China Q1/Q2 Family Visit Visa: How to Visit Relatives Without the (2026)

Q1 vs Q2: Pick the Right One

The difference is simple: how long you’re staying.

| | Q1 Visa | Q2 Visa | |---|---|---| | Duration | Over 180 days (long-term family reunion) | Up to 180 days (short-term visit) | | Kinship proof | Must be notarized and authenticated (original) | Photocopy usually accepted | | After arrival | Must apply for residence permit within 30 days | Nothing — just leave before it expires | | Who needs it | Moving to China to live with family, caring for elderly parents, long-term spouse reunification | Visiting family for holidays, meeting in-laws, summer vacation with grandparents | | Typical processing | 2-4 weeks | 4-7 working days |

If you’re visiting for a few weeks or a couple months, get the Q2. Less paperwork, faster processing, less hassle. The Q1 is for people actually relocating.

The Invitation Letter: The Part Everyone Messes Up

This is the document that gets more visas rejected than anything else. Your Chinese relative needs to write this. Here’s exactly what it needs:

Required Information (6 things)

1. Your info: Full name (as it appears on your passport), gender, date of birth, nationality, passport number
2. Visit purpose: Be specific. “Visiting my daughter and her family for Spring Festival” beats “visiting China”
3. Travel dates: Arrival date, departure date, total days
4. Where you’ll stay: Full address in Chinese — not “Beijing.” The actual apartment number, street, district
5. Who pays: State clearly — “All expenses covered by the inviter” or “Applicant will cover their own expenses”
6. Inviter’s info: Full name, Chinese ID number (18 digits), phone number, home address, handwritten signature, date

Template Your Relative Can Use

邀请信 (Invitation Letter)

致：中华人民共和国驻[城市]总领事馆

本人[邀请人姓名]（身份证号：XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX），现邀请我的[关系，如父亲/母亲/儿子/女儿]
[申请人姓名]（护照号：XXXXXXXXX）于[入境日期]至[出境日期]来华探亲。

在华期间，申请人将居住于：[详细地址，如：北京市朝阳区XX路XX号XX号楼XX单元XX室]。
在华期间所有费用（包括交通、住宿、生活费等）由[邀请人/申请人]承担。

邀请人签名：____________
电话：____________
日期：2026年__月__日

（附：邀请人中国身份证正反面复印件）

2026-Specific Requirements

Some consulates now want the invitation letter to be hand-signed in Chinese characters, with the Chinese ID card copy attached. The ID copy should also be hand-annotated: “仅用于XX签证申请” (only for use in XX visa application) with a signature and date written directly on the copy. This is an anti-fraud measure. Yes, it feels excessive. No, you can’t skip it.

Kinship Proof: The Paper Trail

This is where Q1 and Q2 really diverge.

For Q2: A scan or photocopy of your birth certificate or marriage certificate usually works. If you were born in China and later became a foreign citizen, your old Chinese household registration (户口本) or notarized birth certificate from China works best. Digital copies are fine at most consulates in 2026.

For Q1: You need the original notarized kinship document, then authenticated (or apostilled if your country is a Hague Convention member), then potentially translated into Chinese by an authorized agency. It’s a multi-step process that takes weeks and costs hundreds. Start early.

If you’re applying as a former Chinese citizen who naturalized elsewhere, you’ll also need your original Chinese passport (even if expired) and proof of name change if your name differs between passports.

Step by Step: How to Apply

1. Get the Invitation Letter

Ask your relative in China to write and sign it. Have them scan it and send you a PDF. You’ll print it and submit the physical copy. Some consulates now accept uploaded PDFs through the online application portal — check your specific consulate.

2. Fill Out the COVA Form

Go to cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn, select your consulate, and fill out the online visa application. Choose Q1 or Q2 as your visa type. You’ll need to upload supporting documents. The form saves as you go — you don’t have to finish in one sitting.

Most common mistake: filling in your name differently than it appears on your passport. Spaces, hyphens, middle names — match exactly. “O’Brien” on your passport means “O’Brien” on the form, not “OBrien.”

3. Book an Appointment

Most consulates require appointments through the China Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) website for your country. Walk-ins are rare in 2026. Summer and pre-Chinese New Year slots fill up weeks in advance.

4. Go to Your Appointment

Bring everything:

• Passport (6+ months validity, blank visa pages)
• Printed COVA confirmation page
• One passport photo (white background, 48mm x 33mm) — they’re picky about this
• Original invitation letter + copy
• Inviter’s Chinese ID copy (front and back)
• Kinship proof (original for Q1, copy for Q2)
• Photocopies of everything (they keep the copies, you keep originals)

5. Wait and Collect

Standard processing is 4-7 working days. Express (2-3 days) is available at most centers for an extra fee. Track your application online with the receipt number they give you.

What Trips People Up

1. Wrong invitation letter format. Your relative wrote it in English but the consulate wanted Chinese. Or vice versa. Check your specific consulate’s preference. When in doubt: bilingual.

2. Address mismatch. The address on the invitation letter doesn’t match your hotel booking or your relative’s actual registered address. Chinese addresses are specific — building number, unit number, apartment number. Get it right.

3. Insufficient relationship proof. A birth certificate from 1985 in a language the consulate can’t read. Get it translated (certified translation) before applying.

4. Former Chinese citizen missing documents. If you once held Chinese citizenship, you must disclose it and provide your old passport. They’ll find out anyway — the system cross-references.

5. Invitation letter from the wrong person. The inviter must be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with Chinese permanent residence living in China. Your Chinese friend who lives in Germany? Their invitation won’t work for a Q visa.

6. Applying for Q1 when Q2 would’ve worked. Q1 is harder, takes longer, and costs more. Only use it if you genuinely need to stay more than 180 days.

FAQ

The Bottom Line

For most family visits, the Q2 visa is straightforward. Get a proper invitation letter from your relative (use the template above), bring your documents, and go to your appointment. The processing is fast, the cost is reasonable, and once it’s done, you’re set for multiple entries if you applied for that.

The Q1 is a bigger commitment — more paperwork, more steps after arrival. Only go that route if you’re genuinely relocating to China for family reasons.