What Do I Need to Travel to Xiamen, China?

Passports are required by the United States when traveling internationally. Without a passport, you will not be able to enter China. To get a first passport, you must apply in person. You will need to fill out an application and take it with you (unsigned). You must also take with you two passport photos, a photo ID (such as a driver's license) and a certified birth certificate. There will be a fee of about $100 per person as well. For more information and to download the application form, visit the link in the resources section below.

In addition, you will need a visa to enter China. A travel visa is not a credit card. It is a stamp or sticker that is attached to your passport and grants you permission to enter the country for a certain amount of time. China offers two basic types of visas: tourist or business. Each has its own requirements. It is easiest to get a visa if you have your passport first. To get a visa, you must visit the nearest Chinese consulate to your home. Although it is possible to apply through the mail, you cannot simply mail your application to the consulate; you have to go through an agency. When visiting the consulate, be sure to bring a pen to fill out the application, which will ask you about the purpose of your trip. Also, bring a passport photo because some visas include your photo. Be prepared to pay about $130 (this fee might change).

China does not require proof of any immunizations---with the exception of yellow fever if you have traveled recently to a country that has had a yellow fever outbreak. (For a list of such countries, see the CDC link in the resource section below). While China doesn't require vaccines, the CDC does recommend that you are current on your basic vaccinations, such as those obtained in childhood. In addition, the CDC recommends that you have Hepatitis A and B vaccinations if you will be visiting China, as well as vaccinations for typhoid, rabies and Japanese encephalitis.

Another thing to consider when traveling to Xiamen is yellow dust. Each spring, windstorms over the Gobi Desert kick up giant yellow dust clouds, which sweep over eastern China, including Xiamen and even Korea. You will want to have a face mask with you at all times if you are traveling to Xiamen in the spring.

You can enter the city via airplane, bus, train or even ferry. The city boasts a major international airport. Long-distances buses run from every major city in western China, and so does a high-speed train. Ferries leave Hong Kong every day to make round trips to Xiamen. Once you enter the city, pick up a map at the nearest tourist kiosk. It will be very hard to get around the city without a map, especially a map of the bus routes. If you are being picked up by a driver and taken to your hotel, ask your driver or the hotel for a map as well.