How to Apply for a China Visa From Pakistan: Online Form, Documents and Zero Visa Fee
Pakistanis pay no Chinese visa fee. How to fill in the online form, which documents you need, where to submit in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi, and how long.
Pakistanis pay no Chinese visa fee. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan says ordinary Pakistani passports are exempt from all visa fees. You fill in the form online at bio.visaforchina.cn, then hand in your passport at a Chinese Visa Application Service Center. The embassy usually takes 4 working days.
The visa itself is free, but the service center is not. It is run by Gerry's, which charges its own service fee for handling your file. The embassy says that fee is not its own and tells applicants to ask Gerry's for the amount.
We read the Chinese Embassy's visa instructions, fee page and notices on pk.china-embassy.gov.cn on 3 October 2026, and opened the service center's Islamabad page. Everything below on the China visa for Pakistanis follows the embassy's own rules.
Which Chinese visa type you need
Pick the visa that matches the main reason for your trip. Business visitors need an M visa, family visits use Q2 or S2, short study uses X2 and work uses Z. The tourist L visa is listed only for tour groups of at least five people.
| Visa | Who it is for | Key document |
|---|---|---|
| M (business) | Trade and commercial visits | Invitation from a company in China, or a Canton Fair or CIIE invitation |
| F (exchange) | Non-commercial visits, such as cultural, academic or religious exchanges | Invitation from the inviting organisation in China |
| L (tourist, group) | Tourist groups of at least 5 people | Group invitation from a tourism office in China |
| Q2 / S2 (family visit) | Short visits, up to 180 days, to family living in China | Invitation letter and proof of relationship |
| X1 / X2 (study) | Study in China, long or short | JW201 or JW202 form and admission letter |
| Z (work) | Work in China | Work permit notice or similar approval |
One point surprises many first-time travellers. The embassy's table has no category for a person travelling alone on holiday. If that is your plan, ask the service center before you apply. Do not pick a visa type that does not match your real purpose, because the embassy lists that mismatch as a reason for refusal.
Students on a Chinese Government Scholarship apply for the X1 visa, with the JW201 form their university provides.
If you only change planes in China, you may not need a visa at all. The embassy says a transit stop of up to 24 hours is visa free, as long as you stay inside the port and hold a confirmed onward ticket.
Documents every applicant needs
Every applicant needs a passport valid for more than six months with a blank visa page, copies of the passport page and CNIC, and a police character certificate for anyone aged 10 or over. Then add the documents for your visa type.
- Passport: valid for more than 6 months, with at least one blank visa page, plus a copy of the personal information page.
- CNIC: a copy of the front and back.
- Police character certificate: needed from age 10, covering the period "since birth till now". If it has no verifiable QR code, it must be apostilled by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Photo: a recent colour digital photo with a white background, uploaded with the online form.
- Bank statement (M and F visas without a formal invitation): your own statement for the last 6 months, with a closing balance of at least US$100 for each day of your stay.
- Travel plan: a return flight booking and a hotel booking are recommended.
You can apply for a police character certificate online in most provinces. Scan its QR code yourself before you submit it. The embassy says certificates whose QR code shows nothing, or shows another person's record, are a common reason for returned files. If yours needs an apostille from the Foreign Office, start early, as it adds days.
How to apply step by step
Fill in the form and upload every document at bio.visaforchina.cn. Wait for the "Online Visa Approved" email. Then take your passport, the visa application certificate and all original documents to the service center for your area.
- Register at bio.visaforchina.cn and choose the embassy or consulate for your home province.
- Fill in the online form. Your name, date of birth and passport number must match your passport exactly.
- Upload all documents. The center and the embassy check them online and send back files with visible gaps.
- After the "Online Visa Approved" email, visit the service center with your passport, the certificate and the originals.
- Collect your passport on the date given on your pick-up form.
Fill in all five years of work history, your highest degree and your spouse's current address. The embassy says incomplete answers get files returned. On the inviting company, enter the company's name exactly as on its Chinese business licence, not the name of your contact person.
Where to submit: Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi
Where you apply depends on your permanent address. Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of Punjab go through the embassy. Sindh and Balochistan go through the consulate in Karachi. Gerry's service centers in all three cities take the files.
| If you live in | Decided by | Hand in at |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad, Rawalpindi, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan | Chinese Embassy, Islamabad | Gerry's Building, Park Road, Islamabad |
| Punjab (except Rawalpindi) | Chinese Embassy, Islamabad | 20 Ex American Centre Building, Queen's Road, Lahore |
| Sindh, Balochistan | Chinese Consulate General, Karachi | Service center in Karachi |
The Islamabad and Lahore centers are open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday, except holidays. The helpline is 051-8439385. The Chinese Consulate in Lahore does not take visa applications, so Lahore files go to the embassy in Islamabad.
The center's Islamabad page says it does not accept passports by post at the moment. You must go in person.
Fee, processing time and fingerprints
The visa fee for an ordinary Pakistani passport is zero. The embassy usually needs 4 working days after it receives your passport, and it offers no urgent service. Fingerprints are waived for most short visits until 31 December 2026.
For comparison, third-country nationals applying in Pakistan pay Rs 7,200 for a single entry visa. Gerry's service charge comes on top for everyone. Its fee page opened once for us and showed 0 for Pakistani citizens' visa fee, but a verification screen then blocked the full table, so we could not read the service charge. Ask the center before you go.
Four working days is the normal case, not a promise. Extra documents or an interview take longer, and a returned file restarts the clock. Do not book a non-refundable flight before your visa is in hand.
From 17 December 2025 until 31 December 2026, the embassy waives fingerprints for short-term visas with a stay of 180 days or less. Applicants for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas must still give fingerprints.
Why Chinese visa files get returned
The embassy's own list puts fake or altered papers first. Then come wrong form details, invitation letters missing a date, signature or proper round company seal, a visa type that does not match the trip, and too little money shown for the stay.
- A company invitation must give your name, passport number, trip dates, places to visit and who pays.
- Your passport must be valid for more than six months on the day you apply.
The embassy is not obliged to explain a refusal, under China's Exit and Entry Administration Law. Fix the weak point and apply again as a new file.
Common questions
How much is the China visa fee for Pakistanis?
Zero. The Chinese Embassy says ordinary Pakistani passports are exempt from all visa fees. Gerry's service center charges a separate service fee.
How long does a Chinese visa take in Pakistan?
The embassy usually needs 4 working days after it receives your passport. It offers no urgent service, and some files take longer.
Can a Pakistani get a Chinese tourist visa alone?
The embassy lists the tourist L visa only for groups of at least five people. Ask the service center before you apply alone.
Is a police character certificate required for a China visa?
Yes, for every applicant aged 10 or over. It must cover "since birth till now" and be apostilled if it has no verifiable QR code.
Do Pakistanis need to give fingerprints for a China visa?
Not for most short visits of up to 180 days, until 31 December 2026. Long-stay visas such as X1 and Z still need them.
Where is the Chinese visa center in Lahore?
At 20 Ex American Centre Building, Queen's Road, opposite Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. It is open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 3 October 2026. The visa types, document lists, consular districts, service center addresses, hours and helpline, application steps and form guidance are read in the Chinese Embassy's Instruction for Chinese Visa Application. The fee exemption for ordinary Pakistani passports, the Rs 7,200 third-country fee and the 4 working day processing time are read on the embassy's Visa Processing Time and Fee page. The fingerprint waiver to 31 December 2026, the online visa system from 30 June 2025, the 24 hour transit exemption and the reasons for returned files are read in the embassy's notices. The service center's Islamabad page showed a visa fee of 0 for Pakistani citizens and said passports are not accepted by post. Gerry's service charge could not be read, because the page showed a verification check.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
