China Visa for US Citizens: 10-Year Visa, COVA Steps, and 2026 Costs

Quick answer: US citizens need a visa for any standalone trip to mainland China; there is no tourist visa waiver for Americans. Most first-time applicants qualify for the reciprocal 10-year multiple-entry L visa, apply through the COVA online form, then submit the passport in person at one of five CVASC/consulate jurisdictions in the US.

China dropped visa-free entry for dozens of countries over the past two years, but the United States was never added to that list. If you're holding a US passport and planning anything beyond a same-day layover, you still need an approved visa in hand before you board.

Do US citizens need a visa for China at all

Yes, with one narrow exception. Standard tourism, business meetings, family visits, and study all require a visa obtained in advance. The only visa-free option is the 240-hour (10-day) transit rule: if you're flying through certain mainland airports on the way to a third country or region and can show an onward ticket, you can skip the visa for that layover. That rule does not cover a trip where China is the destination, and it doesn't help if you want to leave the transit city and explore for a week.

For everyone else, the practical path is the L visa, the tourist category, issued under a reciprocal arrangement between Washington and Beijing.

What the 10-year L visa gets you

Under the US-China visa reciprocity agreement, first-time tourist and short-term business applicants from the US are typically issued the maximum validity available: a 10-year, multiple-entry L visa. That sounds like a decade-long pass, but two limits matter more than the headline number:

Each stay is capped at 60 days per entry. The visa lets you enter as many times as you want over 10 years; it doesn't let you stay for months on end in one visit.
Validity can still be shortened at the consular officer's discretion. Most applicants get the full 10 years, but officers can issue shorter validity if something in the application looks incomplete or inconsistent.

For someone planning several separate trips to China over the next decade, the 10-year L visa removes the cost and hassle of reapplying every time. If you're comparing it to a single-entry or double-entry visa, the math usually favors the 10-year option unless you're certain this is a one-time trip and want the lowest possible upfront fee.

Traveler filling out an online visa application form on a laptop

Applying through COVA: what changed from the old paper process

The Chinese Embassy in the US switched to a new China Online Visa Application system, officially launched on September 30, 2025, replacing the older downloadable PDF form. Here's the actual sequence:

Create an account at cova.mfa.gov.cn. Set a password and save the application ID the system generates. You'll need both to log back in.
Fill in nine sections online: personal information, visa type, work information, education, family information, travel information, previous travel, other information, and a declaration. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
Upload supporting documents, including your passport bio-page and a blank visa page, scanned clearly.
Submit and wait for the status to change to "Passport to be submitted." This confirms the online portion passed preliminary review.
Bring your physical passport to a Visa Office in person, along with the printed application info-page (it carries a barcode tied to your online submission) and any originals the system flagged as required on-site.

COVA handles the paperwork and pre-review, but it is not a standalone e-visa. You still need to show up with your physical passport, which is the step people most often forget when they assume the online form is the entire process.

One document change worth knowing: since January 1, 2024, tourist (L) visa applicants inside the US no longer have to upload a round-trip flight booking, hotel reservation, itinerary, or invitation letter. Applications are still handled case by case, so keep flexible copies of a flight itinerary and hotel confirmation on hand in case an officer asks for them, but don't panic if you haven't booked non-refundable flights yet.

Where to submit your passport: five jurisdictions, not seven

Here's a correction worth making up front: guides that list seven US service centers, including a working consulate in Houston, are out of date. The Chinese Consulate General in Houston was permanently closed in July 2020, and its jurisdiction (Texas, Louisiana, and several Gulf South and Southeast states) was folded into the Washington DC embassy. That leaves five active jurisdictions, each with its own CVASC (Chinese Visa Application Service Center) where you submit your passport in person. You must apply through the CVASC assigned to your home state, not whichever one is closest to you.

Jurisdiction	States/territories covered	Notes
Washington, DC (Embassy)	DC, MD, VA, WV, NC, SC, KY, TN, DE, AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, OK, TX, Puerto Rico	Absorbed Houston's former caseload after the 2020 consulate closure
New York	NY, NJ, CT, PA, OH, MA, RI, ME, VT, NH	Busiest single center by volume
Chicago	IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI	Covers most of the Midwest
Los Angeles	Southern California, AZ, NM, CO, UT, HI, US Pacific islands	Confirm current county split for California on the consulate's own site
San Francisco	Northern California, NV, OR, WA, AK, ID, MT, WY	Covers the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West

Jurisdiction lines shift occasionally, and county-level splits inside California are the part most likely to change, so check the assigned consulate's own site against your ID or utility bill address before booking a visa center appointment.

Airport terminal in China with travelers arriving

Fees, documents, and the passport rules that catch people off guard

The consular fee for US citizens has sat at a discounted $140 for any single-entry, double-entry, or 10-year multiple-entry visa, a rate extended through the end of 2026 instead of the standard $185. On top of that, most CVASC locations charge their own service fee, typically in the $35 to $50 range, charged every time you submit an application rather than once for the life of the 10-year visa. Standard processing runs about four business days once your passport is accepted at the visa center; rush and express service is available at most locations for an added fee if you're working against a tight departure date.

Before you touch the COVA form, check your passport against these requirements, all enforced strictly:

Valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned arrival date in China
At least 2 completely blank visa pages (not just blank space at the bottom of a used page)
A regular 10-year tourist passport, not the 12-page emergency passport, which China does not accept for visa issuance
A recent 2x2 inch (48mm x 33mm) photo with a plain white background if you're submitting a paper photo rather than a digital upload

If your current passport contains an old Chinese visa that's still technically valid, bring the old passport along with the new one. Visa offices ask for it to confirm you haven't had a visa revoked or restricted.

Mistakes that get US applications delayed or rejected

Applying at the wrong CVASC. Long-time Texas, Louisiana, and Gulf South residents sometimes still try to route through Houston out of habit; that consulate has been closed for years, and the application gets bounced back.
Treating "10-year visa" as a green light to stay for months. Overstaying the 60-day limit on a single entry is an immigration violation, not a technicality, and it can affect future entry approval.
Uploading round-trip tickets and hotel bookings that don't exist yet. Some applicants over-prepare based on outdated guides; others panic because they can't provide non-refundable tickets. Since January 2024, standard L-visa applicants in the US don't need to upload any of that.
Assuming COVA replaces the in-person step entirely. The online form only gets you to "Passport to be submitted." Skipping the physical passport drop-off means no visa gets issued, no matter how complete the online application is.
Letting the passport slide under 6 months of validity or below 2 blank pages. This is checked before anything else, and it's an easy problem to avoid by renewing early if you're close to the line.
Forgetting the old passport with a still-valid Chinese visa. If you renewed your US passport since your last China trip, bring both passports to the visa office.

Which China visa situation applies to you

Tourism, either solo or as part of a longer itinerary: the L visa is what this guide covers, and it's the right category for the overwhelming majority of US leisure travelers.
Business meetings, trade shows, or short commercial visits: the M visa applies, and it needs an invitation or supporting documents from the Chinese business partner.
Academic exchanges, short study tours, or non-degree programs: the F visa is the relevant category, requiring an invitation from the hosting institution.
Full degree programs: X1 (over 180 days) or X2 (under 180 days) study visas apply instead of L or F.
Working in China: the Z visa, tied to a work permit issued by a Chinese employer.
Visiting family who work or study in China long-term: S1 (stays over 180 days) or S2 (180 days or less).
Visiting family who are Chinese citizens or permanent residents: Q1 or Q2, depending on stay length.
Just connecting through China to a third country: the 240-hour visa-free transit rule may apply instead of any visa, provided you meet the eligible-airport and onward-ticket conditions.

If you're not sure which bucket you fall into, the visa type selector inside COVA will prompt for the purpose of your trip before you fill in the rest of the form, so it's worth starting the online form early even if you haven't finalized your itinerary.

Before you submit

Confirm your CVASC jurisdiction by your legal state of residence, not your nearest major city.
Renew your passport now if it has less than 8 months of validity left by your travel date, giving yourself a buffer past the 6-month minimum.
Start the COVA form at least two to three weeks before you need the passport back, longer during peak spring and fall travel seasons.
Keep a flexible flight itinerary and hotel confirmation on hand even though they're no longer required uploads, in case an officer requests them.
Bring any previous passport with a still-valid Chinese visa to your in-person appointment.

FAQ

Do US citizens need a visa for China? Yes, for any trip beyond the 240-hour visa-free transit exception. There is no general tourist visa waiver for US passport holders.

How much does a China visa cost for US citizens in 2026? The consular fee is $140 for single-entry, double-entry, or the 10-year multiple-entry L visa, a discounted rate in effect through December 31, 2026. Add a separate CVASC service fee, usually $35 to $50, charged per application.

How long does it take to get a China visa as a US citizen? Standard processing is about four business days after your passport is accepted at the visa center, with rush and express options available for an extra fee at most locations. Start the COVA form two to three weeks ahead of when you need your passport back.

Can I stay in China the whole time on a 10-year visa? No. The 10-year validity means you can enter as many times as you want over 10 years, but each individual stay is capped at 60 days. You need to exit before that limit and can re-enter later on the same visa.

Do I still need to visit a visa center in person if I use COVA? Yes. COVA collects your information and documents online, but a physical passport has to be submitted at your jurisdiction's CVASC once your application status shows "Passport to be submitted." There is no fully remote e-visa option for US tourist applicants.