China Visa Information

Requirement for visa application

For the visa application; the applicant should hold his valid passport or other available travel credentials. Generally, the required period of validity of the passport should be at least 6 months longer than the visa's period of validity, or the procedures of your visa application will not be accepted. The photo of the applicant is often attached to the visa. Some are pasted together with visa; some are pasted on visa application form. More photos should be prepared and they must be consistent with those in your passport.

Visa Type

A China visa is permission/proof issued by Chinese visa issuing authorities permitting foreigners entry to, exit from or transit through China. According to foreigners' status, their purposes for coming to China and the passport type, the Chinese visa issuing authorities may separately issue them the diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa or ordinary visa. For the ordinary visa, there are eight categories, separately represented by eight Chinese phonetic letters (C, D, F, G, J-1, J-2, L, X, Z) as the visa code.

C Visa (Crewmember Visa): Issued to crewmembers on international aviation, navigation and land transportation missions and their accompanying family members.

D Visa (Residence Visa): Issued to foreigners who are going to live in China permanently.

F Visa (Business/Visit Visa): Issued to foreigners who are invited to China for a visit, research, lecture, business, scientific-technological and cultural exchanges or short-term advanced studies or intern practice for a period of less than six months.

G Visa (Transit Visa): Issued to those people who transit through China.

L Visa (Tourist Visa): Issued to those who enter China temporarily for touring, family visiting or other personal affairs (multiple-entry is not granted for this category).

X Visa (Study/Student Visa): Issued to foreigners who come to China for study or intern practice for a period of six months or above.

Z Visa (Work Visa): Issued to foreigners who are to take up a post or employment in China, and their accompanying family members.

J Visa (Journalist Visa)

J-1 Visa issued to foreign journalists who are posted to China for at least one year.

J-2 Visa issued to foreign journalists who are on temporary assignment in China.

Visa Extension

After an applicant is granted a visa, they should use the time to complete any other procedures required for leaving their own country before the visa's period of validity expires. But if they are unable to depart for the target country within that period, such as being hospitalized or other unforeseen events due to the force majeure), then you should take the related materials as proof to the embassy and consulate of your target country stationed in your own country and apply for a visa extension.If the visa's expiration date is not long passed, then your application will be granted, or you will fail to get the visa extension.

In normal conditions, the applicant should arrive in and leave the target country within the period of the visa's validity. Otherwise, you overstaying will be deemed as illegal residence, the consequences of which are you may be fined, interned or deported. However, if there are special reasons for your visa extension application, you should go to the immigrant organization in your target country and ask for the visa extension prior to the time of your visas expiration date. If the period of validity and the duration of stay are all expired and you still do not leave this country, you should request for the visa extension immediately with all necessary and valid documentation.

Within the time of your staying in your target country, if you want to apply for the visa of another country (your second target country), you should go the embassies or consulates of that country stationed in your first target country to apply for the visa by holding your valid passport and other required materials.

China Unilateral Visa Free Policy 2024

China has decided to apply unilateral visa-free policy to more countries on a trial basis, which involves extending visa-free treatment to travelers holding ordinary passports from six countries, namely France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. From December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024, citizens from the above-mentioned countries holding ordinary passports can be exempted from visa to enter China and stay for no more than 15 days for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes.