Quick answer: If you live in Washington, D.C., your China visa application is handled by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. — China assigns every application by your home address, and the embassy doesn't accept mailed-in individual applications. You complete the COVA form online, then the passport must be submitted in person. We coordinate that in-person submission for you, from a $199 service fee.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. is the largest China visa jurisdiction in the United States — it handles applications from 17 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, a far bigger territory than any of the five consulates, and it absorbed the entire Southeast when the Houston consulate closed in 2020. If your home address falls in that territory, this is where your application goes, whether you live three blocks away or a thousand miles from it. We handle the submission for you, by mail.
Prefer to hand the whole thing off? apply for a China visa from the USA, and we take care of the review, in-person submission, and return shipping.
Which states does the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. cover?
China routes every application by your home address — not your birthplace, and not the airport you fly out of. Send it to the wrong jurisdiction and it comes straight back, which is one of the most common and most avoidable delays in the whole process.
The Washington, D.C. embassy's territory is 17 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District itself. If your state isn't on that list, one of the five consulates covers you instead — our directory by state and city shows which.
Two quirks worth knowing. Texas and the Southeast route here because the Houston consulate closed in 2020 and D.C. absorbed its territory — a lot of Texans still assume Houston handles their visa. And Puerto Rico is served by the embassy too, not by a Florida office.
Tourist visa (L) applications through the D.C. embassy
The L visa is what most travelers in this jurisdiction need — sightseeing, visiting friends, personal travel. Two things make it simpler than people expect: since January 2024 tourists generally do not need an invitation letter, and flight or hotel bookings are not required either. For U.S. citizens the embassy typically issues a 10-year multiple-entry visa, and the government fee is the same flat $140 whether you get single-entry or the full ten years. Full detail in our China tourist visa guide.
Business visa (M) applications through the D.C. embassy
The M visa covers meetings, negotiations, trade fairs and supplier visits, and it has one hard requirement the tourist visa doesn't: an invitation letter from your Chinese partner company, on their letterhead with the official company seal. That letter is where most business applications go wrong — a missing seal, a name that doesn't match the passport, or a handwritten date is enough to send it back. We review it before submission for exactly that reason. See our invitation letter guide and free templates, or compare every category in the China visa types guide.
Applying for a work (Z), student (X) or family (Q) visa through D.C. instead? Those start with documents your employer, school or relative provides — the visa types guide covers what each one needs.
No trip to the embassy required
The embassy doesn't take mailed applications from individuals anymore, and you can't just walk in without an appointment. That's the whole reason we're here. You mail us your passport, we coordinate the in-person submission and the trip back where available, and you stay home in Washington, D.C. the whole time.
How it works
Complete the intake form at chinavisa.getmypassports.com — pick your service and pay.
Ship us your passport with the prepaid FedEx label we send you after reviewing your form.
We submit it in person at the embassy — it doesn't accept mailed applications from individuals, so that's the part you're hiring us for.
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 Washington, D.C. travelers, that's a simpler, cheaper application than it's been in years.
Simple pricing
Full-Service — $299 service fee. We complete your COVA application, edit your photo to spec, and handle in-person submission and pickup at the consulate. Add the $140 government fee and $60 FedEx both ways — $499 total, all-in.
Drop-Off & Pick-Up — $199 service fee. You complete the application; we handle in-person drop-off and pickup. With the $140 government fee and $60 round-trip FedEx — $399 total.
Application Assistance Only — $199 flat. We help you prepare your own application correctly; you submit it yourself and pay the consulate fee directly.
When you compare services, compare service fees — most expediters advertise theirs before adding the government fee, and shipping is extra. Our totals include FedEx both ways, handled by us.
Want the numbers first? See our full China visa cost breakdown for 2026 — the flat $140 consulate fee plus exactly what each service tier includes.
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 Washington, D.C. embassy
The Washington, D.C. embassy also handles China visa applications from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Nashville. New to the process? Start with our China visa requirements guide. Browse every location in our China visa directory by state and city. For pricing and to get started, see our China visa service.
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).
Related China visa guides