China will resume the issuance of all types of visas including tourist visa for foreigners starting on March 15

14 March 2023

Notice on Further Adjustments to the Visa and Entry Policies for Foreigners Coming to China

Following adjustments to the Chinese visa and entry policies for foreigners will be effective from 00:00 Beijing Time on March 15, 2023:

1. Chinese visas issued before March 28, 2020 and still within validity can be used to enter China.

2. Chinese embassies and consulates abroad will resume issue various types of visas for foreigners coming to China. Specific requirements are detailed in the application instructions.

3. Port visa-issuing authorities will resume issuing various types of port visas including tourist visa that meet statutory requirements.

4. 30-day Hainan visa-free travel, visa-free entry for international cruise passengers arrival at Shanghai, visa-free entry for groups of foreigners entering Guangdong from Hong Kong and Macao, and visa-free entry for ASEAN tourist groups entering Guilin, Guangxi, will be restored.

Starting from March 15, 2023, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates will accept the following visa applications:

(1) L Visa

Issued to individuals who enter China for tourism purposes.

Main application materials: round-trip airline tickets and hotel reservations. Group L visas are issued based on the “Tourist Invitation Letter” issued by authorized tourist agencies.

(2) M Visa

Issued to individuals who enter China for necessary business activities.

Main application materials: invitation letters issued by Chinese domestic inviting units (including the contact person and mobile phone number of the domestic inviting unit).

(3) F Visa

Issued to individuals who enter China for important non-business activities such as exchanges, visits, and inspections.

Main application materials: invitation letters issued by Chinese domestic inviting units.

(4) Z Visa

Issued to individuals who enter China for work purposes.

Main application materials: “Foreigner's Work Permit Notification”.

(5) Q1, Q2 Visa

Issued to family members of Chinese citizens who are entering China for family reunion or visiting purposes, or to foreign family members who hold Chinese permanent residence permits, including spouses, parents, parents-in-law, children, children-in-law, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Main application materials: invitation letters issued by Chinese citizens and foreign permanent residents; proof of kinship; copies of the Chinese identity card of the inviting person or the foreign passport and Chinese permanent residence permit.

(6) S1, S2 Visa

Issued to the immediate family members of foreigners who reside in China for work, study, or other reasons, including spouses, parents, parents-in-law, and children under the age of 18, as well as to individuals who need to stay in China for private affairs.

Main application materials: invitation letters issued by the inviting person; proof of kinship; copies of the inviting person's passport and residence permit. If it is for private affairs, relevant proof materials should be provided according to the requirements of consular officers.

(7) X1, X2 Visa

Issued to individuals who enter China for long-term or short-term study purposes.

Main application materials: For X1 visa, original and copy of the “Foreign Student Visa Application Form” (JW201/202 form) and the original and copy of the school admission notice. For X2 visa, the original and copy of the admission notice issued by the Chinese institution.

(8) J1, J2 Visa

Issued to foreign resident journalists of foreign news agencies in China and foreign journalists who enter China for short-term interviews and reports.

Main application materials: Resident journalists should provide the visa notification letter issued by the Press Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and a public letter issued by the media organization where they work. Temporary journalists should provide the visa notification letter issued by the Press Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry or the authorized unit, and a public letter issued by the media organization where they work. Applicants should contact the Consular Office of the Embassy first and complete the relevant procedures.

(9) C Visa

Issued to crew members and sailors performing transportation, aviation, and shipping tasks.

Main application materials: guarantee letter issued by foreign transportation companies or invitation letters issued by relevant units in China.

(10) D Visa

Issuing target: Permanent residents entering China

Main application materials: Confirmation of permanent residency status in China issued by the Ministry of Public Security

(11) G Visa

Issuing target: Transit passengers to other countries (regions) through China

Main application materials: A confirmed itinerary including connecting flights, trains or ships to the destination country (region)

(12) R Visa

Issuing target: Foreign high-level and urgently needed specialized talents who meet the introduction conditions and requirements determined by the relevant competent authorities of the Chinese government and submit corresponding certification materials according to regulations.

Application Process

Visa applicants (excluding Hong Kong and Macao visa applicants) are requested to log in to COVA - “China Online Visa Application (https://cova.mfa.gov.cn)” in advance to fill in the visa application form online and make an appointment for the application. After the appointment, please print out the confirmation page and the application form, sign on the confirmation page, and submit the passport and other application materials together at the embassy, consulate or Chinese Visa Application Service Center according to the appointment time. The embassy will handle and decide whether to issue relevant visas based on the actual situation of the applicant.