- Capital
- Beijing (BJS)
- Dialing Code
- + 86
- Time Zone
- UTC / GMT +8
- Language
- Mandarin Chinese
- Best Time to Go
- March - May & September - November
- Currency
- Renminbi Yuan (CNY)
Travel Tips
- In some parts of China, the sunrise may be as late as 10am as their five time zones have been combined into one
- Local dialects are spoken including Cantonese, Shanghaiese (also known as Shanghainese), Fuzhou, Hokkien-Taiwanese, Xiang, Gan and Hakka. English is spoken by guides and in many hotels
- Water in hotels and towns is safe to drink
Last updated 29 September 2026
Visa Guide
Foreign Representation in South Africa
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
225 Athlone Street, Arcadia, 0083
Telephone: 012 431 6537
Email: chinaemb_southafrica@mfa.gov.cn
Website: za.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng
Public Holidays
2026
January: 1
February: 16-22
April: 5 - 6
May: 1
June: 19
September: 25
October: 1 - 6
Visa Application Centre
Chinese Visa Application Centres
Website: www.visaforchina.cn
Johannesburg: 14th Floor, Sandton City Office Tower, Corner Rivonia Road & 5th Street, Sandhurst
Telephone: +27 11 5059300
Submission Hours: 9:00 to 15:00
E-mail: johannesburgcenter@visaforchina.org
Durban: 45 Zenith Drive, Umhlanga New Town Center, Durban
Submission Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 to 12:30
Telephone: 087 802 0460
E-mail: durban@visaforchina.org.org
Cape Town: 2nd floor West Office Building, Canal Walk
Submission Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 to 12:30
Telephone: 087 808 5507
E-mail: capetown@visaforchina.org
Visa Requirements
Visas are required by South African passport holders
Visa applications are made online initially, and applicants must then submit their passport at a Visa Application Centre
Requirements:
- Passport: Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and with at least two blank visa pages, a photocopy of the passport's data page, and the photo page if it is separate
- Visa Application Form. Application form to be completed online, printed in colour, and signed
- Passport photo (48mm x 33mm)
- Proof of legal status (applicable for those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)
- Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas
- Documents showing the itinerary including air ticket booking record (round trip) and proof of a hotel reservation, etc., or an invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China
If necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other proof documents or supplementary materials or require an interview with the applicant
MINORS: Applicants under 18 years old must provide:
- The original and photocopy of the unabridged birth certificate of the applicant
- Photocopy of the parents’ passports or ID cards
- Notarized Parental Letter of Consent or the Affidavit from non-accompanying parent(s) authorizing the travel. This letter or affidavit should contain the dates of travel and the parents' contact information
Visa Processing Time
3-6 working days
Visa Cost
Payable on collection
Single entry: R300
Application Service Fee: R1128
Visa Forms
Health / Vaccinations
Compulsory:
- Yellow Fever (Dependant on Country of Origin/Stopover)
Recommended Travel Vaccines:
- Hepatitis A & B
- Japanese Encephalitis (Not available in SA)
- Rabies
- Typhoid
- Tetanus
- Polio
Malaria Risk
South African Representative Abroad
South African Embassy
5 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Beijing, 100600, P.R.C.
Telephone: (+86) 010 8532 0000
E-mail: beijingconsular@dirco.gov.za
Website: dirco1.azurewebsites.net/beijing