China → United Kingdom
Standard Visitors can usually stay for up to 6 months.
Mainland PRC ordinary passport holders are visa nationals for UK visitor purposes and must obtain a UK visitor visa before travel for short tourism or business visits. The separate Hong Kong SAR passport exception is not covered by this CN row.
Based on passport-specific data. · as of 2026-06-17
Official source ↗Documents that change the outcome
- Visa-free· uk_visa
A person who already holds valid UK entry clearance, permission to enter, or permission to stay does not need an ETA. Entry and length of stay depend on the validity and conditions of that UK permission and the border decision.
source ↗
Documents & how to apply
- Valid passport or travel document — Must be valid for the whole stay in the UK; required for the application and travel.
- Online application form information — Provide travel dates, UK accommodation, estimated trip cost, home address, income, parents’ details, and any criminal/civil/immigration offences in the online application.
- Fingerprints and photograph at visa application centre — After applying online, book a visa application centre appointment to prove identity with the passport and give biometrics.
- Supporting evidence showing you are a genuine visitor — Evidence should show the visit is for a permitted activity, you will leave the UK, and you can support yourself and pay return/onward costs.
- Financial documents · optional — Official guidance says you may provide financial documents showing available funds and their origin, such as bank statements, building society books, or employer evidence of earnings.
- Employment, study, or self-employment evidence · optional — If relevant, provide employer letters, education provider confirmation of enrolment and leave, or business registration/recent invoices for self-employment.
- Previous travel history evidence · optional — You may provide copies of previous passports showing travel to other countries; the online application may ask for travel history for the past 10 years.
- Proof of legal residence · optional — May be needed if applying outside your country of nationality and your right to reside there is not in your passport.
- Sponsor evidence · optional — If someone provides travel, maintenance, or accommodation, provide evidence of what support is given, how, the sponsor’s funds, relationship, and lawful UK status if applicable.
- Business event or conference invitation letter · optional — If attending a business event or conference, official guidance says you should provide an invitation letter from the organiser.
- Certified translations for documents not in English or Welsh — Translations must be independently verifiable by the Home Office and include translator confirmation, date, full name/signature, and contact details.
- Flight bookings · optional — Official guidance lists flight bookings as less useful evidence, except for transit.
- Hotel bookings · optional — Official guidance lists hotel bookings as less useful evidence, though the online form asks where you will stay.
- Travel insurance · optional — Official guidance lists travel insurance as less useful evidence and does not list it as required for a Standard Visitor visa.
⏱ After applying online, proving identity, and providing documents, a decision is usually made within 3 weeks. 💳 135 GBP (government fee) 📍 Apply online through the official UK government portal, then attend a visa application centre appointment to provide identity information and documents.
Do not rely on flight bookings, hotel bookings, or travel insurance as core evidence; focus on purpose of visit, source of funds, ties/circumstances at home, and ability to pay return/onward costs.
Requirements vary by consulate — verify with the official source. official ↗
Common questions
No. The UK visitor visa-national list includes the People’s Republic of China, and its listed exceptions include Hong Kong SAR passports, Macao SAR passports and qualifying Taiwan passports, not a US visa waiver.
I found no UK official visitor rule making those documents a waiver for mainland Chinese passport holders. The UK rules require PRC visitor visa nationals to obtain a visa before travel, and the listed relevant exceptions do not include those documents.
Usually no visitor visa is needed, but an ETA is required. The UK visitor visa-national rules expressly except PRC nationals holding Hong Kong SAR passports, and ETA rules require specified visa-free travellers to get an ETA before travel.
Conditionally yes: the passport must include the Taiwan identity-card number issued by the competent authority in Taiwan; otherwise UK rules still list Taiwan as a visa nationality. Qualifying travellers still need an ETA.
No. UK ETA rules state that a person who already holds valid UK entry clearance, permission to enter, or permission to stay is not required to obtain an ETA.
Verify with official sources
Visa policy changes without notice and this page is reference information that may contain errors. Before travel, verify via the official sources below or contact the destination country's embassy / consulate / immigration authority directly; final admission is at the destination government's discretion.