1. Visa Requirements for Entering China:
As of January 11, the National Immigration Administration officially implemented five measures to facilitate foreigners coming to China. These measures aim to address issues related to business, study, tourism, and other activities for foreigners, better serving high-level opening-up and promoting high-quality development.
The first one is relaxed conditions for foreign nationals applying for port visas to enter China: Foreigners who urgently need to enter China for business cooperation, visits, investment, family visits, or private matters and are unable to obtain a visa abroad can apply for a port visa upon arrival. This requires relevant proof materials such as an invitation letter at the port visa authorities.
The second one is that foreign nationals can transit directly through major airports such as Beijing Capital International Airport without undergoing inspection procedures for up to 24 hours. Foreign nationals can transit through nine international airports — Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Xiamen Gaoqi, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao'an, Chengdu Tianfu, and Xi'an Xianyang — without going through border inspection procedures for up to 24 hours. Travelers holding international connecting tickets for travel within 24 hours can transit directly through any of these airports to a third country or region without the need for border inspection procedures.
The third one is that foreign nationals in China can apply for visa extensions, renewals, or replacements at nearby service centers. Foreign nationals coming to China for short-term activities such as business cooperation, visits and exchanges, investment and entrepreneurship, family visits, tourism, or handling personal affairs that are non-diplomatic or non-official in nature, and who have valid reasons to extend their stay in China, can apply for visa extension, renewal, or reissuance at the local public security immigration administration office in their place of stay.
The fourth one is that foreign nationals in China who need to enter and exit multiple times can apply for a multiple-entry visa. Foreigners who need to enter and exit China multiple times for legitimate reasons can apply for a multiple-entry visa at the exit-entry administration office, provided they have relevant proof materials such as an invitation letter.
The fifth one is that the application materials for visas and documents for foreign nationals in China have been simplified. When applying for a visa or related documents, foreign nationals can be exempt from presenting relevant physical documents if their accommodation registration records, business licenses, and other information can be verified through information sharing. Additionally, for foreign nationals in China applying for short-term family visit visas, an invitation letter declaring the familial relationship can replace formal proof of relationship.
National Immigration Administration WeChat Official Account:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vOBG01da6KuSwmzme4RKIA
China Visa online form filling system:
2. Travel to China — L Visa
Required Documents:
China Consular Affairs:
http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/cjwdn_660600/201407/t20140717_961493.shtml
(1) Passport: An original passport valid for more than 6 months with at least one blank visa page, and a photocopy of the passport's information page.
(2) Visa application form and photo: One completed "Chinese Visa Application Form" and one recent passport-sized color photo with a light background, affixed to the application form.
(3) Proof of legal stay or residency (for applications made outside the country of nationality): If you are applying for a visa outside your country of nationality, you need to provide proof of legal stay, residence, work, or study in the country where you are applying, including both the original and a photocopy of the valid visa or residency permit.
(4) Original Chinese passport or previous Chinese visa (for applicants who had Chinese nationality and later acquired foreign nationality): If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you need to provide the original Chinese passport and a photocopy of its information page. If you have previously held a Chinese visa and are now applying with a new foreign passport, you need to provide a photocopy of the information page of the original foreign passport and the previously issued Chinese visa. If the name on the new passport differs from that on the original passport, you must also provide official documents proving the name change.
(5) Round-trip flight tickets and hotel reservations, or an invitation letter from a unit or individual in China. The invitation letter must include the following details:
· Invited person's information: name, gender, date of birth, etc.
· Travel itinerary: dates of arrival and departure, travel destinations, etc.
· Inviting unit or individual’s information: name of the inviting unit or individual, contact phone number, address, unit seal, and signature of the legal representative or inviter.
Consular officers may also request additional documents related to the application depending on the individual case.
This English website allows you to make an appointment and fill in the visa application form directly, without jumping to other links, you can do it on this website:
https://english.beijing.gov.cn/travellinginbeijing/visa/gettingavisa/202005/t20200519_1901735.html
French:
Spanish:
https://spanish.beijing.gov.cn/travellinginbeijing/visa/gettingavisa/202009/t20200930_2104496.html
Russian:
Japanese:
https://japanese.beijing.gov.cn/travellinginbeijing/visa/202007/t20200727_1962264.html
Korean:
https://korean.beijing.gov.cn/travellinginbeijing/visa/gettingavisa/202010/t20201010_2107147.html
3. 240-hour visa-free transit (latest update)
The National Immigration Administration issued an announcement on December 17th, fully relaxing and optimizing the transit visa-free policy. The stay time for transit visa-free foreigners in China has been extended from the original 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours (10 days), and 21 new ports of entry and exit have been added for transit visa-free personnel, further expanding the area of stay and activities.
Eligible citizens from 54 countries including Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, who are transiting through China to a third country (region), can enter China visa-free from any of the 60 open ports in 24 provinces (regions, cities), and stay and engage in activities in the designated area for no more than 240 hours. Compared with the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy, the biggest feature of this policy adjustment is that it allows cross-regional travel, that is, transit visa-free foreigners can travel across provinces within the allowed area of stay and activities in 24 provinces (regions, cities).
European countries (40): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway;
American countries (6): United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile;
Oceanian countries (2): Australia, New Zealand;
Asian countries (6): South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
National Immigration Administration: https://en.nia.gov.cn
4. Booking flights
You can download the Trip.com app to book flights.
