Visa & Work Permit: Types of Chinese visa
- Apr 30, 2024
- Posted by: sinovestconsulting
- Category: Legal & Regulation
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Types of Chinese visa
The Chinese visa is a document issued by Chinese consulates or embassies to foreign citizens, allowing them entry into China for a specific purpose, such as tourism, business, work, or study. The type of visa required depends on the purpose of the visit and the duration of stay. Chinese visa types are divided into diplomatic visa, Courtesy visa, official visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visa is mainly divided into the following categories:
Visa types
- L Visa: Issued to foreigners who intend to visit China for tourism or family visits.
- M Visa: Issued to foreigners who plan to conduct business activities in China, such as attending trade fairs, conferences, or meetings.
- Z Visa: Issued to foreigners who have obtained employment in China. This visa requires an official invitation from a Chinese employer and is typically valid for 30 days after entry, during which the holder must apply for a residence permit.
- C Visa: International train crew members, international aircraft crew members, crew members of international navigation ships and their accompanying family members, and automobile drivers engaged in international road transportation）
- D Visa: Permanent resident in China
- F Visa: Personnel who go to China to engage in exchange, visit, investigation and other activities）
- G Visa: Issued to foreigners who transit through China to a third country or region. It is usually valid for 7 to 10 days and allows a short stay in China.
- R Visa: China needs foreign high-level talents and urgently needs specialized talents）
- J1, J2 Visa: J1 Visa for Foreign resident journalists who are resident in Chinese news organizations for more than 180 days; J2 Visa for foreign journalists who are resident in China for a short period of time (no more than 180 days)）
- Q1, Q2 Visa: Q1 family members of Chinese citizens who apply for residence in China due to family reunion (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouse, brothers and sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, grandchildren and parents of spouse) and family members of foreigners with permanent residence in China (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouse, brothers and sisters, grandparents and grandparents) Parents, grandchildren, grandchildren and the parents of their spouses), as well as those who apply for residence in China due to foster care and other reasons; Q2 relatives of Chinese citizens living in China and foreigners with permanent residence in China who visit relatives in China for a short period (no more than 180 days)）
- S1, S2 Visa: S1 refers to the spouses, parents, children under the age of 18, parents of foreigners who stay in China for long-term (more than 180 days) visiting relatives in China, and the parents of their spouses, as well as the personnel who need to stay in China due to other private affairs; S2 those who visit China for short-term (no more than 180 days) stay in China due to work, study and other reasons Family members (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouse, brothers and sisters, grandparents, grandparents, grandchildren, grandchildren and parents of spouses) and those who need to stay in China due to other private affairs）
- X1, X2 Visa: X1 long-term (more than 180 days) study in China; x2 short-term (no more than 180 days) study personnel in China）
Holders of visa D, Q1, J1, S1, X1 and Z must apply for residence at local public security organs above the county level within 30 days from the date of entry.
