China Visa in San Francisco (2026)

The Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco serves Northern California — but it's appointment-only and won't take individual mail-ins. We handle the submission for you, so the Bay Area visa run doesn't cost you a day.

Your consulate: San Francisco

San Francisco and Northern California — the Bay Area, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, and the northern counties — are served by the Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco. (Southern California goes to Los Angeles instead.) Jurisdiction follows your home address, not your birthplace or departure airport.

We handle the submission

No appointment-hunting, no day off. You mail us your passport, we coordinate the in-person submission and the return where available, and you stay home in the Bay Area.

How it works

1. Complete the intake form at chinavisa.getmypassports.com — pick your service and pay.

2. Ship us your passport with the prepaid FedEx label we send you after reviewing your form.

3. We submit it in person at the consulate — they don't accept mailed applications, so that's the part you're hiring us for.

4. Your passport comes home — tracked FedEx back to your door once the authorities finish their decision.

The Chinese government makes the approval call and sets the timeline — we just make sure your paperwork shows up right the first time.

2026 is a good year to go

Two things are working in your favor: China cut the visa fee to $140 and dropped fingerprinting for most short-term visits (tourist, business, family) — both in place through December 31, 2026. For most Bay Area travelers, that's a simpler, cheaper application than it's been in years.

Simple pricing

• Full Service — $499. Consulate fee included, your COVA application completed for you, photo editing, in-person drop-off and pick-up at the consulate, and FedEx Express shipping both ways.

• Drop-Off & Pick-Up — $399. Consulate fee included, in-person drop-off and pick-up at the consulate, and FedEx Express shipping both ways (you complete the application).

• Application Assistance Only — $199. We help you prepare your own application correctly.

Get My Passports is a private company that provides passport and visa application assistance and courier coordination where available. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Government authorities make all approval decisions and control official processing times. Our service fees are separate from government fees.

Also served by the San Francisco consulate

The San Francisco consulate also handles China visa applications from San Jose, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Alaska, Idaho, Montana. New to the process? Start with our China visa requirements guide.

Ready to start your China visa?

Complete the quick intake form at chinavisa.getmypassports.com and choose your service. We'll review it and send you a prepaid FedEx label to ship us your passport — then we submit it in person at the consulate (they don't accept mailed applications — that's what you're hiring us for).