China online visa application timeline
** with the china holiday from May 1-5, 2026
Date of flight : May 18, 2026
May 4 - submitted documents online May 11 - received the online approval certificate via online May 12 - submitted all documents at the visa center
I arrived at the visa center around 8:30am and the queue number was already at 145. I opted for the vip pass because mama duties - needed to get back right away to pick up my kid. I was second in line for the vip queue.
I submitted the requirements and paid for the express service, which only takes one day to process. You can collect your visa next day afternoon.
This wasnt my first time applying for china visa so the only requirement i submitted was my old china visa.