In recent years, The People’s Republic of China has expanded into one of the biggest tourist locations because of the bevy of attractions and affordable prices. China continues to grow as the number one country which Americans carry out business with, and since China has some well-liked sight-seeing areas, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Sacred Road and the province of Hong Kong, people flock here. Affordable tourist packages and popular places continue to keep China as the number one country to go to. Travelers and businessmen seeking to visit China will first need to acquire a passport as well as a Chinese visa to enter the country.

Visa Application

Applying for a visa is relatively straightforward for China; flyers will simply complete an application and submit it to the Visa Office of the Embassy or Consulate-General. Applicants can do one of two things: turn in the paperwork themselves or agree to have a trusted travel agent submit the documents on their behalf to either office. It should be noted that anyone attempting to apply via mail will have his or her request rejected, as only applications submitted in person are allowed. On the Internet, you can locate a trusted travel agent who specializes in submitting paperwork, arranging appointments with tour guides, and ordering flight information. Most travel agents can also reply to questions regarding US passports to make the application process less difficult for you.

Visa Fees

All the visas issued by the People’s Republic of China will cost about the same, with the only major differences being that most will vary in price depending on how many visas are purchased (single or group). As of 2011, a single, double and multi-entrance for an American national will be $140, while a group visa will cost about $120. The sort of visa you applied for and number of entrances will decide the period in which a visa is valid; for instance, single, double and multi-entrances are good for 3-6 months or 1-2 years.

Visa Pickup 

China visas, as with a passport, must be procured in person or you may give permission to a travel agent to retrieve the documents for you on the scheduled date. You can tell a travel agent or an authorized relative or friend to pick up your visa, but to do so, you must provide him or her with a receipt to allow officials to release the documents. Once you have gotten both your visa and passport, you can venture throughout most of China freely without any problem. Please note, if either your visa or passport become invalid during your stay, you could face arrest by Chinese police.