Before you enter China you have to have a valid passport which is an official government document that will permit you back into your place of origin. It certifies ones country and is also a requirement to enter other countries but traveling to China you will also need a Chinese Visa. This is a endorsement by the Chinese officials that will allow you into China. You can obtain these from the consulates of China through their visa service. There are several types of visas but if you are going on vacation there you will only need a single or double entry. The single visa will give you permission to stay in China for 90 days where the double entry gives you permission to leave mainland China once while your visiting and enter the country again in the same 90 day time frame.
These visas can be obtained in several ways but the fastest way is by using sites online to handle this for you. They handle same day visa that when applied for it would be returned to you on the same day but these types of visas are limited. Priority overnight means you can apply for it one day and receive it back the next morning. Rush service usually takes up to three days and then there is standard service which is approximately five days waiting. If you were to do this on your own it could take up to six weeks before you get your visa back There is also a multiple entry visa but it is used just for business. This type of visa is more complicated than the single or double entry visa. You should apply for your visa in advance of your trip to ensure there will be no problems once you leave home.
