1. Please choose the type of visa according to your main reason for going to China
Visa type Scope of applicant
| Visa type | Applicants |
| C | International train attendants, crew members of international aircraft, crew members of international sailing ships and their accompanying family members, and car drivers engaged in international road transport |
| D | Persons who enter China for permanent residence |
| F | Persons who enter China for exchange, visit, study and other activities |
| G | Persons passing through China |
| J1 | Foreign journalists who enter the country for a long period (more than 180 days) |
| J2 | Foreign journalists who enter the country for a short period (no more than 180 days) |
| L | Inbound tourist |
| M | Persons who enter China for commercial or trade activities |
| Q1 | Relatives of Chinese citizens living in China and relatives of foreigners with permanent residence status in China who visit their relatives for a long period (more than 180 days) |
| Q2 | Relatives of Chinese citizens living in China and relatives of foreigners with permanent residence status in China who visit their relatives for a short period (not more than 180 days) |
| R | Foreign high-level talents needed by China and specialized talents urgently needed |
| S1 | Family members of foreigners who stay or reside in China for work, study or other purposes and who need to stay in China for other personal affairs who enter China to visit relatives for a long period (more than 180 days) |
| S2 | Family members of foreigners who stay or reside in China for work, study or other purposes and who need to stay in China for other personal affairs who enter China to visit relatives for a short period (not more than 180 days) |
| X1 | Long-term (more than 180 days) study in China |
| X2 | Short-term (less than 180 days) study in China |
| Z | People working in China |
2. When applying for a visa, you need to prepare the following materials:
(1) Basic application materials
a. Passport: the original passport valid for more than 6 months with blank visa page and 1 photocopy of passport photo information page.
b. Visa application form and photo: 1 visa Application Form of the People’s Republic of China and 1 recent, front, color (light background), bareheaded and passport photo pasted on the application form.
c. Proof of legal stay or residence (applicable to those who apply for visa in a country other than the country of nationality): If you apply for visa in a country other than the country of nationality, you need to provide the valid certificate of legal stay, residence, work or study in the country or the original and copy of the valid www.
d. Original Chinese passport or Original Chinese visa (applicable to those who once had Chinese nationality but later became a foreign nationality): If you apply for a Chinese visa for the first time, you must provide the original Chinese passport and a copy of the passport photo information page; If you have a Chinese visa and apply for a new foreign passport, you must provide the photo page of the original foreign passport and a copy of the Chinese visa you obtained (if the name in the new passport is different from the name in the original passport, you must also provide the relevant official proof of the change of name).
(2) Other supporting application materials
| Visa type | Other supporting application materials |
| C | Letter of guarantee issued by foreign transportation company or invitation letter issued by relevant organizations in China. |
| D | The original and photocopy of the foreigner permanent residence identification form issued by the Ministry of Public Security of China. Please note: The holder shall apply for a residence permit to the exit/entry administration authority of the public security organ under the local people’s government at or above the county level in the place of his/her intended residence within 30 days after entering China. |
| F | An invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China. The invitation must contain the following: (1) The invitee’s personal information: name, sex, date of birth, etc.; (2) Information of the invitee: purpose of visit, date of arrival and departure, place of visit, relationship with the invitee, source of expenses, etc.; (3) Inviting unit or inviter information: name of inviting unit or inviter, contact number, address, company seal, legal representative or signature of inviter, etc. |
| G | A connecting flight (bus, boat) ticket with a confirmed date and seat to the destination country or region. |
| J1 | Visa notification letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and official letter issued by the media where the journalist works. Applicants should first contact with the information office of the Chinese Embassy or consulate to complete the relevant procedures. Please note: The holder shall apply for a residence permit to the exit/entry administration authority of the public security organ under the local people’s government at or above the county level in the place of his/her intended residence within 30 days after entering China. |
| J2 | Visa notification letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The People’s Republic of China or relevant units and official letter issued by the media where the journalist works. Applicants should first contact with the information office of the Chinese Embassy or consulate to complete the relevant procedures. |
| L | Travel materials such as round-trip air ticket order and hotel order, or invitation letter issued by units or individuals in China. The invitation must contain the following: (1) The invitee’s personal information: name, sex, date of birth, etc.; (2) Itinerary information of the invitees: arrival and departure dates, tourist locations, etc.; (3) Inviting unit or inviter information: name of inviting unit or inviter, contact number, address, company seal, legal representative or signature of inviter, etc. |
| M | Business activity documents, trade fair invitations and other invitation letters issued by trade partners in China. The invitation must contain the following: (1) Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc.; (2) Information of the invitee: purpose of visit, date of arrival and departure, place of visit, relationship with the invitee or the invitee, source of expenses, etc. (3) Information of inviting company or inviter: name of inviting company or inviter, contact number, address, company seal, legal representative or signature of inviter, etc. |
| Q1 | For family reunion purposes, provide: (1) An invitation letter issued by a Chinese citizen living in China or a foreigner with permanent residence status in China, which must contain the following contents: a. Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc.; b. Information of the invitee: purpose of visit, date of arrival, place of residence, duration of stay, relationship with the invitee, source of fees, etc.; c. Inviter information: inviter name, contact number, address, signature, etc. (2) a copy of the inviter’s Chinese identity card or a copy of the foreigner’s passport and permanent residence card; (3) the family members of the relationship between the applicant and the inviter (spouse, parents, children, their children’s spouses, brothers and sisters, paternal grandparents, maternal grandparents and grandchildren or maternal grandchildren and spouse’s parents) certificate (marriage certificate, birth certificate, issued by the local police station or kinship to prove this relationship notarial deed, etc.) the original and photocopy. If it is for foster care, provide: (1) The foster care power of attorney notarized by the Chinese embassy or consulate abroad or notarized by the country of residence or China; (2) The original and copy of the client’s passport and the certificate of kinship between the client and the foster child (marriage certificate, birth certificate, kinship certificate or notarial certificate issued by the police station); (3) the letter of consent issued by the foster care trustee and a copy of his/her identity card; (4) If both or one of the parents of the foster child is a Chinese citizen, a copy of the certificate of residence abroad of the Chinese parents at the time of the child’s birth shall also be provided. |
| Q2 | (1) A letter of invitation issued by a Chinese citizen residing in China or a foreign citizen with permanent residence status in China. The invitation must contain the following: a. Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc.; b. Visit information of the invitees: purpose of visit, arrival and departure date, visit place, relationship with the invitees, source of expenses, etc.; c. Inviter information: name, contact number, address, signature of inviter, etc. (2) A copy of the inviter’s Chinese identity card or a copy of the foreigner’s passport and permanent residence permit. |
| R | It shall comply with the conditions and requirements for the introduction of foreign high-level talents and urgently needed specialized talents as determined by the competent authorities of the Chinese government, and submit the corresponding certification materials in accordance with the relevant regulations. |
| S1 | Shall provide: (1) an invitation letter issued by a foreigner residing in China. The invitation must contain the following: a. Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc.; b. Information of the invitee: purpose of visit, date of arrival, place of residence, duration of stay, relationship with the invitee, source of fees, etc.; c. Inviter information: name, contact number, address, signature of inviter, etc. (2) copies of the inviter’s passport and residence permit; (3) The original and photocopy of the certificate of kinship between the applicant and the inviter (spouse, parents, children under the age of 18, spouse’s parents) (marriage certificate, birth certificate, kinship certificate or notarial certificate issued by the police station). Please note: The holder shall apply for a residence permit to the exit/entry administration authority of the public security organ under the local people’s government at or above the county level in the place of his/her intended residence within 30 days after entering China. |
| S2 | For short-term visits, the following items should be provided: (1) a copy of the passport and residence permit of the inviter (specifically the foreigner staying or residing in China for work, study, etc.); (2) the invitation letter issued by the inviter. The invitation must contain the following: a. Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc.; b. Visit information of the invitees: purpose of visit, arrival and departure date, visit place, relationship with the invitees, source of expenses, etc.; c. Inviter information: name, contact number, address, signature of inviter, etc. (3) the family members of the family relationship between the applicant and the inviter (spouse, parents, children, their children’s spouses, brothers and sisters, paternal grandparents, maternal grandparents and grandchildren or maternal grandchildren and spouse’s parents) certificate (marriage certificate, birth certificate, issued by the local police station or kinship to prove this relationship notarial deed, etc.) to be copied. If it is a personal matter, evidence of the personal matter must be provided upon request by the consular officer. |
| X1 | (1) The original and photocopy of the admission letter issued by the enrollment institutions in China; (2) Original and photocopy of Visa Application Form for Foreigners to Study in China (JW201 or JW202). Please note: The holder shall apply for a residence permit to the exit/entry administration authority of the public security organ under the local people’s government at or above the county level in the place of his/her intended residence within 30 days after entering China. |
| X2 | The original and photocopy of the admission letter issued by the institutions in China. |
| Z | One of the following supporting materials must be provided: (1) human resources and social security department “foreigner employment permit certificate” issued by the working period of not more than 90 days, still need to provide short-term work certificate of aliens in China, and the applicant must be in the “short-term work proved that foreigners in China” marked on the starting date before applying for a visa, work time can’t more than short-term work certificate of aliens in China note period; (2) Work Permit for Foreign Experts in China or Work Permit Notice for Foreigners issued by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs; (3) The Registration Certificate of the Resident Representative Office of a Foreign enterprise issued by the administrative department for industry and commerce; (4) the cultural approval documents issued by the competent administrative departments of commercial performance (only applicable to China for commercial performance of the applicant) and the confirmation of the foreigners working in China in the short term, and the applicant must be in the “short-term work proved that foreigners in China” marked on the starting date before applying for a visa, time can’t more than the performance of aliens in China in the short term work certificate period of note; (5) Invitation Letter for Foreigners to Engage in Offshore Oil Operations in the People’s Republic of China issued by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation; Please note: The holder shall apply for a residence permit to the exit/entry administration authority of the public security organ under the local people’s government at or above the county level in the place of his/her intended residence within 30 days after entering China. |
3. Special tips
(1) The invitation letter may be a faxed copy or printed copy, but the consular officer may request the applicant to provide the original invitation letter.
(2) If necessary, the consular officer may, as the case may be, request the applicant to provide other supporting documents or supplementary materials, or request the applicant to submit to an interview.
(3) The consular officer shall decide whether to issue a visa, the validity period of the visa, the length of stay and the number of entries of the visa according to the specific circumstances of the applicant.
For further details, please refer to the websites of relevant Chinese embassies and consulates overseas.
4，How to Apply for China visa online
(1) From 1st August 2020, applicants(except for applicants applying for Hong Kong SAR visa and Macao SAR visa) will be required to fill in electronic application forms at https://cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn,and directly enter the visa appointment page through the appointment link, or pre-book appointment time slots at https://avas.cs.mfa.gov.cn. Applicants can also fill in their electronic application forms and make appointments for visas through China Visa Application Service Center’s website https://www.visaforchina.org.
After completing the online application forms and appointments, applicants are required to print out the application form and the confirmation page, sign on the above-mentioned documents, and then submit their passports and other application documents to China Visa Application Service Center in your district. Click here to find Chinese embassies in your country.
(2) From 1st August 2020 to 31st August 2020, applicants can still use the existing physical paper application forms. Starting from 1st September 2020, all applicants will have to be submitted through the online application system.
(3) Applicants who hold a diplomatic, official passport or who are members of important official delegations, are not required to make appointments online. The above-mentioned applicants will only need to complete the online application forms at https://cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn or https://www.visaforchina.org,and print out the confirmation page and application form. After signing the above-mentioned forms, they could proceed to submit their passports and other application documents directly to the Chinese Consulate-General in Dubai.
(4) The visa application process for Hong Kong SAR visa and Macao SAR visa will remain the same. There is no need to fill in the forms online or make appointments for submission so far. During the COVID-19 period, applicants are advised to visit the official websites of the Government of Hong Kong SAR immigration department(https://www.immd.gov.hk) and the Government of Macao SAR Public Security Police Force(https://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/cht/main.html) to check the latest visa application policy.
(5) Reminder from the Chinese Consulate-General again that there is no change of China visa application policy during the COVID-19 period. Chinese Consulate-General still only accepts visa applications for visiting China for necessary purposes, including for trade, scientific and technological activities,as well as urgent humanitarian demands.