After you’ve successfully applied for a place in one of our programs, you’ll need to organize your visa for China. All visitors coming to China, whether they’re coming for a holiday, to work or to study, require a visa to enter and stay in the country. It is your responsibility to apply and pay for your Chinese Visa. Visa applications are made in your country of residence. Our programs include visa advice and assistance to help you apply for the right visa.

Our team is experienced in helping applicants apply for their visa, and we stay abreast of any new changes to the visa process so we can better support you. Our team can ensure you have the right documents to apply for a Chinese Visa in your country.

Types of Visas

The tourist visa, known as an L Visa, is generally easier and quicker to apply for, and have fewer requirements. Although this is not the recommended visa for more extended periods of study in China, this visa can be ideal for short-term students; it’s usually valid for 30 – 90 days and can be a single, double or multiple entry visa. Sometimes we recommend our applicants apply for this type of visa if:
  • The selected program is less than 90 days
  • You are a late applicant (if their program at GAC starts within two weeks after applying for a visa)
  • You haven’t had sufficient time to process the application and are therefore unable to get an F or X visa.
Tourist visas can be converted to student visas after arrival in China which may involve paying for a medical exam. (The approximate cost to convert a tourist visa is 960RMB).

The visa type you apply for will depend on what you are coming for, how long you’ll be here for and often, how long in advance you’ve applied.

If you’re a dual citizen, you’ll need to apply with the passport you intend traveling on and using as identification for university application in China. Although our team is unable to guarantee your visa application, as the consulate and other factors determine this, we can help you decide which visa to apply for and what the best way is to apply.

Visa Application Help

Once you have been accepted into our programs and have completed your payments, our team will assist you throughout the visa application process. We advise you to contact your closest Chinese Embassy or Consulate to inquire about their Visa application process.

You’ll need to supply us with a copy of the passport you’ll be using to travel to China so that we can issue documents with the correct name and Passport number on them.

We will first issue you with a letter of invitation along with other supporting documents as required for the relevant visa. You’ll need to submit original documents to the embassy or consulate for your visa application.

Download and complete the Visa Application Forms form your nearest Chinese Visa Office, Consulate or Embassy’s website. We can help you fill in the form and ensure it is correct before you submit it.

Confirm whether you need to book an appointment for submission as you’ll need to submit your documents in person (if necessary, you can entrust someone else (without a Power of Attorney) to act on your behalf.