PassportSouth Africa

Trip checklist: China

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

Visa requirement

South Africans need to apply for a visa before travel to China.

Permitted stay

Set on the visa (commonly 30 days per entry for L visas).

Before you go

  • Purpose of visit

    Separate visa categories by purpose (L tourism, M business, F exchange, Q/S family, Z work, X study, G transit).

  • Passport validity

    At least 6 months from arrival and 2 blank pages (rule for all foreigners).

  • Where South Africans apply

    Chinese Visa Application Service Centers in South Africa (official site visaforchina.cn, Johannesburg 'JNB' pages), serving the Embassy of China in Pretoria and the Consulates-General in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Addresses not verified.

  • Accommodation or invitation

    Hotel booking or invitation letter is normally required for an L visa. Not verified. Once in China, foreigners must register their address with the local Public Security Bureau within 24 hours (hotels do this).

  • Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

    Yellow fever certificate required if arriving from a transmission-risk country. China is not a yellow-fever risk country.

  • Arrival forms

    Foreigner arrival card (paper, or online pre-fill via the National Immigration Administration). Biometric fingerprints and photo taken at entry. Possible health screening.

  • Transit

    24-hour direct transit without visa at major hub airports with a confirmed onward flight to a third country (open to all nationalities, including South Africans). Not eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit. Wikipedia also mentions a 5-day Shenzhen visa on arrival (Hong Kong border) and 6-day Pearl River Delta group exemption for tour groups.

  • Confirm with the embassy

    Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

Research sources

  1. 1. National Immigration Administration of China (Official, en.nia.gov.cn) https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183390/content.html
  2. 2. Embassy of the People's Republic of China in South Africa (Official, za.china-embassy.gov.cn) http://za.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/
  3. 3. UK FCDO (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china/entry-requirements
  4. 4. Wikipedia (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_China
  5. 5. Wikipedia (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_South_African_citizens
  6. 6. Chinese Visa Application Service Center (Johannesburg) (Commercial, visaforchina.cn) https://www.visaforchina.cn/JNB2_EN/

From doineedavisa.co.za/china. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.