Do I need to apply for a visa to visit China?

    How to identify if an issued Chinese Visa is still valid?

    Under what circumstance a visa to China is exempted? 

    Does a child with Chinese descent who was born in the US need a visa to enter China?

    Documentations for a child with Chinese descent born in US?

   Which type of Chinese visa is eligible to me?   

    Tourist visa (L visa)  

    Business Visa (F visa)             

    Student Visa (X visa)            

    Work Visa (Z visa)    

    Crew Visa (C visa)   

    Resident journalist Visa (J-1 visa)    

    Visiting journalist Visa (J-2 visa)   

    Transit Visa (G visa)     

    Permanent Residence Visa (D visa)         

Do I need to apply for a visa to visit China (mainland)?

Foreign nationals (including those with Chinese origin) must bear valid visa before entering China (except for those who are eligible for Visa Waiver Program). For Chinese visa obtained in the past, the validity of the visa needs to be checked. If the visa is already expired or the entries are all used up, the visa holder should apply for a new visa.

For entry to Hong Kong, please refer to Hong Kong Visa.

How to identify if an issued Chinese Visa is still valid?

Please check carefully if the validity, number of entries and duration of stay on the obtained visa could still meet the need for the trip.

1. Validity (enter before) of a visa is the length of period that the visa is good for, namely from the issuing date to the deadline of entering China for the bearer of the visa. Given the number of entries are sufficient, the bearer is able to enter China at anytime before 12:00am on the expiring date.

A visa becomes void once its period of validity expires regardless of whether its entries are used up or not. The visa holder should apply for a new visa if he or she intends to visit China again.

2. Entries is the number permitted to enter China during the validity of a visa. A visa becomes invalid if there is no more valid number of entries left. To use such a visa will lead to decline of entry.

3. Duration of each stay refers to the longest period of time the bearer of a visa is permitted to stay in China from the date of entry into China on each visit.

Under Chinese law, a foreign national who overstays his or her visa in China is subject to fine and other penalties. If it's necessary to stay in China longer than the duration of stay on the visa, approval must be obtained from a local public security authority above county level 30 days before the duration of stay is running out. The bearer is permitted to stay in China once the application is approved.

Under what circumstance a visa to China is exempted?

A foreign national is exempted from applying for a visa to China under any of the following circumstances:

1. Direct transit

A foreign national who is transiting China by international flight is exempted from applying for a visa only give that he or she is remained in the airport not exceeding 24 hours and has valid air ticket to connect flight with confirmed seating.

Citizens holding passports issued by the following nations are not required to obtain a visa given he or she transit by Shanghai and stay up to 48 hours: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, ROK, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, US .

2. Visiting the Pearl River Delta region

Citizens holding passports issued by the nations with diplomatic relations with China is exempted from applying for a visa if he or she joins tourist group at Hong Kong and Macao organized by registered travel agencies in Hong Kong and Macao to visit the Pearl River Delta region (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Zhaoqing, Huzhou Municipalities) for tourism and stay up to 6 days.

3. Visiting Hainan Province

Citizens holding ordinary passports issued by the following nations is exempted from applying for a visa if he or she joins international tourist group organized by any of the registered travel agencies in Hainan Province which is approved by China National Tourism Administration and stay up to 15 days: Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, U.K, U.S.

4. Nationals of Singapore, Brunei and Japan

Ordinary passport holder of Singapore, Brunei and Japan is exempted from applying for a visa if he or she visits China (mainland) for tourism, business, visiting friends and relatives and enters China by open ports to foreign nationals and stay up to 15 days.

For nationals of these three countries, a visa is requested under following circumstances:

(1) Ordinary passport holder visits China for tourism, business, visiting friends and relatives and stay for more than 15 days.

(2) Ordinary passport holder visits China for the purposes of study, work, official visit, settling down and interview.

(3) Diplomatic and Official passport holder.

5. The APEC Business Travel Card is regarded as a multiple entry visa valid for three years. With this card and relevant passport, the holder is entitled to enter China repeatedly within three years. The duration of each stay should be within 2 months.

6. The bearer of Aliens' Permanent Residence Card

Foreign nationals who visit China for the purposes of study or work and resident foreign journalists shall apply for Aliens' Residence Cards at local public security authorities within 30 days of entry into China.

Within the period of the validity of the Residence Card, the bearer is entitled to enter and exit China repeatedly without applying for another visa.

Does a child with Chinese descent who was born in the US need a visa to enter China?

Given both of his/her parents are Chinese citizens and neither of them is holding a US Green Card, a child of Chinese descent who was born in the US Should apply for a Chinese Travel Document to enter China.

Given both of or one of his/her parents are US citizens or holding a US Green Card, a child of Chinese descent who was born in the US needs a visa to visit China.

Documentations for a child with Chinese descent born in US

A child with Chinese descent born in US applying visa for the first time should provide the original and a photocopy of either parent's foreign passport or green card and Certificate of Birth besides other regular materials.

A child with Chinese descent born in US applying visa who has got chinese visa before could provide a photocopy of former visa instead of either parent's foreign passport or green card or Certificate of Birth.