New documentation required to apply for a China tourist visa (L)

Technically, you must provide:

• A copy of your hotel bookings valid from the day you arrive to the day you leave or a letter if invitation from a friend or family member who you plan to stay with for the duration of your stay in China with all their contact details including their passport or ID number (if you can provide photocopies of their ID documents this could be helpful).

• A copy of a return flight ticket booking (you can book and cancel your flight for a limited fee). A quick and easy way to go is Ctrip.com, which charges 200 RMB to cancel online flight bookings. One recent passport photo.

• A valid passport with plenty for extra pages, valid for at least 6 months.

• A letter from your employer stating that you'll be on vacation between your arrival and departure, as stated on your airline ticket.

• A bank statement with a minimum of US $3,000. Alternately, you can choose to show cash equivalent to US$700, if you do not show your financial statement. However, instead of presenting bank statements or cash, if you have been invited to China by a China-based hosting organization, you can show an application letter with a company chop as an alternative to a bank statement.

Those last the two might be optional, but reports suggest that you should be prepared to provide all of the above documentation. To be safe, check ahead and be prepared!