Visas for leisure travel to China are quite easy to get, usually granted for a one month's stay. You can contact China National Tourist Office in New York or Los Angeles. Your travel agent or visa services can also help you, or it can also be obtained from Chinese embassies or consulates. In the North America, you can contact Chinese Embassies in Washington DC and Ottawa, or the Consulates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Chicago, Houston, New York, Vancouver, Toronto.

US citizens can stay in Hong Kong without a visa for up to 30 days. For other passport holders, please inquire with your nearest PRC embassies or consulates.

A tourist visa requires an application form, a passport-size photo and a fee depending on visa types. It takes about seven business days for an application to be processed. For Tibet, the Chinese Embassy must get approval from the Tibet Tourism Administration before issuing a visa.