The Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) in Dubai has posted a notice advising applicants to expect **up to 30 working days** (roughly six calendar weeks) to process L-class tourist visas during the July–August high season. The warning came after multiple applicants on 31 July reported extended waits and additional document requests on the r/UAE and r/Chinavisa sub-forums. Staff attribute the backlog to a post-pandemic rebound in outbound travel from the Gulf, compounded by a recent requirement that UAE residents submit a "No-Objection Certificate" (NOC) from their employer and detailed bank statements showing a minimum monthly balance of AED 15,000 (≈ USD 4,000). Previously, most leisure travellers could obtain visas in 4–5 working days with express service. Travel agencies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi say the new NOC and financial-solvency checks have led to a 40 % increase in incomplete applications being returned for clarification. Chinese consular officials have not commented publicly, but agents believe the measures aim to deter visa overstays after several high-profile cases of illegal employment by Gulf residents on tourist visas in mainland China. For businesses arranging last-minute incentive trips or site visits to China’s free-trade zones, the practical implication is clear: build in at least six weeks between document collection and intended departure, and budget an extra AED 220 per passport for optional SMS status updates. Frequent-traveller clients holding five-year multi-entry M visas (available to some UAE companies) remain unaffected, but slots for those interviews are fully booked until late September. Mobility managers should also note that CVASC Abu Dhabi has *not* introduced the higher balance threshold, creating an opportunity to route applications there if domicile permits. Meanwhile, the National Immigration Administration is reportedly studying an expansion of its 15-day visa-free pilot for UAE nationals visiting Hainan; an announcement could come ahead of China’s Mid-Autumn Festival in late September.
Source: r/UAE & r/Chinavisa
