China Visa on Arrival
China eases the Port Visa application to offer more convenience to foreigners who urgently seek to visit China for non-diplomatic or nonofficial purposes, such as business activities, private affairs, family unions, or exchanges and visits. Foreigners who are unable to obtain a visa beforehand in time now can apply for a port visa on arrival with an invitation letter or other supportive documents.Foreigners normally need to obtain a visa for a trip to China before departure, while in certain cases they are likely to get a China visa on arrival at entry ports. The validity counts from the day following your entry and only one entry is allowed. Once you exit from China, the VOA expires.
Below are two cases where you can apply for China visa on arrival:
Visa on Arrival at Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, and Hainan for Tourists
| Visa on Arrival | Valid for | Eligible Ports | Areas Allowed to Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Shenzhen | 5 days | Luohu (Lo Wu), Huanggang, Shekou and Fuyong ports, Shenzhen Airport | Shenzhen |
| In Zhuhai | 3 days | Gongbei, Hengqin and Jiuzhou ports | Zhuhai |
| In Xiamen | 5 days | Xiamen Airport | Xiamen |
| In Hainan | 30 days | Haikou Airport, Sanya Airport, cruise ports in Haikou and Sanya | Mainland China |
Note:
In comparison with others, Hainan enjoys more privileges for issuing a VOA besides the Hainan 30-Day Visa-Free Access. The landing visa you get in Hainan can last as long as 30 days. You can use it to visit other cities in mainland China and exit from all ports open to foreigners. In addition, the VOA is also available for international cruise ship travelers who disembark in Haikou or Sanya.
Who is eligible?
Passport holders of most countries can easily get a VOA, such as the US, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and Spain.
Some may apply for it by showing passports with proof that they have been issued a Chinese visa before by embassies and consulates. It is helpful but some may still be rejected.
Countries not eligible include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, India, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Sudan, Turkey, and Yemen.
How to apply?
When you get to the VOA office at the border, just complete the application form, take a photo and pay the fee. The visa will be issued within 5 to 10 minutes. You may need to wait longer if the room is busy.
In Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Xiamen, what you need for the application is just a valid passport, while if you apply for the Hainan visa on arrival, return ticket and hotel bookings are required as well.
What's the cost for China visa on arrival?
It costs CNY 275 for applicants of most countries, but UK nationals have to pay CNY 834 and US 1,234 based on a reciprocal basis. Only CNY in the cashless form is accepted for payment and dollars are not accepted.
Tips
1. There are nearly 10 ports linking Shenzhen with Hong Kong, while tourists can only get the Shenzhen VOA from Luohu, Huanggang, Fuyong, Shekou, and the airport. Please be cautious when travelling to Shenzhen from Hong Kong to find the right port.
2. Upon arriving at the Gongbei immigration building in Zhuhai, you can find the office by passing all the duty free shops; it is behind a green door on the right hand side of the immigration building. Currency can be changed at the China Tourist Services Office back downstairs in the immigration hall.
Visa on Arrival for Travelers in Emergencies
Aliens may, under circumstances where they must necessarily rush to China but have no time for an application, apply for a visa on arrival at entry ports as authorized by the Ministry of Public Security.
This always requires an invitation from an accredited Chinese organization which explains the emergency, mostly related to business purposes that from the Chinese perspective it is important that you be admitted without delay, or that you are in a life-and-death situation. Warning: Not all applicants are guaranteed to obtain a landing visa, thus it's advised to get a visa in advance if time permits. See details on how to apply for a China visa. 
Further Reading:
China Visa-free Policy
How to Travel to China without a Visa
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0ReplyReply00ReplyReplyI plan to travel with my family next year 2025 to zhuhai and shenzhen. I will bring my family of four with two small children. two parents and 3years and 5months old. Is visa on arrival ok for all of us even the baby with fresh new passport?
00ReplyI would suggest you one far better way to visit Zhuhai, Shenzhen and even the rest of Guangdong province - visa free, based on 144 hour visa free transit. You just have to adapt slightly your travel plan and create the following itinerary:
Hong Kong - Guangdong province - Macau
or
Macau - Guangdong province - Hong Kong
You can exit from Hong Kong toward mainland China by ferry to Shekou port (in Shenzhen) or to Nansha port (south from Guangzhou). From Macau, you can exit to Shekou port.
To exit China, you will have to take a ferry to Hong Kong or Macau or a train to Hong Kong, but your exit region has to be different from the region you have used to enter China. Also, you will have to book your exit ticket in advance, even before you exit Hong Kong or Macau because it will be a proof of your transit intention. This ticket has to be printed and you have to have it at hand, ready to be presented to relevant authorities. In the end, you will have to take exactly that ferry or train you have bought your ticket for.
Reply00ReplyJaneth, this is possible, but only if your situation is of urgent nature or to be precise, if you realistically do not have enough time to accomplish normal process of obtaining a tourist or business visa. Here is the segment from the official explanation of the possibility of obtaining a visa on arrival that is in China called port visa:
"China's port visas are similar to the "visas on arrival" of some other countries. The term refers to a "way" or "method" to apply for visas, rather than a specific type of visa like a "business visa" or "tourist visa". Regardless of the names, every country sets corresponding application conditions and processing procedures according to its laws for foreign nationals to apply for visas in this way.
According to the relevant Chinese laws and regulations, foreign nationals holding ordinary passports, who have urgent needs to enter China but do not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates abroad, can apply for port visas for entry. Foreign nationals applying for port visas can submit applications in advance to the port visa authorities by themselves or through inviting parties, or apply on site upon arrival at ports in China.
00ReplyTo facilitate the applications, avoiding situations where applicants are unable to obtain approval for entry due to legal reasons such as being legally ineligible for visa issuance or entry upon arrival at ports, which may affect travel arrangements and increase economic and time costs, it is recommended that foreign nationals submit their applications in advance to the port visa authorities in the intended destinations, obtain preliminary approval from the port visa authorities, and then go to the corresponding ports for applying for visas. For foreign tourist groups applying for port visas, the Chinese travel agencies responsible for the reception should apply for them in advance at the port visa authorities.
As of now, port visa services have been provided at 99 ports in 72 cities nationwide with a large number of international flights and a high volume of foreign nationals entering China. (For the details of the major port visa authorities in China and their contact information, please visit the official website of the National Immigration Administration.).
If you have sufficient time to accomplish usual visa issuing procedure, you should definitely opt for that, usual solution.
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