Can travelers apply for a China visa without flight tickets or hotel reservations? With all the new changes in the China visa application process post-Covid, it is now required that applicants present a verified flight ticket and hotel reservation. It seems ridiculous to purchase a ticket before you’ve been approved to travel to a country, but that’s how it works. Here’s what you need to know – and how to get around this odd policy.
Here’s the bottom line: Unless you have an invitation letter for a China visa (usually for business travelers), there are rules you need to follow.
This includes the Chinese regulation that requires showing a return flight ticket and confirmed hotel reservation for your China visa application.
My Recommendation
The process to apply for a China visa post-pandemic is confusing and continues to change every month. In order to ensure that everything gets done properly and within a reasonable amount of time, I always recommend you use a reputable visa service like Passport Visas Express.
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China Visa Itinerary w/o Flight or Hotel Reservations
As with any country, there are laws and regulations in China that just don’t make sense.
This is one of them.
The fact that the China visa application process requires an itinerary with confirmed flights and hotels is a bit antiquated.
- What if you want cross a land border from Vietnam into China?
- What if you plan on taking the Trans-Siberian train into or out of China?
- What if you plan on camping in China or sleeping somewhere other than a hotel?
These are all valid questions and represent a number of reasons why this China visa itinerary policy is ridiculous.
But ridiculous or not, you still have to abide by the rules of China if you want to visit China.
The short answer to this question is that in order to apply for a China visa, many travelers have no choice but to purchase refundable flights and hotel tickets. Once you’ve applied for your China visa, you get a refund on your reservations.
You might have a few more questions, which I’ll try to answer below.
FAQ: China Visa Itinerary Requirements
Below are the most commonly asked questions in regards to needing flight and hotel reservations in order to apply for a Chinese visa. I also recommend you read my complete guide to getting a Chinese visa.
As I said above, the primary way to satisfy the Chinese visa regulations and maintain a flexible itinerary is to book a refundable flight ticket and hotel.
Will I get in trouble for not following my submitted itinerary?
No. Once you have your Chinese visa, you have the freedom to go wherever you want within the country (except to those few places that are restricted in China).
To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a single modern traveler to China that has been asked about their China visa itinerary.
Even if you refund your hotel reservations and go elsewhere, police won’t be following you around asking what you’re doing.
How to I book a refundable flight for my China visa itinerary application?
Airlines such as Delta, United, and American offer refundable tickets that you can cancel after using them for your China visa itinerary. However, refundable fares tend to be much more expensive than non-refundable tickets.
If you require a flexible travel itinerary for your trip to China and choose to buy a refundable ticket, be sure to review the terms and conditions with your preferred airline to get up to speed on how refunds are issued and how long they take to process.
To purchase a refundable ticket, visit your preferred airline’s website and select ‘refundable ticket’ when entering your itinerary under the advanced search.
Bonus: Want to know how I get the cheapest China flights? Click here to read my 5-step process to find cheap China flights.
Can I book refundable flight tickets on a third party website?
In most cases, it is probably best to purchase a refundable ticket directly with the airline.
The reason for this is that although I highly recommend comparing pricing on sites like Kayak (international) or Trip.com (domestic), getting a refund issued through these third-party websites usually requires more effort and takes more time.
It’s also worth noting that you probably shouldn’t try to book a refundable flight using your rewards points.
Be sure to inquire with the airline on whether tickets purchased with points can be refunded. Each airline miles program has different terms and conditions.
Usually, an airline will not allow you to refund your points unless a certain circumstance prevents you from flying (e.g. inclement weather, Covid, etc.). They may allow you to modify the itinerary.
How can I book a refundable hotel room?
When booking hotels, I would apply the same principles as above. Book directly with a hotel and not a third party as hotels may charge penalties even though websites like Expedia advertise no cancellation fees.
If you’re looking for the best pricing and don’t care about refunds, in my experience China-based Trip.com offers the best rates on China hotels.
Be sure to also review the timelines of cancellation for hotels and how soon after making a reservation that you can cancel without any penalties.
Finally, it’s worth noting that an Airbnb or other home-stay option might not be accepted as a “hotel reservation” for the purposes of a China visa application. You can read more about using Airbnb in China here.
How much does it cost to change the date of your flight?
If you do not want to purchase a refundable ticket, you can also book a round-trip ticket and pay the fee to change the date of your return flight if you need to down the road.
Change fees for international flights vary across airlines and can range up even to $500 (although this has changed quite a bit since the start of the Covid pandemic).
Inquire with each airline that flies to your destination to determine how much you are liable for should you choose to change your flight. Here are a few of the major airline change fee pages:
- Delta Change Fees
- American Airlines Change Fees
- United Airlines Change Fees
- British Airways Change Fees
To avoid or minimize these fees, you can also look into purchasing travel insurance (read these 9 reasons why you need travel insurance for China).
Some of the more extensive plans allow you to cancel or change your trip for any reason, though you should thoroughly review every policy’s coverage and claims process before purchasing.
Is purchasing a one-way ticket cheaper than buying a round-trip ticket?
Travelers wishing to travel to other countries after visiting China or exiting the country by land may be more inclined to purchase a one-way ticket for more flexibility.
However, you still need to book a returning flight to your home country to satisfy the Chinese visa requirements. Additionally, one-way tickets can cost as much or even more than round trip fares.
In most cases, it is cheaper to purchase a round trip ticket and pay the change fee should you want to save that flight for another time. Most airlines offer credit for another flight that can be used with the same airline within one year from the date of cancellation.
Will I have to buy a round-trip ticket and book a hotel even after I have my tourist visa?
If your visa to China is still valid or if you have a 10-year Chinese visa, you do not need to book a round trip ticket or hotel.
In fact, you don’t even need to worry about your China visa at all since it should still be valid! There’s no requirement to “register” your next visit on a valid visa.
The only thing you’ll need to do is make sure your passport has 6 months of validity and everything else should be smooth as you go through customs.
Final Thoughts on China’s Visa Itinerary Policy
After booking a flight and a hotel you will be ready to submit your paperwork for your Chinese tourist visa. If you live near the Chinese consulate, you can submit your paperwork in person.
RELATED: How to Apply for a China Visa as a US Citizen
If you do not live near a consulate or if you but want professional visa assistance, I recommend using a visa service like Passport Visas Express (get 10% off when you use the code TCC10). These services help you know what paperwork to prepare and will submit it on your behalf.
Unfortunately not
Well, it is possible…but you need an invitation letter.
Hello ,i am indian and i got china business visa for 15 days,
1. can i stay the whole 15 days in china??
2. The china invitee is giving me an apartment to stay.so how to show the proof to immigration officer in china that i am gonna stay at that client apartment ,and it wont create any problem in the exit and entry point??
Great…congrats, Gupta! Yes, you can stay the whole 15 days (but not a day longer!) and you won’t need to provide proof of the apartment if you already have the visa. You might be asked for the address, but that’s all.
Thank you so much summer for the information.
Hi Summers, I have got an traveling fellowship in china. For that i have got inVitation letter, Round trip aIr ticket and hotel bookiNg. My wife also wants to accompany me. For that i have booked air tickets. Do i need separate hotel booking for her for visa purpose??
No, you can use the same hotel booking that you used for your visa application.
Hello
I have a tourist visa valid for 3 months for china and it allows a single entry. Can i book a single ticket? Will there be any issues boarding the flight with a single ticket instead of a round trip ticket?
If you already have the visa, it won’t matter at all. Enjoy the trip!
i am saudi national holding a business visa for one year, it is necessary to cary a return ticket or not.
If you already have your visa, you don’t need to worry about a return ticket. They won’t ask for it.
Hello!
Ive learned so much alrea just reading your site. ThaNk you! I have a question though. My FAMILY and i will be traveling into beijing then going to hong kong, vietnam, and ThAiland. Then back to beijing for our flight home. What is the best visa to apply for as we will be entering twice?
Anything to be concerend about as the second entry will be from thailanD rather than the us?
Thanks!
Hey Shannon! So glad to hear it’s been helpful. You want to apply for a multi-entry tourist visa (preferably the 10-year visa if available). If it’s multi-entry, it doesn’t matter when or from where you enter. I’ve come from Thailand many times and it’s never been a problem.
Hi josh!
I am interested in obtaining a 10yr chinese visa but I found a great and cheap non-stOp itinerary from home (lax) to honG kong. My plan is to cross into MaiNland china tWice (first at shenzhEn, then back to hong kOng, and Then from Macau again into zhuhai). I will book hotels at both shenzhen and zhuhai. Do you think that i will have any issues in getting the 10yr chinese visa if my flight iTinerary is a round trip ticket from lax to hong kong instead of flying direCTly into and from mainland china?
No, although it’s possible that you might have to book “dummy flights” that are refundable just for the sake of your visa application. You’ll want to go through a China visa service and ask them what they think.
Am planning to travel China soon
Great! I hope it goes well, Dominic.
Thanks for the post. I have 3 questions about visas.
1) I booked 2 SEPARATE one way tickets (outbound was points and return was cash), I also have a 2 day layover in tokyo on the way back. Is it going to be an issue when I apply for a vise since I don’t have a round trip ticket, although i do have a ticket to get me back to my home country?
2) on my hotel reservation I was not able to add my wife’s name to the reservation. is that going to be an issue? will she need her own “dummy” reservation? the hotel sent me a SEPARATE confirmation with her name on it, but that one omits me. SHould I try making two totally SEPARATE reservations so there are no questions?
3) Is my wife able to apply for the visas in person without me, if i already signed the application?
Thanks so much.
RT ticket isn’t the issue…you just need to show proof of departure, which you have. So you’re fine there.
If the last name is the same, it should be fine. If you’re applying for a visa together, that’s even better.
Nobody has to be there in person to drop off a signed application. You could even have a visa service do it for you (for a fee, obviously).
we are going to china for 30 days. we have round trip flights. do we need to show hotel bookings for all 30 days? we plan to arrive in shanghai stay a week or so then make arrangements to visit other places once inside china.
In many cases, yes – they require proof of residence for the duration of your stay. If that’s the case, it works to just book a single, refundable hotel for the entire time. It’s stupid, but that’s what a stupid regulation requires.
Thanks for all the great info! My son will be traveling to Shanghai to visit our daughter who is doing a semester abroad. He’ll be staying with her in her student apartment. I’ve read that you can use a letter instead of a hotel reservation to satisfy the proof of accomodations for the visa application. Can our daughter write a letter? Or do I have to book a dummy reservation at a hotel? If so, I feel for the poor hotels dealing with all these reservations and cancellations!
Yes, you can. But she going to need to not only send you a letter of invitation (that includes your full name and passport number) but also send along a scan of her passport front page and visa.
Hi Josh, great resource. My plan was/is to enter via Shenzhen from HOng kong by train. I have a hotel booked in Shenzhen and in the places I plan to visit for 30 days. My ticket out is booked so here is the problem: I don’t have any round trip ticket just a single flight out. Will I still get be able to get a visa from Hong Kong? Thanks.
great article and looks like you have a lot of knowledge on visas, maybe you can help me.
i am planning to go to china, land in beijing travel across china and finish yangshuo, then onto hong kong and finALLY LEAVING TO INDIA.
i HAVE RECORDS of all of this and my flight and train bookings ect… however as it is not back to my home country will this be a problem???
It doesn’t matter where you’re flying to as long as you have record of departing China.
Hi Josh,
Im Russ from Canada.
So if I want a china visa so i can travel overland , from hong kong to hanoi , i have to have a plane ticket from Nanning to hanoi, (as this would be the last city in china i would be in, because i would actually travel by train from nanning to hanoi). Also i would need to book a hotel in hanoi to satisFy the visa req. also? It Seems really a hassle just to be able to take a train from hong kong to hanoi over a day or two right?
My sole purpose is to fly Canada to hong kong, overland from hong kong to hanoi one way and just carry on after hanoi.
Any help is appreciated!
Russ
Hi Josh
Thanks for great info.
I am travelling with a tour and got my 10 year visa using
Itinerary provided by tour co. I have my visa in my passport
Now. But mY itinerary has now chanGed (hotels, flights, airline, departure
City). Will this be a problem? Will they crossreference application to what is now happening? I am getting nervous.
Thank you
Jim
Once you have your visa in hand, it doesn’t matter how you change your itinerary. It’s all up to you and where you want to go!
Hi Josh,
If i apply for a 10 year tourist visa and for example im granted 30 or 60 days. Would i just leave every 30 or 60 days and go to Hong kong for example and can return right away for another 30 or 60 days since its a 10 year visa ?
Yes, that is correct. 30-60 days is the amount of time that you can spend in country all at once. You can leave to do a “visa run” and reset that calendar clock.
Hello Josh!
I plan on entering china from hanoi via land. However, I will be flying out from beijing!
Would i have to book a flight to china as well for the visa?
or can i just show my train ticket from hekou (china border) to kunming (china) and my flight ticket out of beijing?
Love your blog btw!
cheers
Hi Shreyas, you can try to apply for the visa using your train ticket, but for some odd reason, they usually only accept flight tickets for an itinerary.
Hi Josh
Really helpful, thanks so much. I have an international plane ticket into China, but probably have to purchase a refundable single out, as itinerary is through Tibet and flying out of Nepal. Any comments appreciated on:
a) Whether it’s best (as I’ve read) to keep that part of my itinerary out of the visa application process, and therefore go with plan above
and b) Since refundable flights back to Europe seem extremely expensive, whether you have any views on ‘flight reservations for visa’ type companies, which for a fee say they book you refundable flight itinerary to use in your application.
Many thanks!
Hey Emily, I’m not sure how you could keep the Tibet part out of your itinerary, since you’ll have to be using a tour agency to enter Tibet anyway. As for these companies you’re referencing, I’ve never used them before so I’m not 100% sure!
I am finding the whole process of getting a visa very frustrating and expensive. my husband and i are traveling by cruise ship to china and have four stops along the coast – dalian, beijing, qingdao, shanghai. regarding the invitation letter or proof of travel; won’t the confirmation from our travel agency showing the ship, dates of travel and port stops be enough? Also, we are retired and have been for nearly 15 years, does the letter of employment apply to us? last question: is it really required to show the last 60 months of travel? thank you for your help.
Yes, that should work for you. Also, listing that you are retired on the application is perfectly acceptable.
I’m not aware of the 60 months of travel requirement…I’ve never had to do that before!
I have a tour booked. Is that enough to apply for the visa? They won’t give us our flight info until a month before we leave.
Can german citizens get a 10 year visa?
If you’re going through a tour agency, they can supply you with an invitation letter. Because you have this letter, you won’t need to present flight and hotel reservations to get a tourist visa.
Hi Josh,
ThAnks for your tips!
A question for you though: We’re planning to arrive in Beijing via the trans Siberian train, and then will spend a nonth or so visiting China, to finally leave by bus from Kunming to Vientiane.
So we won’t have any outbound flight to apply for a visa. Do we need to book cheap/refundable flights to get a visa, or would the trans Siberian inbound ticket be sufficient? Thanks!
You might have to, unfortunately. You can ask a visa service what they think (I suggest Passport Visas Express). They might know for sure.
so I am planning to stay for about 3 months, i know i will have to do re-entry, but I am wondering if they will accept an exiting flight 3 months after my arrival? if the stay duration is a max of 60, it seems like the exit flight should be within 60 days. also, can I buy a ticket, save the confirmation, cancel it immediately, and then apply with this cancelled ticket? Because refundable flights cost like $4,000
Hi Josh, thanks so much for your post it’s very helpful! I just have a question regarding student visas.
So next week I’m going to be applying for a Chinese student Visa and just saw that I need flight confirmations. I’m going to be applying in Hong Kong and then was planning on taking a high speed train to and explore the country by rail before my program starts in Beijing. I wasnt planning on buying a plane ticket since I dont have a strict plan for China. Does flying into Hong Kong count as China for Visa applications or do I absolutely need to BUy a plane ticket to China? I have an invitation letter from the university I’ll be studying at as well as other confirmation materials. Thanks!
If you have an invitation letter from the university, you shouldn’t need to show proof of flights. If they ask you for it for some reason, you might just have to buy a refundable plane ticket 🙁
I paid for my return flights and have to pick ip my visa next wednesday. If i cancelled my Outbound flights from beijing, would my visa still go through and be There ready foR me next wednesday. DO THEY check your flights once you have been through the visa applic and paid?
To my knowledge, they do not.
Hi josh,
I am so sorry if this comes through in all caps, idk why my phone Keyboard is acting up.
Thank you for all the valuable information. I am traveling to china in october with a chinese CItizen (she is currently here in the us on a student visa). If she writes a letter Of invitation, then in the itinerary section of the application, do i have to put her (parents’) home address? We aren’t plAnning to vIsit her hometown, but rather to tour other cities. We have flights but Haven’t yet booked HOtels.
There has to be an address that proves the author of this invitation letter has residence in China.
Also, the consulate website says something about bringing any prior chinese visas (it wasn’t clear WHETHER that applies), and the applIcation asks for the issue daTe of them. I went to China back in 2008 and my old single-entry tourist visa is in my oLd expired passport, which i can’t find. Do you know If i’ll need it? I know what month i traveled, but not the exact dates or the issue date Of the old visa. I’m from the US.
I’ve never had to do that before. I would assume (although I can’t guarantee) that if it’s in an old passport, you don’t need to bring it.
I have my Chinese visa (tourist) but have decided not to visit Hong Kong due to the political unrest. I will not be entering China via hong kong as described in visa application but rather from Japan. The entry and exit dates have not changed. I am leaving china via a cruise ship that has been documented on the chinese visa. Hope this does not create a problem.
It does not. Once you have your Chinese visa, it grants you the right to enter or exit from any legal point of entry. You don’t have to follow your itinerary.
Hi Josh
someone I know is a Pakistani passport holder living in the uK. they’re going on a group tour to china and are having a difficult time sorting out what they need for the visa application. they’ve been told various things, including that they need a certificate of no criminal convictions. can you clarify anything please?
I’m sorry, but I can’t. There are too many different rules and regulations for each country and I can’t be an expert on each. To be fair, I had to prove no criminal convictions as a US citizen for one of my China visas.
Hi Josh
My passport was recently renewed on 9/11/2019. Do I have to wait the 6 months period in order to apply for the visa or can i apply now for a trip on april 2020.
Hi Josh,
I had plans to visit my friend in Shenzhen China. I purchased roundtrip tickets to Hong Kong and she wrote a letter for me as an invitation to stay with her, as my hotel. I was granted a 10 yr visa. Due to the recent Hong Kong protest I cancelled my flight. I now plan to go in January for Chinese New Years. Will I have trouble getting through because I didnt arrive as stated on my visa application? Do I need to do anything? and is true that when I arrive to my friends apartment I have to “check in with local authorities?”
No, you shouldn’t. As long as you have a valid visa, it will not be checked against your original itinerary.
And yes, legally you’re supposed to check in with the local authorities if you’re staying at a home. But that isn’t always necessary, based upon the city and the local officials. Your friend will know.
Hi Josh,
Question for you. Do you think its possible to purchase a ticket and cancel immediately? Or should I wait for the visa application to process before I cancel the ticket? I’ll be applying at the CVASC but all the information I’m looking at does say I need to provide this kind of ticket, so not sure if I should, just in case, or not do it.
I don’t know, Glenn. I’ve never tried it personally, although I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
Hello, I have just a quick question. If I m willing to pay an agency to get my visa, do I still have to create an Itinerary and book the flights or an agency will have an invitation letter for me?
I would consider it the easiest way, but if you still have to provide to agency your itinerary and bookings then there is no advantage of using them.
Thanks for any answer
Miroslav
No, you still have to provide your flights and invitation letter for a visa agency (a travel agency is a different story…they should provide you with an invitation letter).
The advantage of a visa agency, at least for US citizens, is that you don’t have to physically travel to the nearest China consulate to drop off and pick up your passport. Visa agencies can’t issue you an invitation letter.
Hello, thank you very much for your post, very helpful. Do you think I can buy a train ticket to Honk Kong instead of outbound flight? I ask for a multiple entry visa and will need to leave China anyway after each 60 days stay
You can try, but they might require a flight reservation for the purpose of the visa.
Hi Josh,
Thanks for the info – just wondering if its possible to book a return flight sydney to hong kong for the purpose of the visa application, and still avoid the need for an invitation letter – or do i need to have ticket to/from china mainland? i will be visiting shenzhen while in hong kong but also want to have a multiple entry visa valid for a year so i can visit later.
You can give it a try, but my understanding is that it has to be a return ticket from mainland China.
Hi Josh,
Thanks for the detailed info. Quick question, would Hold a fare ticket works for the visa application?
Thanks in advance,
Danny
All you need is proof of a ticket, so usually that works.
Hi JosH! To clarify, you don’t need to present the hotel documents once you arrive to china?
Do I need to be afraid that if I cancell my hotel tickets before flying to china that once I am in shanghai airport they don’t let me in?