The short answer
It depends on the visa. For a tourist (L) visa, an invitation letter is optional: a round-trip ticket and hotel booking work instead. Family visits (Q1 and Q2) need a letter from a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with Chinese permanent residence, plus a copy of their ID. A business (M) visa needs documents about the business activity from your trade partner in China.
- Tourist (L)
- Itinerary or an invitation letter
- Family visit (Q2, up to 180 days)
- Letter + inviter's ID copy
- Family reunion (Q1, over 180 days)
- Letter + ID copy + proof of relationship
- Business (M)
- Commercial documents from your Chinese partner
- Online application
- A scan or copy is accepted
Reviewed by the Markham Visa China visa team · Last checked November 6, 2026
Do I need an invitation letter for a China visa?
| Visa | Purpose | What the consulate asks for |
|---|---|---|
| L | Tourism | A round-trip ticket and hotel booking, or an invitation letter from a company or person in China |
| M | Business and trade | Documents on the commercial activity issued by your trade partner in China |
| Q2 | Visiting family, up to 180 days | An invitation letter from a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with Chinese permanent residence, and a copy of their ID |
| Q1 | Family reunion, over 180 days | An invitation letter, a copy of the inviter's Chinese ID, and the original proof of your relationship |
Every application also needs a passport with at least six months of validity and blank visa pages. If you're not a Canadian citizen, add proof of your legal status in Canada.
Who can invite me for a family visit (Q1 or Q2)?
- A Chinese citizen, or a foreign citizen who holds a Chinese permanent residence permit.
- Q2 (stays up to 180 days): include a photocopy of the inviter's Chinese ID, front and back — or, if the inviter is a foreigner, a copy of their passport's photo page.
- Q1 (stays over 180 days, family reunion): include a photocopy of the inviter's Chinese ID, front and back, and the original of the document that proves your relationship, such as a marriage or birth certificate.
What does a business (M) visa need instead of a letter?
The consulate's checklist asks for documents on the commercial activity issued by your trade partner in China — for example, papers about the trade fair, contract or meetings you're going for. It doesn't use the words "invitation letter" for the M visa, so a vague letter that only says you're invited is weaker than documents that show what the business is.
What should the invitation letter say?
The consulate doesn't publish a template or a required list of fields. The points below are our own checklist — what we look for so the letter supports the rest of your application.
- Your full name exactly as in your passport, and your date of birth and passport number.
- Who is inviting you: their full name, address and phone number in China, and — for family visits — how you're related.
- Why you're going and the dates and cities you'll visit, matching what you put on the application form.
- The inviter's signature (or, for a company, its stamp) and the date.
The most common problem isn't a missing field — it's a letter that doesn't match the form: different dates, a different city, or a name spelled differently from the passport.
Can I use a scanned copy of the letter?
Yes. For the online application, the consulate accepts a copy or scan of the invitation letter. Keep the original: the visa officer may ask to see it.
Do Canadians need a visa for China at all right now?
Not for every trip. Canadian passport holders can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits and transit until 31 December 2026. A longer family visit, a trip after that date, or a non-Canadian passport still means a visa — and usually the letter above.
Doing it yourself vs. using a visa service
Doing it yourself
- Work out which visa and documents apply, and brief your relative or partner in China on the letter.
- Cross-check the letter, ID copies and form against each other by hand.
- Inconsistencies tend to surface at the counter or as a refusal.
With Markham Visa
- We tell you which visa type fits the trip, and whether you need one at all.
- We check the letter and the inviter's ID copy against your passport and the application before submission.
- If anything doesn't match, we flag the exact line to fix — before it costs you a visit.
A letter is easy to get; a letter that matches everything else is what matters. If your family or business dates are fixed, have the whole set checked together.
Start your China visa
We check your letter, documents and form against each other — and tell you honestly if your trip doesn't need a visa at all.
Start your China visa →Frequently asked questions
Is an invitation letter mandatory for a China tourist visa?
No. For an L (tourist) visa you can submit a round-trip ticket and hotel booking instead. An invitation letter from a company or person in China is an alternative, not an extra requirement.
Who can write an invitation letter for a Q2 visa?
A Chinese citizen, or a foreign citizen with a Chinese permanent residence permit. Include a copy of their Chinese ID (front and back), or the photo page of a foreign inviter's passport.
Does the invitation letter need to be the original?
Not for the online application — a copy or scan is accepted. Keep the original, because the visa officer may ask for it.
I'm a permanent resident of Canada on another passport. What else do I need?
Proof of your legal status in Canada, on top of the documents for your visa type. The visa fee also depends on your passport, so your total won't match a Canadian's.
Official sources
- Consulate-General of the PRC in Toronto — Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application — checked November 6, 2026
Rules change. This guide is general information, not legal advice — always check the official source before you travel, and ask us about your own situation.