for two). These are U.S.-citizen total ChinaVisaMail prices — the applicable government visa fee is already built in, so there is no separate government fee added later. Non-U.S. passport holders should contact ChinaVisaMail to confirm their exact total, since the government fee varies by nationality.
Once ChinaVisaMail receives your passport, Standard service is approximately 11–13 business days and Express is approximately 8–11 business days. Your shipping time to ChinaVisaMail is separate. COVA preliminary review time is not officially published and can vary by case.
COVA accepts an application when the applicant's intended China entry date falls within the currently permitted 90-day window before that date. This 90-day application window is separate from visa validity and separate from ChinaVisaMail's service timeline — don't confuse the three.
A qualifying U.S. traveler who is only transiting mainland China on the way to a third country or region — not visiting China as the destination — may be eligible for China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy. This is not the same as ordinary visa-free tourism, and travelers should check current official transit requirements before relying on it.
Ordinary-passport holders from 61 eligible countries, including the United States, can currently enter Hainan province visa-free through Hainan's open ports and stay up to 30 days for permitted purposes such as tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, or conferences and exhibitions. This is a regional exemption limited to Hainan's administrative area, not general nationwide visa-free tourism, and it is not a substitute for an L visa if your trip continues into the rest of mainland China.
Yes. First-time applicants complete COVA the same way as renewal applicants. See ChinaVisaMail's first-time applicant guide for a full walkthrough of the online application and what to expect.
Applicants born in China, of Chinese descent, or who previously held Chinese nationality may face additional COVA prompts or documentation requirements. See ChinaVisaMail's dedicated guide for applicants born in China or of Chinese descent for details specific to that situation.
Supports: the January 1, 2024 removal of routine round-trip airfare booking, hotel reservation, itinerary, and invitation-letter documentation for U.S.-based L applicants, subject to case-by-case review. Checked September 20, 2026.
Supports: 10-year multiple-entry applications being accepted for L/M/Q2/S2 purposes, and the guidance that the passport submitted for a 10-year visa should have at least one year of remaining validity. Checked September 20, 2026.
Supports: that the applicable government visa fee for U.S. citizens is already built into ChinaVisaMail's U.S.-citizen pricing above, that express service carries an additional $25-per-visa government surcharge, and that non-U.S.-citizen government fees can differ by nationality. Checked September 20, 2026 — this notice, as published, states the reduced-fee period runs through December 31, 2025; we could not independently confirm a further extension through December 31, 2026, so please verify current fee status directly with the Embassy before relying on that later date.
Supports: the current national physical-submission procedure — passport, printed application-information/barcode page, and case-specific originals reaching the handling mission once COVA shows "Passport to be submitted." Checked September 20, 2026.
Supports: the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, dated August 20, 2026 — 57 eligible nationalities including the United States, 65 designated open ports, across 24 provincial-level areas, for transit to a third country or region. Checked September 20, 2026.
Supports: Hainan's regional visa-free entry policy, dated August 20, 2026 — 61 eligible countries including the United States, ordinary passports, entry/exit through Hainan's open ports, stays up to 30 days, limited to Hainan province. Checked September 20, 2026.
Supports: that the United States is not currently included in China's general 30-day unilateral visa-exemption list, dated February 17, 2026. Checked September 20, 2026.
Supports: the general minimum passport validity of more than six months for any China visa application. Checked September 20, 2026. This page does not state a separate government-mandated minimum specific to 10-year visa eligibility — see the note in the 10-Year Visa section above.
Government visa rules can change. We review this page against current Chinese Embassy, Consulate, and COVA guidance, but the handling mission makes the final decision on individual applications. ChinaVisaMail is an independent visa document submission service and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or officially designated by the Chinese government.
Ready to Get Started?
L Is the Visa for Tourism. We Handle the Passport Submission.
Complete COVA online yourself, wait for "Passport to be submitted," then email us the screenshot and mail your passport. For routine eligible cases within our service area, you generally do not need to travel to the consulate yourself — though the handling mission may still request additional documents or an interview in an individual case.