Last Updated on July 26, 2026 by Tina

Planning a trip to China? I recently traveled to Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing to celebrate my birthday, and before I could make that trip happen, I first had to apply for a China tourist visa.

I was honestly expecting the process to be complicated, but it turned out to be much more straightforward than I imagined.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how I applied for my China tourist visa from the Philippines, the documents I submitted, the processing timeline, how much I paid, and a few tips that made the application easier.

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My China Visa Result

Here’s what I received:

• Visa type: Tourist Visa (L)
• Entries: Single Entry
• Duration of Stay: 15 days
• Visa Validity: Valid for entry within 90 days from the date of issue

This was enough for my 7-day trip around China.

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Step 1: Create a COVA Account

The first thing I did was create an account on the China Online Visa Application (COVA) website.

Before filling out the application form, I highly recommend reading all the instructions carefully. They’re actually very easy to understand, and the website guides you through each step.

One important thing to remember is that you can only submit an application if your intended entry date to China is within the next 90 days, so don’t apply too early.

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Filling Out the Application Form

After creating my account, I filled out the online application form.

One thing I liked about the website is that you don’t have to finish everything in one sitting.

You can save your application and continue another day if you’re still gathering your documents.

However, before clicking Submit, make sure you double-check everything because you won’t be able to edit your application after submission.

Once I was satisfied with everything, I submitted my application.

After submitting, don’t forget to download and print your completed application form.

You’ll need to bring the printed copy when you submit your documents in person.

For me, it took about one day before my application status changed, allowing me to proceed with the in-person submission.

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Documents I Uploaded

These are the documents I submitted during my application.

1. Passport

I uploaded a scanned copy of my passport’s data page.

Although the website says uploading the other passport pages is optional, I decided to upload all pages containing previous visas and immigration stamps as well.

Your passport should have:

• At least 6 months validity from the date of application
• At least one blank visa page

If you’re applying for a multiple-entry visa valid for 12 months, your passport should have at least 15 months remaining validity.

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2. Applicant Photo

You’ll need a recent color passport photo with:

• White background
• Front-facing
• No head covering (unless worn for religious reasons)

The official website provides detailed photo specifications, so make sure to follow those carefully.

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3. Flight Reservations, Hotel Bookings and Travel Itinerary

I also submitted:

• Round-trip flight reservations
• Hotel bookings
• Travel itinerary

Below is the exact itinerary I submitted with my China visa application. I’ve removed my personal information, but I’ve left the flights, hotels, and daily schedule intact so you can use it as a reference when creating your own itinerary.

I purchased my international flights before applying for my visa.

Although I also had a domestic flight from Guangzhou to Chengdu, I only submitted the flights entering and leaving China.

For my hotel reservations, I booked my accommodations through these websites because they offered many hotels with free cancellation, which gave me peace of mind while waiting for my visa.

🛏️ Agoda – Find Hotels in China

🛏️ Trip.com – Hotels in China

If you book through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

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Additional Requirements for First-Time Applicants

Since this was my first China visa, I also submitted:

• BIR Form 2316 (Income Tax Return)
• Bank Certificate of Deposit Balance
• Bank Statements for the past six months
• Receipt for the Bank Certificate
• Certificate of Employment showing my salary and length of employment

The website mentions a BIR-stamped Income Tax Return.

In my case, I simply submitted the BIR Form 2316 provided by our HR department. It wasn’t BIR-stamped, but it was accepted.

If you’re self-employed, a business owner, or a student, the website also lists alternative documents that you can submit.

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How Much Money Did I Have in My Bank Account?

This is probably one of the most common questions people ask.

For reference, my bank account had a six-figure balance when I applied.

However, I don’t know if there’s a minimum balance requirement because the Chinese Embassy doesn’t publish one.

My advice is simply to provide documents that genuinely reflect your financial capacity to support your trip.

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Step 2: Submit Your Documents

There are currently four China Visa Application Centers in the Philippines:

• Manila
• Laoag
• Cebu
• Davao

Since I live in La Union, I chose the Laoag Visa Application Center.

Although La Union is roughly halfway between Manila and Laoag, I found it cheaper and more convenient to travel north.

I simply took the 4:00 AM Partas bus to Laoag.

By around 9:00 AM, I had already arrived at the visa application center in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.

Despite being called the Laoag Visa Application Center, it’s actually located in San Nicolas, along the national highway.

I simply got off the bus right in front of the building.

It’s also just a short walk from Robinsons Place Ilocos.

Had I gone to Manila instead, I would have needed additional transportation from the bus terminal to the visa application center, making the trip slightly more expensive.

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What Happened During Submission?

The visa application center is open Tuesday to Thursday from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM.

I arrived right when they opened, and there were only three applicants, including me.

The process was surprisingly quick.

Each applicant took only around 5 to 10 minutes.

When it was my turn:

• I submitted all my documents
• They checked everything
• They took my photo
• They collected my fingerprints
• They gave me a claim stub

I was also informed that one-day processing isn’t available for first-time applicants.

Instead, I was told to wait until the status in my COVA account changed to “Passport Ready for Pick Up.”

Before 9:30 AM, I was already done.

I grabbed breakfast at Starbucks in Robinsons Place Ilocos, got a little bit of work done, and by 11:00 AM, I was already on the bus back to La Union.

It turned out to be a very easy day trip.

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Step 3: Picking Up My Passport

The following week, I checked my COVA account again.

This time, the status showed that my passport was ready for pickup.

So I repeated exactly what I had done the previous week.

I caught the 4:00 AM Partas bus to Laoag and headed straight to the visa application center.

After presenting my claim stub, the staff handed me an already completed Metrobank deposit slip.

The visa fee was ₱1,050.

I then took a short tricycle ride—less than five minutes—to Metrobank San Nicolas, paid the visa fee, and returned to the visa application center with the validated deposit slip.

After verifying my payment, they handed me my passport and asked me to sign a form acknowledging that I had received it.

Opening my passport and seeing the visa inside was definitely a satisfying moment.

Just like the previous week, I was already heading back to La Union by around 11:00 AM.

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Overall Timeline

Here’s how my application went:

• Submitted my online application
• Waited about one day for the application status to update
• Traveled to San Nicolas for document submission and biometrics
• Waited about one week
• Returned to San Nicolas for passport pickup
• Received my China tourist visa

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Final Thoughts

Overall, I found the entire application process much easier than I expected.

Most of the work involved preparing the required documents.

Once everything was ready, the process itself was very smooth. The staff at the visa application center were organized, the biometrics only took a few minutes, and both of my visits were quick enough to complete as day trips from La Union.

If you’re planning to visit China soon, I hope this guide helps make your own visa application a little less intimidating.

And if you have any questions about the process, feel free to leave a comment below. I’ll do my best to answer them based on my own experience.

Happy travels, and I hope you get to enjoy China as much as I did!

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My Tips Before You Apply

✔ Read the instructions on the COVA website carefully.

✔ Apply only if your intended entry date is within the next 90 days.

✔ Save your application if you’re not ready to submit yet.

✔ Double-check everything before clicking Submit because you can’t edit your application afterward.

✔ Print your completed application form after submitting.

✔ Book hotels with free cancellation if possible.

✔ If you’re in Northern Luzon, consider applying in San Nicolas (Laoag Visa Application Center)—it was a convenient day trip from La Union.