🇨🇳 China Embassy & Application Centre
Submission process, processing times, document requirements, and flight reservation guidance for China visa applications.
Where to apply
Issuing authority: Chinese Embassy
Embassy/consulate location: Pretoria
Application route: CVASC
Processing time: 4-10 business days
Government fee: US$140 (approximate, varies by visa type)
CVASC handles biometrics. Requires hotel bookings + day-by-day itinerary.
Submission checklist
Whether you submit at the Pretoria embassy directly, via CVASC, or online, the file you assemble follows a similar pattern:
- Passport with 6+ months validity — bio page copy and any prior visas.
- Completed application form — typed, signed, with recent passport-size photo attached.
- Flight reservation — verifiable PNR showing entry to China on a real airline route, with return/onward dates aligned to your stated visit length.
- Accommodation proof — hotel bookings, host invitation, or rental agreement for the full stay.
- Financial documents — bank statements for the last 3-6 months showing sufficient funds.
- Travel insurance — most embassies require coverage for the full duration.
- Day-by-day itinerary — what you plan to do, especially for tourist applications.
- Letter of employment or proof of ties — to demonstrate you'll return.
Flight reservation requirements specific to China
The Chinese Embassy requires every visa applicant to submit proof of onward and return travel. A flight reservation generated through an airline GDS (with a real PNR) is accepted. PDF "tickets" produced by free generators are routinely rejected because they cannot be verified.
For your China application, our recommendation:
- Use a 14-day validity reservation if your appointment is within 2 weeks.
- Choose carriers operating PEK arrivals: PEK, PVG, CAN.
- If the embassy explicitly accepts dummy tickets (most do not, but a reservation is different), have a real PNR ready.