A passport is an official travel document issued by a government of a country. It is used to confirm the holder’s identity and nationality and allows them to travel freely in foreign countries and return to their home country. A passport usually contains information such as the holder’s photo, name, date of birth, gender, nationality, issuance date, and expiration date. In international travel, a passport is one of the essential identity proofs. The borders and customs of various countries usually check the passports of travelers when they enter or exit.
1，How to obtain a passport
- Confirm the passport type: Apply for an ordinary passport, a service passport, or a diplomatic passport according to your needs. For most personal travels, an ordinary passport is sufficient.
- Prepare necessary materials:
- Identity proof: ID card or other legal identity documents.
- Household register: Some countries may require household registration information.
- Photo: A photo that meets passport specifications (generally required to be a frontal photo on a white background).
- Birth certificate or birth registration form (if it is a first-time application, especially for minors).
- Old passport: If there is an old passport, it may need to be handed in or brought along.
- Fill out the passport application form: The form can be downloaded from the government website or obtained at the application acceptance point (such as the exit-entry administration). Ensure it is filled out completely and checked carefully.
- Make an appointment for application or go directly for processing:
- In some countries, an appointment may be required in advance, especially in busy areas.
- Go to the local exit-entry administration institution or passport processing center with all the materials.
- Pay the application fee: Usually, an application fee needs to be paid. The amount varies from country to country. Payment methods can be cash, card, or other means.
- Submit the materials and undergo an interview: In some cases, the applicant may need to undergo a brief interview, especially for first-time applicants.
- Wait for review and collect the passport:
- The review time is generally several weeks to a month. The application progress can be checked through official channels.
- After the passport is processed, it can be collected at the pickup point. Some countries also support mailing services.
The above process may vary depending on the region and nationality.
2，How to renew a passport
The steps for renewing a passport usually include preparing materials, filling out an application form, paying a fee, and submitting the application. Here are the detailed steps:
- Confirm the renewal method: In some countries, passport renewal can be done online, by mail, or by going in person to the passport center. Understand the requirements and applicable methods for renewing a passport.
- Prepare required documents:
- Current passport: Used to prove identity and passport information.
- Identity proof documents: Such as an ID card or driver’s license.
- Photo: A new photo taken according to passport requirements.
- Other supporting documents: Such as proof of name change or change in identity information.
- Fill out the passport renewal form: Most countries provide online application forms. Download or fill it out online. Ensure accurate personal information is provided.
- Pay the fee: Pay the corresponding fee according to the application type (such as expedited processing, mailing, etc.). Most countries accept credit card payments, and some regions support other payment methods.
- Submit the application:
- By mail: You can mail the application materials and the old passport to the passport processing center. Confirm the mailing method and choose a trackable mail service.
- Interview: Some countries may require an interview, especially when changing personal information (such as name or nationality).
- Wait for review: The passport renewal review time is usually 2 to 8 weeks. The progress can be checked on the government website.
- Collect the new passport: After the review is passed, it will usually be mailed or notified for collection. If a new passport is obtained after renewal, the old passport will be invalidated.
3，Visiting China with just a passport (mutual visa exemption or unilateral visa exemption)
Citizens holding ordinary passports from Singapore, Japan, Brunei, France, Germany, Thailand, Maldives, etc., as long as they come to mainland China for tourism, business activities, or visiting relatives and friends and stay for no more than 15 or 30 days, can enjoy visa-free treatment at all ports in China.
Related reading: China’s visa exemption policy
4，China’s requirements for passports
If you are applying for a regular China Visa to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, for tour, business, study or other purposes, a passport with a minimum of 6 months’ validity and at least 2 blank visa pages are required for all applicants. When traveling in China, you have to visit cities together with passport & the obtained visa on it, which are still needed all the time if you hold Tibet Travel Permit to tour in Tibet. Another situation is, a passport shall be valid for at least 3 months if you plan to apply for Visa-Free Transit in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen or other cities in mainland China.
A passport is not only used for your entry of China, but also frequently used in your tour itineraries in China and other travel-related services. Your original passport will be used for booking your flights, train tickets, cruise tickets and for hotel. Make paper and digital copies (including passport & visa pages) for any contingency. Therefore, please take care of your passport well during your China travel.
A passport is not only used for your entry of China, but also frequently used in your tour itineraries in China and other travel-related services. Your original passport will be used for booking your flights, train tickets, cruise tickets and for hotel. Make paper and digital copies (including passport & visa pages) for any contingency. Therefore, please take care of your passport well during your China travel.
5，International transit passengers
If you are from these 54 countries and are on your way to a third country (region) and make a short stay in China, you can enjoy the 72-hour or 144-hour transit visa exemption policy. With the approval of the border inspection department, you can enjoy the transit visa exemption policy if you make a stopover in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Guilin, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Xiamen.
Related reading:
Related reading:
China’s 72-hour transit visa exemption
China’s 144-hour transit visa exemption
List of countries with visa exemption for China
China’s 144-hour transit visa exemption
List of countries with visa exemption for China
6，Traveling to Hong Kong or Macau
Under the one country, two systems policy, Hong Kong and Macau, as two special administrative regions of China, implement visa-free policies for citizens of many countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, India, and most European countries. This means that eligible tourists can enter Hong Kong and Macau with just a valid original passport and stay visa-free for 7 to 180 days. However, the purpose of entry is limited to tourism or business-related activities.
Note: If for other reasons or if you exceed the allowed stay period, you must apply for a Hong Kong or Macau visa. If you want to further travel to mainland China, a Chinese visa is required.
Related reading:
7，Others:
Visa-free policy for foreigners in Hong Kong and Macao regions entering Guangdong in groups:
Citizens of countries that have established diplomatic relations with China who hold ordinary passports and go to Hong Kong and Macao regions can enter and travel in 9 cities in the Greater Bay Area and Shantou City in Guangdong Province without visas after being organized into groups by travel agencies registered in Hong Kong and Macao. The activity range is Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Shantou City. The entry and exit ports are the open ports of these 10 cities. The entry and exit are in groups, and the stay time does not exceed 144 hours.
Visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN countries entering Guilin, Guangxi:
Tourist groups from ASEAN countries (two or more people, holding ordinary passports), organized and received by domestic travel agencies in China, can enter and exit without visas through Guilin Airport port. The activity range is the administrative region of Guilin City, Guangxi. They enter and exit in groups, and the stay time does not exceed 144 hours.
15-day visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering on cruise ships:
Foreign tourist groups (two or more people) taking cruises and organized and received by domestic travel agencies can enter in groups without visas through cruise ports in 13 cities including Tianjin, Dalian in Liaoning Province, Shanghai, Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province, Wenzhou and Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province, Xiamen in Fujian Province, Qingdao in Shandong Province, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Beihai in Guangxi, Haikou and Sanya in Hainan Province. The tourist groups must follow the same cruise ship to the next port until leaving on this cruise. They can stay in China for no more than 15 days. The activity range is 11 coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) including Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan and Beijing.
30-day visa-free policy for foreigners entering Hainan:
People from 59 countries including Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus who hold ordinary passports can enter Hainan without a visa for short-term reasons such as tourism, business, visiting, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, and sports competitions (except for work and study reasons) and stay for no more than 30 days. The entry and exit ports are all open ports in Hainan Province. The activity range is the administrative region of Hainan Province.
The calculation time for the stay under the above policies starts from 0:00 on the day after entry. If the entry personnel meet the mutual visa exemption agreement signed with China or are applicable to China’s unilateral visa exemption policy, the relevant provisions can be followed.
China’s unilateral 15-day visa exemption policy:
From March 14, 2024 to December 31, 2025, China has decided to implement a trial unilateral visa exemption policy for ordinary passport holders from countries such as Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, and Poland. Ordinary passport holders from these countries who come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days can enter without a visa. Personnel from these countries who do not meet the visa exemption conditions still need to obtain a Chinese visa before entry.
Citizens of countries that have established diplomatic relations with China who hold ordinary passports and go to Hong Kong and Macao regions can enter and travel in 9 cities in the Greater Bay Area and Shantou City in Guangdong Province without visas after being organized into groups by travel agencies registered in Hong Kong and Macao. The activity range is Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Shantou City. The entry and exit ports are the open ports of these 10 cities. The entry and exit are in groups, and the stay time does not exceed 144 hours.
Visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN countries entering Guilin, Guangxi:
Tourist groups from ASEAN countries (two or more people, holding ordinary passports), organized and received by domestic travel agencies in China, can enter and exit without visas through Guilin Airport port. The activity range is the administrative region of Guilin City, Guangxi. They enter and exit in groups, and the stay time does not exceed 144 hours.
15-day visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering on cruise ships:
Foreign tourist groups (two or more people) taking cruises and organized and received by domestic travel agencies can enter in groups without visas through cruise ports in 13 cities including Tianjin, Dalian in Liaoning Province, Shanghai, Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province, Wenzhou and Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province, Xiamen in Fujian Province, Qingdao in Shandong Province, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Beihai in Guangxi, Haikou and Sanya in Hainan Province. The tourist groups must follow the same cruise ship to the next port until leaving on this cruise. They can stay in China for no more than 15 days. The activity range is 11 coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) including Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan and Beijing.
30-day visa-free policy for foreigners entering Hainan:
People from 59 countries including Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus who hold ordinary passports can enter Hainan without a visa for short-term reasons such as tourism, business, visiting, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, and sports competitions (except for work and study reasons) and stay for no more than 30 days. The entry and exit ports are all open ports in Hainan Province. The activity range is the administrative region of Hainan Province.
The calculation time for the stay under the above policies starts from 0:00 on the day after entry. If the entry personnel meet the mutual visa exemption agreement signed with China or are applicable to China’s unilateral visa exemption policy, the relevant provisions can be followed.
China’s unilateral 15-day visa exemption policy:
From March 14, 2024 to December 31, 2025, China has decided to implement a trial unilateral visa exemption policy for ordinary passport holders from countries such as Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, and Poland. Ordinary passport holders from these countries who come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days can enter without a visa. Personnel from these countries who do not meet the visa exemption conditions still need to obtain a Chinese visa before entry.