China L visa for tourism: the documents in the consular instructions

2026-10-11

Explains which documents the consular instructions list for a Chinese L tourist visa, what an invitation letter must contain, and which provisions of the Regulations apply.

The L Visa section of the consular instructions lists two options: itinerary documents, such as round-trip air ticket booking records and hotel reservations, or an invitation letter issued by an entity or individual in China. Regulations, Article 7, item (6), says the applicant submits travel plans and itinerary and other material "as required".

In this article, "the consular instructions" means the Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China on the China Consular Services website. Each section is cited by its own heading.

The L visa class

The category table in the consular instructions describes the L class as "Issued to those who intend to go to China for tourism."

Regulations, Article 6, item (6), reads: "The L visa is issued to persons who come to China for travel; persons who come to China for group travel can be issued Group L visas;"

Basic documents

Section I, "Basic Documents," of the consular instructions reads:

"As required by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General in your locality, please fill in the visa application form online and submit the applicant's passport and photo, proof of legal stay or residence, and the previous Chinese passport or previous Chinese visa (for specific requirements, please refer to the 'Guidance on Visa Application' section of the China Online Visa Application System or the website of the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General in your locality), together with the following:"

The class documents for an L visa are set out in the L Visa section that follows.

The L Visa section

The L Visa section reads: "Itinerary documents such as round-trip air ticket booking records and hotel reservations, or an invitation letter issued by an entity or individual in China."

If the applicant uses an invitation letter, the L Visa section says the letter "must contain the following information":

Personal information of the invited: name, gender, date of birth, etc.;
Information about the invited person's itinerary: dates of arrival and departure, places to visit, etc.;
Information of the inviting entity or the inviting person: name of the inviting entity or name of the inviting person, phone number, address, official seal of the entity, signature of the legal representative or the inviting person, etc.

The L Visa section lists no bank statement and no insurance.

Article 7 of the Regulations

Regulations, Article 7, opens with this sentence: "A foreigner applying for a visa shall fill out the application form, and submit his or her passport or other international travel documents, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of application."

Regulations, Article 7, item (6), reads: "To apply for the L visa, the applicant shall, as required, submit travel plans and itinerary and other material; in the case of a group tour, the applicant shall also submit the letter of invitation provided by the travel agency;"

The last paragraph of Article 7 reads: "The visa authority may, in light of specific cases, require a foreigner to submit additional application material."

Important tips

Section III, "Important Tips," of the consular instructions contains four statements:

The invitation letter may be a fax, a photocopy or a printout, but the consular officers may require the applicant to provide the original one.
When necessary, the consular officers may require the applicant to provide other supporting documents or supplementary materials, or require the applicant to attend an interview.
The consular officials will decide whether to issue a visa and determine its validity, duration of stay and number of entries according to the applicant's specific circumstances.
For further details, please visit the website of the relevant Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General abroad.

Under the third statement, the consular officials make the decision on the visa. This article cannot say in advance how that decision will go.

Suggestion, not a rule: before you submit an invitation letter, check it against the three groups of information listed in the L Visa section.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by or affiliated with the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, any embassy, consulate or visa application service centre, is not legal or immigration advice, and the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case prevail if they differ.