The majority of foreign citizens are required to obtain one of the China visas in order to visit the country, as there are only a few nationalities who are granted visa free entry for China for short stays. At the moment, travelers from countries who are not visa-exempt for China are obliged to apply for a visa in person from a Chinese embassy or consulate, with only a few exceptions, including for tour groups and airline crew from a few select countries. This is expected to change in the near future for select eligible nationalities when China introduces an electronic application form for visas. This will make it possible to apply for certain visa types for China exclusively online, eliminating the need to travel to an embassy or consulate in person.

As the launch date for the Chinese electronic is yet to be finalized, however, non visa-exempt citizens are still currently required to apply for one of the following visa types for China from an embassy or consulate.

Foreign nationals who wish to travel to China will need to follow a registration process to obtain their visa. The China Visa application form should be signed and every question must be answered. Applicants may select "none" if the question does not apply to their individual circumstances. Applications for the Chinese visa must be completed in block capital letters and handwritten changes will not be accepted. The signature on the China visa application must match the signature on the applicant's passport. People's Republic of China diplomatic missions require that each visa application is completed following strict guidelines. Supporting documents must be accurately and carefully prepared.

Generally speaking, if the applicant meets all the requirements, has all the necessary documents and holds a passport with at least six months validity and two blank pages it should take about four working days to get a Chinese visa. Some People's Republic of China Diplomatic Missions offer rush service, which speed up the processing time of a visa for China. Nonetheless, it is only available for cases of extreme urgency and depend on the approval of the Chinese Consular Office. Foreign nationals who wish to travel to Mainland China, whether it is for tourism, business, transit or other, are recommended to apply between two months to fifteen days before their departure. If the traveler applies with too much time in advance, they visa might expire before they can use it. When a visa for China is granted, the validity period of such visa begins from the moment it was approved.

The People's Republic of China has several types of visas in place. The visa a traveler needs depends on their citizenship, purpose of trip and the length of their stay. Currently, there are only some countries that are exempt from applying for a China visa to travel to Mainland China. However, the country does waive visas if the traveler meets specific requirements and is traveling to certain regions.

To apply for a Chinese visa, the traveler will need to complete an application form, attach a recently-taken color photo, submit the application and pay the respective fee. Tourist that are from non-visa exempt countries should apply for the Tourist (L) visa, issued to aliens who are traveling to Mainland China for tourism purposes only. Those who wish to carry out business in China will need to obtain the Business (M) China visa.

To successfully apply for a visa to China, the applicant will need to provide supporting documents and a valid passport. If applying for a Tourist (L) visa to China, the supporting documents refer to round-trip tickets, accommodation bookings, or an invitation letter from a travel agency in China. It is important to note that the China visa application requirements will vary depending on the type of visa the traveler is applying for.