Do Chinese citizens need a visa for the UK? Yes. Whether for tourism, family visits or business meetings, or for study, work and family reunion, holders of ordinary PRC passports must obtain the right UK visa before travelling. All UK visas are applied for online, followed by fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre. The process is not complicated, but whether your documents are genuine, complete and explain your purpose decides the outcome.

This guide covers what Chinese citizens most often need: visit visa documents, the Student visa, work visas, family visas, and settlement and citizenship. Fees follow the Home Office fee table in force from 8 October 2026. Rules change, so check GOV.UK again before you apply.

Do Chinese citizens need a visa for the UK?

Yes. The UK has been rolling out the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) since 2023, but ETA only applies to nationalities that were already visa-exempt. Ordinary PRC passports are not among them, so a visa is still required. Hong Kong SAR and BN(O) passports follow different rules; this guide only covers ordinary PRC passports.

There is one useful concession for Chinese nationals: applicants who apply in mainland China and qualify under the “Chinese visa scheme” can get a 2-year, multiple-entry visit visa for the standard £135 fee, with stays of up to six months per visit. For longer multiple-entry visas you can apply for a 5-year (£903) or 10-year (£1,128) visa.

£135Visit visa (2 years when applying in mainland China)
£819Skilled Worker, up to 3 years (outside UK)
£1,035Health surcharge per year (standard)
3 weeksUsual decision time outside the UK

UK visa types at a glance

Visa Who it is for Validity / stay Application fee (Oct 2026) Where to apply
Standard Visitor Tourism, family visits, business, short study, medical treatment Up to 6 months per visit; optional 2/5/10-year visas £135; long-term £506/£903/£1,128 Online, biometrics at a visa centre
Student Full-time students aged 16+ Length of course £558 As above; needs a CAS from the school
Graduate Students who completed a UK degree 2 years (18 months from 1 January 2027); PhD 3 years £937 Inside the UK only
Skilled Worker People with a sponsored job offer Up to 5 years at a time £819 (up to 3 years) / £1,618 (over 3 years) Outside or inside the UK
Health and Care Worker NHS and social care roles As Skilled Worker £324 (up to 3 years) Outside or inside the UK
Global Talent Leaders in research, technology and the arts Up to 5 years Endorsement £561 + visa £205 Outside or inside the UK
High Potential Individual Recent graduates of top global universities 2 years (PhD 3 years) £880 Outside or inside the UK
Innovator Founder Founders with an endorsed business plan 3 years £1,357 + £1,000 endorsement fee Outside or inside the UK

Long-stay visas (over six months) usually also require the Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 a year as standard, or £776 a year for students and their dependants.

How to apply for a short-stay visa

  1. Choose the visaPick the Standard Visitor visa or another visa according to your purpose; you can apply up to three months before travel.
  2. Apply and pay onlineFill in the form on GOV.UK, pay the fee and book a visa application centre appointment.
  3. Prepare documentsPassport, proof of funds, employment or study letter, itinerary, invitation letter; documents not in English need translations.
  4. Give biometricsAttend the visa centre for fingerprints and a photo and hand in your passport and documents.
  5. Wait for a decisionUsually about three weeks outside the UK; paid options are Priority (£500) and Super Priority (£1,000).
  6. Collect your passportThe vignette shows validity and conditions; check your name and dates before you travel.

Document checklist

There is no fixed document list for a UK visit visa. The officer looks at three things: that you are genuinely visiting for a short time, that you can afford the trip, and that you will leave on time. Typical supporting documents:

  • Passport: valid for the whole trip; old passports with travel history can be added.
  • Proof of funds: six months of bank statements, savings certificates, and evidence of property or vehicles; if someone else is paying, include their documents and proof of your relationship.
  • Ties to China: employment letter (position, salary and approved leave), business licence, enrolment certificate or retirement certificate.
  • Trip details: itinerary, flight and hotel bookings (no need to pay in full); for family visits, the host’s visa or ID page and proof of address.
  • Translations: documents not in English or Welsh need full translations with translator details.

A few genuine documents persuade better than a thick, messy file. Statements that don’t match stated income, sudden large deposits, or an employment letter that contradicts the form are common reasons for refusal.

Fees and processing times

UK visa fees are paid in full when you apply and are not refunded if you are refused. Under the fee table from 8 October 2026, a visit visa costs £135, a Student visa £558 and a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK from £819; long-stay visas also require the annual health surcharge. Visa centres may charge for optional extra services.

Take a three-year Skilled Worker visa as an example: £819 visa fee plus £3,105 health surcharge for three years means official costs of nearly £3,924 for the main applicant alone, with partners and children paying separately. Also budget for medical tests, translation, notarisation and flights. You can work out the exact amount for your situation with the GOV.UK visa fees calculator.

Work and long-stay visas

The main UK work visa is the Skilled Worker visa. Key conditions: the employer holds a Home Office sponsor licence and issues a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS); the job is on the list of eligible occupations; the salary is generally at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher (as low as £33,400 in some cases); and you must prove your English. Since 22 July 2025, new roles generally have to be higher-skilled (degree level); medium-skilled jobs qualify only if they are on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List.

Health and care workers have the Health and Care Worker visa, which is cheaper (£324 for up to three years) and eligible applicants are exempt from the health surcharge. Leaders in research, technology and the arts can apply for the Global Talent visa without an employer sponsor. Jobs, sectors and job-search channels are covered in our UK work guide.

The UK closed the Tier 1 Investor visa in February 2022 and has no dedicated digital nomad or retirement visa. Be careful with agents claiming you can “invest to immigrate” to the UK; the business route is the Innovator Founder visa, which requires endorsement from an approved body.

Student visa

The Student visa is for students aged 16 and over who have been offered a place by a licensed sponsor. The school issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS); you must show you can pay tuition and living costs (funds must be held for at least 28 consecutive days; living costs are currently £1,529 a month in London and £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to 9 months, and the Home Office will raise these amounts from 30 November 2026) and meet the English requirement. Some science and engineering postgraduate courses also require an ATAS certificate first.

China is one of the largest sources of international students in the UK: in the year ending June 2026, Chinese nationals received 86,368 study visas as main applicants, about 24% of the total. After graduating you can apply in the UK for the Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, and still 3 years for PhD graduates. University applications and how UK degrees differ are covered in our UK education guide.

Family reunion

Spouses, unmarried partners and children of British citizens or people with settled status (ILR) can apply for a family visa. A partner visa is usually first granted for 2 years and 9 months and then extended inside the UK. You must prove a genuine relationship, meet the English and financial requirements (usually a combined income of at least £29,000 a year, with savings allowed in some cases) and have suitable accommodation. The October 2026 fee table lists £2,064 for family ‘route to settlement’ applications from outside the UK.

Partners and children of Skilled Worker visa holders, and of students in certain cases (such as research postgraduate courses), apply as dependants under the main applicant’s visa and pay the same fee. Note that for postgraduate courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, only PhD and other research degree students (and government-sponsored students) can bring dependants, so most taught master’s students cannot.

Marriage and birth certificates usually need translation and notarisation. The Hague Apostille Convention has applied to China since 7 November 2023; how to get an apostille for Chinese documents is explained in our apostille guide.

Where to apply in China

UK visa application centres in China are run by VFS Global (GOV.UK’s visa centre finder links straight to VFS’s China site), with centres in Beijing and other major cities; check the VFS booking system for the current list and addresses. All applications are first submitted online on GOV.UK, then you book a visa centre to give fingerprints and a photo; the centre only collects documents and plays no part in the decision.

Before applying, make sure your passport is valid and has blank pages. If it is about to expire or has been lost, renew it in China before applying for the visa. See Getting and renewing a Chinese passport.

Common refusal reasons and tips

  • Unclear source of funds: last-minute deposits or statements that don’t match income. Provide at least six months of continuous statements and explain large deposits.
  • Weak ties to China: no stable job or a thin employment letter. Add social insurance records, property and family evidence.
  • Inconsistent information: the form, employment letter and past visa history contradict each other. Check every item before submitting.
  • Hiding refusals or breaches: the UK treats deception harshly; using deception in an application can lead to a re-entry ban of up to 10 years. Declare past refusals and overstays honestly.
  • Forged documents: fake employment or bank documents have serious consequences; avoid agents that “package” applications.

Long-term work visas and some roles require a criminal record certificate; see Getting a Chinese police certificate.

From visa to settlement and citizenship

At present, most work routes such as Skilled Worker and Global Talent lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years of lawful residence; the ILR fee in October 2026 is £3,226. After ILR you can usually apply for citizenship after a further 12 months; naturalisation costs £1,709 plus a £130 citizenship ceremony fee.

In November 2025 the UK government launched an “earned settlement” consultation proposing a 10-year baseline for settlement on most routes, adjusted up or down for factors such as tax paid and volunteering. As of 19 October 2026 the rules had still not been laid, and the start date and transitional protection were undecided. Separately, under the March 2026 Statement of Changes (HC 1691), the English requirement for settlement on routes including Skilled Worker and Global Talent rises to B2 from 26 March 2027.

Settlement conditions and timelines are covered in UK residence and settlement. Remember that China does not recognise dual nationality: becoming a British citizen means automatically losing Chinese nationality. See Dual nationality and China’s Nationality Law.

FAQ

How long does a UK visa take?

Visit and Skilled Worker visas applied for outside the UK usually take about three weeks after your biometrics appointment; Priority and Super Priority services are faster for an extra fee. In peak season (before the summer holidays) start at least two months ahead.

Do I need an employment letter for a UK tourist visa?

There is no mandatory list, but an employment letter is important evidence that you will return. Freelancers and retirees can use a business licence, tax records, a retirement certificate and proof of assets instead.

Can I work in the UK on a 2-year visit visa?

No. A visit visa does not allow work for a UK employer, and you cannot effectively live in the UK through frequent visits. You need a work visa to work.

Can I stay and work after studying in the UK?

You can apply for the Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply by the end of 2026, 18 months from 2027. If you then find an eligible employer you can switch to a Skilled Worker visa. For the full picture of life in the UK see our UK moving and living guide.

Sources

  1. GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor (accessed October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: Standard Visitor – apply for a visa (accessed October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026 (accessed October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa (accessed October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa – your job (accessed October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: Immigration health surcharge – how much you pay (accessed October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: Graduate visa (accessed October 2026)
  8. GOV.UK: Family visa – partner or spouse (accessed October 2026)
  9. Home Office: Why do people come to the UK? Study (year ending June 2026) (accessed October 2026)
  10. 北京商报：VFS Global在华业务报道（2025年6月，媒体来源） (accessed October 2026)
  11. GOV.UK: Check how much your visa costs (accessed October 2026)
  12. JPS Immigration: The 10-Year ILR Rule Explained (law firm, June 2026) (accessed October 2026)
  13. 外交部：中国驻英国大使馆 (accessed October 2026)
  14. GOV.UK: Find a UK visa application centre (China → VFS Global) (accessed October 2026)
  15. GOV.UK: Student visa – money (accessed October 2026)
  16. GOV.UK: Student visa – your partner and children (accessed October 2026)
  17. GOV.UK: Family visa – proof of income for partners (accessed October 2026)
  18. GOV.UK: Immigration health surcharge – who needs to pay (accessed October 2026)
  19. GOV.UK: Tier 1 (Investor) visa – no longer open (accessed October 2026)
  20. GOV.UK: Immigration Rules – Part Suitability (re-entry bans) (accessed October 2026)
  21. HCCH: Apostille Convention status table (accessed October 2026)
  22. GOV.UK: Explanatory memorandum to Statement of Changes HC 1691 (5 March 2026) (accessed October 2026)
  23. GOV.UK: Explanatory memorandum to Statement of Changes HC 584 (3 September 2026) (accessed October 2026)
  24. GOV.UK: Immigration Rules – statements of changes (accessed October 2026)

RelatedRelated guides

Back to the United Kingdom overview