China announced that it is opening its border and resuming all types of visas for foreigners, starting 15 March 2023. However, not all visa-exemptions have resumed yet.
If this is your first time applying for visa to China, it may feel daunting, but fret not.
In this article, I hope to shed the light regarding China Visa application procedures for people residing in Singapore.
This article was originally written based on my own experience applying for Tourism Visa (L Visa) in March 2023. However, several things have changed, especially regarding appointment. So, I try my best to update this article to reflect the latest situation.
Before May 2023, you can queue early at Visa Center to apply for visa via walk-in route. However, from 8 May 2023, walk-in is no longer accepted. So, you need to secure an appointment; there are several ways to secure appointments, I’ll describe more in Step 4.
Does Singaporean need visa to enter China?
As of June 2023, in general, Singaporeans NEED to apply visa to enter China, because the visa-exemption policy was suspended in 2020 and has not been reinstated yet (source).
However, there are some exceptions for certain ports:
- HAINAN: If you’re visiting Hainan, you can do so without visa, BUT you have to engage a travel agent in Hainan to organize your trip and register to authority before your arrival (source).
- SHANGHAI: If you’re visiting Shanghai by cruise, you need not apply visa. Check with your cruise company for details.
- GUANGDONG: If you’re visiting Guangdong via Hong Kong or Macau, you can do so without visa, BUT you need to join organized tour group from HK/Macau Travel Agents.
- GUILIN in GUANGXI: Tourist groups from the ASEAN regional grouping can enter Guilin in Guangxi without a visa.
- If you’re visiting any of the 20 cities that implement 144-hr visa-free transit, you don’t need to apply visa as long as you fulfil all the following requirements:
- Your nationality/passport is from one of the 53 approved countries
- You visit and stay in that region for less than 144 hours (i.e. 6 days)
- You must hold an onward ticket to a different country (eg: Singapore -> Beijing -> Hong Kong, or Malaysia -> Shanghai -> Singapore)
Who needs visa to enter China?
You need to check with your own consulate/embassy or China Embassy in your country whether you need to apply visa to enter China.
Which China Visa should I apply?
There are many different kinds of China visas. For tourists intending to visit China for tourism, you should apply L Visa.
Here are all types visas for various purposes:
- L Visa: Tourism
- F Visa: Exchanges, visits, study tours or other relevant activities
- M Visa: Commercial trade activities
- Q1 & Q2 Visa: Family member or relative of Chinese citizen(s) or foreigner(s) with permanent residence status in China
- S1 & S2 Visa: Family member of foreigner(s) staying or residing in China or person who needs to come to China for personal matters
- Z Visa: Work
- X1 & X2 Visa: Study
- J1 & J2 Visa: Journalist
- C Visa: Crew member
- G Visa: Transit
- D Visa: Permanent residence
- R Visa: Foreigner of high talent or specialist
Can I apply visa to China on my own without an agent?
Yes, you definitely can apply visa to China on your own without an agent. It’s much cheaper to do it on your own. I paid less than S$200 application fee. But do note that the available individual appointments are more than 1 months out, if you can wait, that’s the best case scenario.
You can also engage an agent to apply on your behalf. Agents may be able to get you earlier appointment dates than individuals. However, you still need to go down to the visa application center to capture your fingerprints, on the submission day. During collection, the agent can collect on your behalf.
There are many travel agents who offer visa application service at People’s Park Complex. If you want to engage an agent, you should compare prices because the price varies A LOT between different agents. Some charge S$100 agent fee, some charge an insanely high amount of S$430 all-in.
Here’s the list of authorized travel agents.
Who can apply China Visa in Singapore?
Singapore citizens and Singapore residents with valid pass can apply for China Visa in Singapore. Visitors/tourists in Singapore should apply for a Chinese visa in their own country. (Source)
Where to go to apply China Visa in Singapore?
The China Visa application in Singapore is handled by Chinese Visa Application Service Center located at 80 Robinson Rd, #16-01/02 02A, Singapore 068898 (location).
It is NOT handled by the Embassy of China in Singapore.

How long does it take to process the Visa Application?
If you choose Normal, it takes 4 working days. If you choose Express, it takes 3 working days. If you need a visa urgently, choose Rush/Urgent which takes 2 working days. (Source)
Usually, the submission day counts as Day 1. For Normal service, you will collect on Day 4 (not calendar days, but working days). Eg: You submit on Friday (Day 1), you can collect on Wednesday (Day 4) provided there is no public holiday in between. If there is 1 public holiday in between, you just add 1 extra day.
How to Apply China Tourist Visa (L Visa) in Singapore
1. Book your flights and accommodation
Before applying for visa, you should book your flights and accommodation during the entire length of your stay.
If you’re staying in friend’s house, you’ll need to get the invitation letter from your friend. The invitation letter should contain:
- Information of the applicant: Name, gender, date of birth, passport number and etc.
- Details of planned visit: arrival & departure date, tourism destination, expenditure arrangement and etc.
- Information of inviter: Inviter’s name, contact number, address, inviter’s signature and etc.
Given the high demand of visa application in Singapore, I recommend that you book a trip that’s at least 2 months in advance, so that you’ll have ample time to get your visa sorted out.
2. Prepare the softcopy of the necessary documents
Before submitting your application, you should prepare the softcopy of the following documents:
- Colored passport-sized photo taken within the last 6 months. After uploading to the system, you can crop and re-position your photo according to the requirements (photo requirements here).
- Make sure your passport has at least 6 months of validity
- Details of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas
3. Submit Application Online
To submit your visa application online, head to Visa for China then choose the country you’re applying at. If you’re applying in Singapore, here’s the shortcut link to Visa for China (Singapore).
Under Quick Access, click on “Visa”. Once inside, scroll down and click on “New Application Form”


Fill out all the necessary fields. The entire process took me around 1 hour to complete.
I highly recommend that you copy your application number in your computer AND save your process frequently along the way, in case your browser gets buggy while you’re in the middle of application and you need to retrieve your form.
After completing your application, download your application form.
4. Make appointment
Method 1: Normal appointment
After completing the online submission in step 3 above, you will see a link to make appointment. Alternatively, you can also go to homepage, under Quick Access, click on “Visa”. Once inside, scroll down and click on “Appointment (Application)”

Key in your application number and particulars, and complete the captcha at the bottom of the page, then you will be able to see a calendar of available dates. Choose your preferred date and time. Then, download the appointment confirmation form.
If your trip is earlier than the available appointment dates, you’re doomed and you have to cancel your trip. Just kidding!! No worries, you can walk-in to the Visa Center without any appointment! This is what happened to me, the available appointment date that I got was 1 day after my departure, so I had to go via walk-in route.
As of Jun 2023, the available appointment for individual application is about 5 weeks out. If your flight departs in less than 5 weeks, you can’t apply via this route. Instead, you need to go via Method 2 or 3 below.
Method 2: Emergency appointment
As reported by Straits Times, from 8 May 2023, between 4pm to 6pm on each working day, the Visa Center will release 200 to 250 appointment numbers for emergency visa applications for the following day.
That means, if you need to do emergency visa via walk-in because you can’t get appointment, you no longer need to queue outside the Visa Center. Instead, you need to queue online between 4pm-6pm to get appointment number for emergency visa for the next day.
This method is difficult because it requires a lot of time, patience and luck. Reader Hui has shared about how he managed to get appointment slot using this method in the comment section.
To summarize, he did so by going to the appointment page (Homepage > Quick Access, > Visa > Appointment (Application)) between 4pm to 6pm, complete the captcha without filling the details (to save time).
If there’s no next-day slot, he keeps on refreshing every half minute until he sees a slot. When he sees a slot, he clicks on the timeslot, fills up his details and secures that appointment slot.
If you do not have the luxury of time and patience to hunt for these rare emergency slots, your last option would be method 3 below.
Method 3: Engage an Agent
If you can’t cancel your trip because your tickets are non-refundable, and you can’t secure a slot using the above 2 methods, my advice to you is to go through a travel agency. It looks like agencies have earlier available appointment date than individuals.
They may be expensive, you’ll probably end up paying S$100-200 agent fee on top of visa fee. But they’re worth every penny for people who needs to travel urgently and can’t cancel the trip. Here’s the list of authorized travel agents.
5. Print out the hardcopy of the necessary documents
Each person need to prepare the following hardcopy documents:
- A set of application form printed from your application
- Appointment confirmation (if any)
- Round-trip flight tickets
- Accommodation booking for the entire stay (if you’re staying in hotels)
- Invitation letter (if you’re staying in friend’s house)
- Photocopy of passport
- Photocopy of Singapore valid pass (if you’re not Singapore citizens), eg: SPR IC, Re-entry permit, WP, EP, STP, DP or SVP
- Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas
Even if you share accommodation with another person and you submit the visa together, each of you need to have a copy of the accommodation booking.
I didn’t submit the hard copy of my photo because I have uploaded the soft copy of my photo during online submission. They didn’t request for the hard copy photo when I submitted physical hard copy documents.
FYI, there’s a Photo Booth at Visa Center in case you need to take passport-sized photos.
6. Head to Visa Center
On your appointment day, head to Chinese Visa Application Service Center located at 80 Robinson Rd, #16-01/02 02A, Singapore 068898 (location).
For submission: operating hours are from 9am to 2pm, Monday to Friday (closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays).
For collection: operating hours are from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday (closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays).
Do note that the Visa Center observe BOTH Public Holidays in China AND Singapore. So, before heading down, do check the public holiday calendar for both countries.
Upon arriving at Visa Center, take the lift up to Level 16. At Level 16, take a queue number from the receptionist. Then, wait patiently for your number to be called.
(For me, I applied in late March 2023, just 2 weeks after China announced reopening and not many people were keen to visit China yet. That time, I applied via walk-in route (which is now no longer accepted). That time, the walk-in queue wasn’t insane at all, I arrived at the Visa Center at 10am, and was able to complete everything by 11.30am.)
Data Points from my readers:
– Reader Danny reported that he arrived at Visa Center at 8.30am and the officer issued him a paper that stated the 10.30am, and asked him to come back during the designated time slot. When he came back later, he was allowed to go up to Level 16 to take a queue number. This was in mid April 2023.
– Unnamed reader reported he/she couldn’t get a queue number despite started queueing from 6.30am, in late April 2023, on the day just before long weekend.
7. Head to counter to submit documents and take fingerprints
Once your number is called, head to the designated counter and submit your hardcopy documents. Your fingerprints will be taken at this stage. You’ll also be asked questions about your trip.
If you miss out any documents, the officer will ask you to print it out or get it photocopied from the in-house shop. The cost of printing is S$1/page, and the cost of photocopy is S$0.50/page.
After all documents are in order, you’ll be given a paper that states the your application number and the amount you need to pay.
8. Make payment by Cash or PayNow
Head to the payment counter and make payment using cash or PayNow. I paid around S$160 for walk-in submission without appointment.
After completing the payment, you will be given a paper that states the date of collection. Now, you can head home.
9. Collect your Visa and Passport
On the day of collection, bring the collection slip to the Visa Center and collect your passport and your shiny new visa. Congratulations!
Your next step is to plan for your trip to China! Read my guide on what to prepare before going to China.
PS: If you have any data points to share, please comment below and share your experience. It will greatly help people who are planning to get a China Visa in Singapore. Thank you!
Featured image: Depositphotos
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Kelvin Goh
Tuesday 6th of June 2023
I will be travelling to Hong Kong and then to Shenzhen via Hong Kong in Aug 2023.I am holding a Singapore passport while my friend is holding a Malaysia passport.Do we need to apply visa in Singapore or can we apply visa once we reach Hong Kong?If we apply visa in Hong Kong airport, how long will the whole process take and how much must we pay?
Eva
Tuesday 6th of June 2023
Hi Kelvin, sorry I am not familiar with Visa on Arrival (VOA).
James
Saturday 3rd of June 2023
Hi, I will be traveling for short holiday to China early next year, should I apply visa now? Will the 14days visa free reinstated within this year? Any news updates
Eva
Saturday 3rd of June 2023
Hi, once the visa is issued, it is only valid for 3 months. So you should apply visa within 3 months before your departure. No idea when the visa-free will be reinstated.
Rey
Thursday 1st of June 2023
Hi, I was able to book appointment for June 3, 2023. It's Saturday, I didnt know they are open saturday? I received the confirmation email too. Now I want to book my flight but im wondering if they are really open on saturday? I mean it allowed me to book so it should be good right?
Rey
Thursday 1st of June 2023
@Eva, Thank you for making me feel better Eva! I appreciatw your response. Your page is very very helpful. Take care!
Eva
Thursday 1st of June 2023
Yes, the Saturday slot is legit. They announced that they're extending working hours to accommodate high volume of visa application due to school holiday. You can see the announcement on Visa for China SGP homepage, then click "News"
Richard
Tuesday 30th of May 2023
Something that is not much covered by the press is that Singaporeans can travel to quite a few areas in Mainland China visa-free for 144 hours (6 days) if they are "transiting". That is to say that the originating country that one flies into Mainland China is different from the one departs to. HK and Taiwan qualifies as non-Mainland China destinations. For instance, flying from Singapore to Hangzhou and then to Malaysia HK or Taiwan/etc within 6 days qualifies. As long as it is not directly back to Singapore. On arrival in the port of entry, you have to show your return ticket to the other country within 6 days. You will be issued a Temporary Visa-Exempt Pass. Google "144 hour visa free China" for more details.
Eva
Tuesday 30th of May 2023
Hi Richard, you are right, the visa-free transit is not as popular, I guess most people usually fly out and come back via the same country, so the transit doesn't apply to them. But if they are willing to travel to multiple destinations, the 144hrs transit visa is really a lucrative option (they can save $100 to $200 visa fee, but they can't say in China for longer than 6 days). I will add this information to my article, thanks!
Hui
Tuesday 23rd of May 2023
Process summarised:
1) Fill up the form online.
2) Appointment slot. (Right now it is fully booked till a month from when you have filled the form. Ie. Fill up 23 May appointment date is 23 June onwards. No walk ins now except for “humanitarian reason”. For next day appointment, see notes below)
3) Visit during appointment day to take queue number, with everything listed online printed out. (Need to be in person unless it’s a kid or something as there’s fingerprint verification to do.) If all goes well, they will keep your passport and the documents.
4) Make payment (Yes on the day of visit, not collection day, the website is wrong. Only paynow or cash) and will be given another paper to collect your passport / visa (Standard: 3 working days; $96 double entry six month tourist visa).
5) Can collect on day itself with a queue again (Can be another person on your behalf, but bring the paper given)
Things to note:
- The 200-250 appointment slots released at 4pm - 6pm does not release exactly at 4pm. You need to refresh the page every half minute till you see it and when you do, book it immediately. Don’t bother filling in your details at the top every time you refresh. You refresh, do the captcha and repeat till you do see the slot. Click the slot and then fill in the details needed, so it will be confirmed. Read that some saw it at 4.15pm, I got it at around 4.30pm ish.
- Don’t bother trying to walk in early unless it’s some humanitarian reason. Saw people who walked in queue way before 8am all got turned away.
- Don’t bother calling the number if you have any questions, even after waiting and connecting tone it will be cut off.
- Print out / photocopy everything needed and listed, in full A4. On site printing is $1 per page and photocopy 50 cents per page. Cash only.
- Tourists will only be granted the single or double entry visa valid for 6 months from the day you visit the visa centre. If you are going because you have family / relative make sure you apply the S1 or S2 accordingly. Take note of differences such as make sure you have letter supporting you will stay with the family member instead of hotel proof. Prepare copy of birth certs too to show relation if siblings, etc.
Eva
Tuesday 23rd of May 2023
Hi Hui, thank you so much, this is so useful!!