1. Who can apply at the Visa Centre?

You can submit the application yourself or authorize a travel agency to do so.

(1) The Visa Centre accepts visa applications from Japanese citizens or citizens of other countries staying in Japan with appropriate legal status. However, we cannot accept the application if you are not physically in Japan when your application is being submitted.

If you are not currently in the country in which this centre is located, please apply from where you normally reside, or apply after you return to the country. Application acceptance is ONLY available to people lawfully residing in the country in which this Visa Centre is located.

(2)The Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General have their own jurisdictional areas formally known as consular districts. Only those who reside within a particular consular district of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in Japan can apply through this Visa Centre. Please click the Knowledge on the home page to check the service areas of the Visa Centre.

2. How far in advance should I submit my application?

You should make your application well in advance of the planned travel date. You are advised to apply ONE month in advance but no earlier than THREE months.

However, you should be aware that actual processing time may be longer than that posted on the website in certain circumstances. If there is such a delay, you will be notified by the Visa Centre staff.

3. Is an appointment required to submit the application?

No appointment required. Upon arrival, you will be given a queue number on a first-come-first-served basis.

4. What should I do after arriving at the Visa Centre?

On the day of your visit to the Centre, please be punctual. Upon arrival, you should:

(1)Obtain a queue number at reception desk for submitting your application; please wait for your number to be called

(2)Submit your application at the counter designated for handling the particular queue number

(3)Receive a pick-up form, which is a receipt showing the information of your application and expected date for collection

(4)Please CHECK all the details on the pick-up form; should you have any questions about the information printed on it, please contact the staff immediately. Always carefully retain the pick-up form as it must be shown when collecting your passport

5. Can I track the status of my application?

You can easily find the tracking page from Quick Access on the home page of the Visa Centre’s website to track the status of your application.

6. Do I pay when submitting my application?

You should pay on the day of collection. For more details please refer to the next step.

7. Can I cancel my application after submitting it?

The application process involves sophisticated procedures so that it is not possible for the Visa Centre to pull a single application out of the ongoing process involving many other applications. Therefore you cannot cancel your application and withdraw it once you have submitted it. You are still required to pay the visa fee and service fee accordingly.

8. When should I collect my passport?

The date for collecting your passport is shown on the pick-up form issued to you on the day of application. Please go to the Visa Centre to make payment and collect your passport with the pick-up form in a timely manner. Should there be any delay in processing and the passport cannot be returned to you as scheduled, the Visa Centre staff will notify you ASAP.

Please note that all the passports overdue for collection will be returned to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General after the expiry date of a visa, or 365 days of the decision by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General to issue or refuse the visa application.

9. When and how do I pay the fees?

You pay all the fees on the day of collection.

These include:

- Visa fees charged on behalf of the Chinese Embassy/Consulate-General

- Service fees charged by the Visa Centre

Please note that visa fees and service fees may vary across different visa categories and service options.

Due to the fact that China and some countries have bilateral arrangements covering visa fees, the amount generated by the system prevails in case of any difference between the amount of visa fee generated by the system and that listed in the Schedule of Fees.

10. What to do when I visit the Visa Centre for payment and collection of passport?

When you arrive at the Visa Centre, please:

(1) Obtain a queue number at reception desk for making payment and wait for your number to be called.

(2) Present the pick-up form to the staff at the counter designated for handling the queue number. Make payment and get your payment receipt and passport.

(3) Please carefully CHECK all the details, such as your name, birth date, passport number, validity, number of entries, duration of stay on your visa, and let the staff know immediately if there is any problem. Failure to do so may lead to serious consequences.