1. InterNations worldwide
2. »
3. Guides
4. »
5. China Expats
6. »
7. China Guide
8. »
9. Moving to China

China at a Glance

Visa Types and Requirements for China

The summer palace in Beijing is a tourist hot spot in China.

Visa Requirements

There are various types of visa for China, all of which are categorized with enigmatic abbreviations such as “C visa” or “X visa”. These abbreviations are based on the Chinese designations for specific visa categories: C (chuányuán = crew), L (lǎowài = foreigner, tourist), X (xuéshēng = student), J (jìzhě = journalist), G (guòjìng = transit) etc.

Thus, an L visa is the one you will need to enter the country as a visitor for private purposes – for a sightseeing tour or coming to see a friend. Since such an L visa is initially valid for 30 days and can only be renewed in the country twice, it is indeed the sort of visa a typical tourist rather than an expat needs.

Applying for an L visa requires a completed application form, a valid passport (i.e. valid for six months or more), and a recent passport photograph. Since November 2011, you also need a copy of your flight ticket, your hotel reservation, and a signed itinerary. If you are invited by a friend or family member, you should enclose their letter of invitation and a copy of their residence permit, too.

Short-Term Visa

If you are planning to come for a short-term assignment, a business trip, a language course, an internship, or a term at a Chinese university, you should look into applying for a so-called F visa. This visa addresses the need of non-tourist visitors who would like to stay in China for commercial or academic purposes for up to six months.

For the application to be successful, you have to produce an invite from the Chinese government, an associated company, relevant Chinese institution, or a letter of acceptance that shows you have a place at a Chinese university or language school.

Long-Term Visa

Expats who want to stay longer than for six months usually go for the Z visa. This kind of visa is intended for foreign businesspeople, employees and their family members (unless they are international journalists, who have a category of their own, the J1/J2 visa). The Z visa always requires several official documents: a letter of invitation, a health certificate covering a recent medical exam (including an HIV test), and an employment license.

For the employment license, you need to have a status as a “foreign expert” with special qualifications, e.g. as an EFL-teaching native speaker with a B. Ed., or a contract from a company officially accredited to employ foreign nationals. Fulfilling these requirements will help you (or rather your future employer) obtain this employment license or, alternatively, a document proving your “foreign expert status” issued by the SAFEA (State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs).

Applying for a Visa

Once you have all the necessary documents, including a completed application form, a valid passport and proof of relation for each family member, go to the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate to handle your visa application in person. To be on the safe side, leave at least four to eight weeks before the planned entry date.

If you intend to stay in the country for longer than six months, you also have to undergo a comprehensive medical exam before you leave, complete with official health certificate, chest X-rays, ECG, and testing for HIV and syphilis. This applies to both Z visa (as mentioned above) as well as long-term student (X) visa.

Residence Permits

A temporary residence permit is indeed a legal requirement. Even a Z visa is only valid for 30 days. Before the end of this period, you have to exchange it for said residence permit, which is basically a visa by another name. Usually, this permit is valid for one year, depending on your employment contract or the length of your university course. (After that initial period, you have to renew it.) Your company, university etc. will probably help you with the bureaucratic hassle involved in getting a temporary residence permit.