Getting a Chinese Tourist Visa in Tokyo as a United States Citizen
As with any unfamiliar process, I first did my research on how to go about getting a Chinese tourist visa in Tokyo, Japan. Unfortunately, I found multiple conflicting answers. Having waded through the resources and just received my 10-year, multiple-entry, Chinese tourist visa from the Consulate in Tokyo, I wanted to share the process in hopes of saving you some stress and maybe an unnecessary trip to the Consulate.
What You Need to Apply for Your Chinese Tourist Visa in Tokyo
- Your US passport with over a year of validity left
- One copy of your passport*
- One copy of your proof of legal stay in Japan*- for me it was my landing permission sticker in my passport from immigration at the airport
- One passport photo*
- Flight confirmation for incoming and onward flights
- Hotel confirmations for all hotels
- Any additional transportation confirmations such as internal trains, flights, etc.
- Completed visa application: Supplied at the Consulate
- Payment in yen upon pick-up: ยฅ15,000 or more if expedited
*There is a copier and a passport photo machine at the Consulate if you need them.
Booking Your Trip to China
Unfortunately, in order to apply for your visa, you must pre-book everything and have confirmations in hand. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can book all refundable flights, hotels, etc. I also read many people have booked things in creative ways to minimize their financial risk if they do not get a visa, which if you’re concerned, you can look further into that.
In general though, if you have no reason to be rejected for the visa, it should be safe to book your trip as you intend to take it, and use your concrete travel plans for your visa application.
Applying for your Chinese Tourist Visa
Once you have your trip to China planned out and all confirmations in hand, you are ready to apply.
The good news is you can apply directly in person at the Consulate. (They speak fluent English there.) The other option is to hire an agency to apply for you. This will however have an additional cost and is completely unnecessary.
Chinese Consulate Information
Located in the Chinese Embassy.
Address: 3-4-33 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81-03-0357856868 – It is supposed to be 24 hours, but I never received an answer and the automated answer was in Japanese or Chinese.
Open: 9:00am – noon Monday to Friday, except for public holidays. Public holidays include Japanese and Chinese holidays.
Head to the Chinese Consulate at the address above. It is a ten minute walk from the Roppongi Station. You can’t miss the door as you approach as it is the first part of the Embassy you will pass coming from the metro. There will be a sign out front and a guard indicating this is the correct place. From there, you will go through minor security and head up to the 3rd floor.
Here you will enter the line right in front of the door where they will verify you have all of the necessary information, give you the application, and a small passport receipt. From there, step aside and fill out the application.
The Application for a Chinese Tourist Visa
The application can be time-consuming as it is four pages long and you need to list the dates and addresses of all of your accommodations and list every country you’ve been to in the last 12 months. You can also fill out the top portion of the passport receipt like your name and phone number. The passport receipt has carbon copies for them, and you, confirming the Consulate has your passport. They will fill in information like when to pick it up and the cost.
Return to the same window where they will reconfirm everything is in order and give you a ticket number. Have a seat and wait for the ticket number to show up above one of the windows on the right side of the room. When it does, take your paperwork up to the window.
They will walk through it all, confirming the type of visa (Americans are now issued 10-year, multiple-entry tourist visas.) and date of pick-up which is a standard 4 business day turnaround. You can expedite it for a fee as well if you need it sooner. They will provide a copy of the passport receipt (Do not lose it – you need it to pick up your passport!) and from there you’re done.
Time necessary: Estimated at an hour from when you arrive
Picking up your Chinese Tourist Visa
Return on the agreed upon date and go through the security to the first floor where they should have indicated the window. Approach the window with your passport receipt. They will pull your passport out of the pile and set it aside while redirecting you to the next line. In that line, you will pay and receive your passport.
Upon receipt, check that the visa is correct, and then you are good to go!
Standard fee is ยฅ15,000, the next day is ยฅ18,000, and same day is ยฅ19,000.
Time necessary: Under ten minutes
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