Visa for China

[dundrillin]

I wish to go to China for a 17 day holiday, since I am a UK citizen I will require a visa. Is anyone experienced in getting one?

Thanks

[buksida]

I tried last year and found out I had to physically go to Bangkok to do biometrics and submit a bunch of paperwork in person just for a tourist visa, so gave up and went to Japan instead, it wasn't worth the aggro.

Things may have changed since, though, have a look here. https://bio.visaforchina.cn/BKK3_EN/ton ... 37952.html

[dundrillin]

I tried last year and found out I had to physically go to Bangkok to do biometrics and submit a bunch of paperwork in person just for a tourist visa, so gave up and went to Japan instead, it wasn't worth the aggro.

Things may have changed since, though, have a look here. https://bio.visaforchina.cn/BKK3_EN/ton ... 37952.html

Thanks for that

[Martinoo]

book through Bangkok travel agency. Little more expensive but less headache and no personal appearance at Embassy
Maybe HH travel agent can service same manner, call around

[pharvey]

book through Bangkok travel agency. Little more expensive but less headache and no personal appearance at Embassy
Maybe HH travel agent can service same manner, call around

Alternatively have a couple of days in Kowloon/HK and book through an agent there. Certainly not the cheapest option, but (should be) interesting.

[buksida]

Could be worth a little road trip, like the sound of "visa-free entry."

Foreigners flock to China's Shenzhen as visa-free entries surge 160%
Shenzhen, China's southern tech hub, has reported a swell of overseas visitors this year, an influx attributed to the country's expansion of visa-free entry and its integration of the Greater Bay Area, a region that incorporates Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau.

In addition to visitors from China's two special administrative regions, many travellers to Shenzhen have come from farther afield, with Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore ranking among the top sources of overseas tourists, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday.

The city's international airport has recorded over 152,000 visa-free entries by foreign nationals in 2025, a year-on-year surge of 160.3%. Total foreign passenger entries rose by 54.6% year-on-year to reach 531,000.

To keep pace with demand, a direct flight to Dubai from the city is scheduled to start in July, and multiple international routes were added this year to urban centres like Vientiane, Osaka, Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok and Hanoi.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/ge ... surge-160-

[Bamboo Grove]

Shenzhen is actually quite nice, although not much history there. It's only an hour's ferry ride from Macau so I've been there four times. Planning to go there again for a weekend on 24th. of May.

[kouxin]

I recently traveled to China and had an amazing experience! Getting the visa was straightforward—just make sure to apply early and have all your documents ready. I highly recommend using China Xian Tour for planning your trip. They helped me organize everything smoothly, especially in Xi’an where I visited the Terracotta Warriors and local markets. Their guides were friendly and knowledgeable, which made the trip even more memorable. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them if you’re planning your visit!

[buksida]

Does anyone have a list of the cities where UK passport holders (not eligible for the visa free entry) can go on the short transit visa?

The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that aren't: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ch ... r-AA1Ia6M3

China's visa-free boom picks up steam as entries soar in first half of 2025
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/ge ... lf-of-2025

[Bamboo Grove]

Does anyone have a list of the cities where UK passport holders (not eligible for the visa free entry) can go on the short transit visa?

This may be useful info for you.

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelg ... ree.htm#54