Short answer: Where you apply decides what you need. If you apply at the Chinese embassy in your own country of nationality, you usually just need a normal M (business) visa with a company invitation letter from the factory or your China agent. But if you apply from a country that is not your own — you're abroad, a third-country applicant — the consulate requires an official TE letter (an invitation verification letter issued through an authorized unit in China), on top of the visa application. A China-based partner who is an authorized inviter can obtain that TE letter for you and host your factory visits.
This is the distinction almost no online guide explains — and it's exactly where sourcing trips get delayed. Here's how it really works.
Scenario A — You apply in your own country: the M visa
If you hold, say, a UK passport and apply at the Chinese visa centre in the UK, this is the straightforward path:
- You apply for the M visa (business/trade — for factory visits, negotiating, and placing orders).
- You supply a company invitation letter from a registered Chinese entity — the factory or a China-based sourcing agent — confirming the business purpose.
- Standard supporting documents: passport (6+ months validity), application form, photo, itinerary.
That company invitation letter is easy to get from a China-based partner, because one host can cover all the factories on your trip instead of you chasing a separate letter from each supplier.
> Use the M visa — not a tourist (L) visa — for buying trips. An L visa used for business can cause problems at the border and for future applications.
Scenario B — You apply outside your home country: the TE letter
This is the part that catches people out. If you are not in your country of nationality when you apply — for example, an Iraqi national applying from the UAE, or any traveler who needs the visa while abroad — a plain company invitation letter is not enough. The consulate requires an official invitation verification letter, commonly the TE letter (or PU letter), issued through an authorized unit / foreign affairs office in China — not just a company on its own letterhead.
In other words:
| You are applying… | What you need |
|---|---|
| In your own country | M visa + a company invitation letter |
| In a third country (not your own) | M visa + an official TE letter (invitation verification letter from an authorized Chinese unit) |
The TE letter is a higher bar precisely because it's verified through an authorized body in China. You can't produce it yourself, and most factories can't either — which is the whole reason a china-side partner matters here.
What is a "TE letter," exactly?
A TE letter is an official invitation verification letter for business/trade travel to China, issued via an authorized unit (an entity approved to invite foreign business visitors). It confirms — to the consulate abroad — that a legitimate Chinese party is inviting you for genuine commercial purposes. It's the document that unlocks a China business visa when you're applying outside your home country.
Why being able to issue one is a trust signal. Not every "sourcing agent" can produce a TE letter. Only a company that is legally registered in China, filing with the authorities and paying tax there can become an authorized inviter — and reaching that status is a long, vetted process. So if a partner can actually issue you a TE letter, that's hard evidence they're a real, registered, tax-paying Chinese company — not an anonymous middleman or an offshore reseller you can't hold accountable. In an industry full of faceless "agents," the TE letter doubles as a background check on the partner you're about to hand your money to.
What the invitation needs to contain
Whether it's a company letter or a TE letter, the details must match your passport exactly — the single most common rejection cause is a mismatched name, passport number, or date.
- Your details: full name, gender, date of birth, passport number and expiry (copied from your passport)
- Purpose & itinerary: business/trade purpose, arrival and departure dates, cities you'll visit
- The inviter: the authorized Chinese entity, with the legal representative's signature and the official red stamp (chop), plus the business-licence copy with seal
Apply 2–3 weeks before you travel — and earlier around the Canton Fair and Chinese New Year.
How Trade Entrust handles it — including the TE letter
Because we're a registered, authorized partner in China, we handle whichever path you're on:
- Applying at home? We issue and stamp your company invitation letter from a copy of your passport, matched to your cities and dates.
- Applying from a third country? We arrange the official TE letter through the authorized channel so your visa isn't rejected for a missing verification letter.
- We build a realistic factory-visit itinerary grouped by city, then host and accompany the visits — translating on the factory floor so you see the real line, not a showroom.
- We handle the ground logistics: airport pickup, transport between factories, and interpreting during negotiations.
If you can't travel at all, we can visit and video-audit the factories on your behalf.
Quick checklist before you book flights
- [ ] Passport valid 6+ months with blank pages
- [ ] Decide where you'll apply — your home country (M visa + company letter) or abroad (TE letter required)
- [ ] Fix your cities and dates, then get the invitation matched to them exactly
- [ ] Apply for the M visa 2–3 weeks out
- [ ] Book refundable flights until the visa is stamped
Getting the right letter for the right country is the whole game. Match it correctly and a China buying trip is one of the highest-return moves a serious importer can make.
Planning a buying trip — or stuck on the TE letter because you're applying abroad? Talk to our team; we'll arrange the right invitation and line up the factories to visit. See also our factory-visit preparation guide.