You can apply directly at your local Chinese embassy and do not need an agency to act on your behalf. In our experience however Chinese embassies are quite bureaucratic and often not very clear what exactly they require. Information found on the internet or even on the embassy website is also quite often incorrect or outdated. Especially if you do not have much time left, we recommend that you find an experienced Chinese visa agency in your country, as they will be familiar with the processes at the embassy you are applying at and can ensure that there are no delays. You also won’t have to travel to the embassy yourself to apply or pick up your visa, which means a lot less hassle for you. Note: If you use an agency, please make sure they are experienced in applying for Chinese visas and do so frequently. What makes a visa agency valuable is their experience of going to the Chinese embassy every day to apply for Chinese visas on clients' behalf. That will mean they are familiar with the staff and up-to-date with processes there. A visa agency that only applies for a Chinese visa once in a while will not know the processes intimately and so won’t be able to give you any more information than what is already written on this website.