China tourist visa cost and processing time for US applicants
Budget for the consular fee, your selected CEV services and shipping separately. For timing, distinguish the visa office’s processing window from the full period between placing an order and getting your passport back.
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Build your total-cost estimate
The official fee below is for US citizens, verified October 1, 2026. CEV service prices are in USD per applicant and depend on the services selected; shipping and optional services are separate. This table lists the components of a budget, not a fixed all-inclusive quote.
Cost component
Consular visa fee — US citizen, regular service
- Amount or basis
- USD 140
- What to include
- The Embassy’s reduced rate applies through December 31, 2026, for single, double and multiple entries; check the official fee notice again before applying after that date.
Cost component
Consular express surcharge
- Amount or basis
- USD 25 per visa, if approved
- What to include
- Add to the regular consular fee only when the consular office approves express processing for urgent travel.
Cost component
CEV drop-off only · standard consular processing
- Amount or basis
- USD 39.00
- What to include
- Choose this if you need only the selected document drop-off service.
Cost component
CEV pick-up only · standard consular processing
- Amount or basis
- USD 39.00
- What to include
- Choose this if you need only the selected passport pick-up service.
Cost component
CEV drop-off and pick-up · standard consular processing
- Amount or basis
- USD 78.00
- What to include
- Choose this combination instead of adding all three CEV rows together.
Cost component
Courier / shipping
- Amount or basis
- Depends on the option chosen; shown before payment
- What to include
- Include the shipping legs needed for your order and check the selected service’s inclusions.
Cost component
Optional application support
- Amount or basis
- Shown for your selection before payment
- What to include
- Include any form review or photo processing you select.
Cost component
Your total
- Amount or basis
- Consular fee + approved express surcharge, if any + selected CEV services + shipping + optional support
- What to include
- Check the final selection and total before payment; do not add mutually exclusive service options.
With standard consular processing, Drop-off is USD 39.00, Pick-up is USD 39.00, and both are USD 78.00 per applicant. With express consular processing, Drop-off is USD 49.00, Pick-up is USD 49.00, and both are USD 98.00 per applicant. VIP prices are unchanged. Consular express processing is not a CEV completion-time promise. Prices are in USD per applicant. Carrier postage, official fees and optional services are separate. Confirm the current selection and total before checkout.
For help checking what is included, see our Service fees and total cost guide and passport courier service details. CEV is an independent service provider, not an embassy, consulate or government-affiliated service. CEV fees are separate from consular fees.
Official processing time starts with passport submission
Service
Regular
- Embassy’s published reference time
- 4 business days
- Conditions
- Counted from passport submission at the visa office, not from the online application or your CEV order.
Service
Express
- Embassy’s published reference time
- 3 business days
- Conditions
- For urgent travel with supporting evidence and consular approval; an additional consular fee applies.
These are the Chinese Embassy’s published averages, verified October 1, 2026, and are for reference only. Some applications take longer, and the visa office may be unable to confirm a pick-up date until it notifies you. Online preliminary review is an additional stage with no verified fixed duration. Check your responsible consular office’s current options; do not assume urgent service is available on demand.
Our historical median: 16.5 days from order to completion
In servicein L-visa orders from March 2024 to September 2026, the median was 16.5 days across 433 orders (n = 433). The interval runs from order placed to order marked complete, including customer shipping and return. This is an order-to-completion measure from those orders, not consular processing time, a current service estimate or a promised delivery date.
The median describes the midpoint of those recorded order durations. Your application preparation, shipping choices, online review and consular handling can differ from those historical orders; do not use 16.5 days as a deadline to work toward.
Plan backwards from your departure date
- Start with the date you need your passport back, allowing room before departure to check your documents.
- Allow for return shipping, consular processing, delivery to the service provider and the consular handoff. Include office closures and weekends in your planning.
- Add time before passport submission for document preparation, online preliminary review and any requested corrections or additional documents.
- If the schedule is tight, confirm the available options for your case before choosing a service. CEV cannot promise issuance or a completion date, and the historical median is not a guarantee.
Official references
Follow the current instructions of the Embassy or Consulate handling your application. These references do not confirm CEV service availability or an order-specific receiving address.