Travel Information
Visa and financial information for visitors to China
What visa should I apply for?
Most visitors to China will apply for a Tourist Visa, also known as an L Visa. Obtaining an L Visa allows you to stay in China for 90 days.
Where should I apply for a visa?
You can apply for a visa at your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate General.
How long before my planned trip should I apply for a visa?
We suggest you apply for your visa a month before your trip to China. If you apply for the visa too early, the visa may have expired before you can use it. If you apply for the visa too late, you may not have enough time to get the visa before you leave.
How long does it take to get a visa after my application?
If you have submitted all the necessary documents, it normally takes four workdays. This time frame varies from case to case.
How long before my planned trip should I apply for a visa?
We suggest you apply for your visa a month before your trip to China. If you apply for the visa too early, the visa may have expired before you can use it. If you apply for the visa too late, you may not have enough time to get the visa before you leave.
Getting a visa
For more info about China visa applications, please visit China Embassy official website: http://au.china-embassy.org/eng/lsfw_12/
144-hour Transit Visa Exemption for Foreign Nationals
There are 53 countries whose citizens can apply for 144-hour visa free status in certain Chinese cities. Travellers from these countries must hold valid international travel documents and air tickets to apply for 144-hour visa free status. Eligible destinations include Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Chengdu, Xi’an, Chongqing, Xiamen, Qingdao, Wuhan, Kunming, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
The 53 visa-free countries include:
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States
30-Day Visa-free Entry to Hainan
Citizens of 59 countries holding regular passports can travel to Hainan for tourism and enter Hainan Province through designated ports of entry without a visa. They are allowed to stay in the administrative region of Hainan for up to 30 days.
The 59 countries include:
Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus.
Tax refund upon departure from China
China has a departure tax-refund policy nationwide. Foreign visitors who have purchased RMB 500 worth or more taxrefundable items in a designated shop in a day and have not resided continuously in China for over 183 days may apply for tax refunds. The tax-refund percentage is 11% and the currency is RMB.
HOW TO PAY FOR THINGS IN CHINA
While it’s always a good idea to carry some cash on you (particularly if you’re travelling in some of the more remote areas), you will find that Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted in most top hotels and major cities. Furthermore, mobile payment is becoming increasingly dominant and quite advanced in China, led by its rapid adoption among younger people. The two most common mobile payment forms are Alipay and WeChat. Expect to see QR codes for mobile payment everywhere from taxis to street food stalls. It’s definitely worth setting up one of these accounts before your visit.
Here is an example of how to turn a physical card to a digital wallet with Bank of China & UnionPay International in Australia:
Bank of China has 14 locations across five states in Australia. The GWI Debit Card is a co-branded (UnionPay & EFTPOS) debit card that the customer can link to one or more Accounts. It also provides a convenient way to spend overseas where UnionPay sponsored cards are accepted, using money in the Linked Account/s. UnionPay QR Codes called 云闪付 can be used in most of the scenarios when cash or card is not acceptable.
Holding a Great Wall International Debit Card from Bank of China, along with the UnionPay apps, experience the seamless transactions while travelling in China.
