Living
Entry Visa
Entry into mainland China requires a valid visa – which needs to be obtained before landing in the country. Only transit travellers entering and exiting China within 24 hours can apply for a transit G visa upon arrival. A visa is required from all country nationals except Taiwan and Hong Kong residents. All the entry visas listed below can be obtained at Chinese embassies and consulates in your home country. Each visa requires specific documentation and the final processing fee depends on the country in which you reside, the number of entries you request, how long it takes to process, and the duration of the visa. Along with a visa, your passport must be valid for at least another six months and have one blank page to enter China.
Tourist Visa (L Visa) – tourist visas are the easiest to obtain. You may apply for a tourist visa in Chinese consulates and embassies abroad, or through private visa companies or travel agencies. You need two passport photos, an application form and the application fee. Tourist visas are granted for up to 60 days, but may be extended by another 30 in Shanghai. An L visa may be single or double entry.
Business Visa (F Visa) – intended for foreigners invited to China for short-term research or business, many freelancers, entrepreneurs or non-working foreign residents also depend on this visa to live long-term in Shanghai. However, it should be noted here that working under an F visa is a grey area legally in China. To enter China on an F visa, you may apply at a Chinese consulate or embassy abroad or within a private visa or travel agency. Pre-Olympics regulations have restricted F visas. As of summer 2008, one to two month F visas were only available outside of China and Hong Kong, and only F visas obtained abroad could be extended in Shanghai. Officials claimed regulations would change again after the games, in September 2008. Check with a Shanghai-based visa agency for up-to-date information. Outside of China, F visas require a stamped invitation letter from a company in China. F visas are valid for single, double or multiple entries within a three, six or twelve-month period. Before the new regulations, travellers picked up long-term F visas in Hong Kong, where travel agencies (excluding CITS) didn't require an invitation letter – only a passport and the fee. Applying for an F visa in Shanghai requires the original and a copy of the business licence of the sponsoring company, a temporary residence permit, and an invitation letter. In addition, the sponsoring company must have more than $3 million in investment capital (as reported on the business licence). Also, US citizens now have limits on the duration of consecutive days an F visa holder may stay in China. The standard is 30 days (meaning you have to leave the country every month and come back in) but you may ask for 60 days. Some visa agencies in Shanghai offer Americans no-restriction F visas for an added fee.
Student Visa (X Visa) – student visas are issued for six months or more and require an application form from the ministry of education, a letter of admission from an accredited Chinese university, and a physical examination form. Some students, unable to gather documentation in time, enter China with a tourist visa and change to a student visa once in China (with the help of the university). Student visas are valid for the time of study and universities can help extend if needed.
Permanent Resident (D Visa) – select individuals qualify for a D visa, which grants hassle-free stays for up to five years in China. These special visas are for significant investors in China (you may qualify if you have invested more than $2 million into China during the past three years, and you have been living in China during this period) or foreign children of Chinese citizens.
Work Visa (Z Visa) – work visas are granted to working foreigners. Employers should take care of all the paperwork. Requirements vary depending on the type of company you are working for. The documentation may include a copy of the work approval certificate, the original and copy of the business registration licence, work visa application, health certificate and four passport photos. Work visas can be obtained in your home country. However, an entry visa marked ‘Z’ is only valid for 30 days. During this 30 day period, the employer must process a year-long work permit and residence permit.
Foreign Correspondent Visa (J-1 Visa) or Short-term Foreign Correspondent Visa (J-2 Visa) – J visas are given to journalists or foreign correspondents on assignment. J-1 visas can sponsor family members’ residence permits as well.
If you plan to join a company job immediately upon arrival, your employer should take care of all visa processing. Most companies issue a short-term Z visa before departing and convert these to a longer work visa and grant a residence permit once in the country. If you are a job seeker, your F or L visa can be extended in Shanghai for a certain period of time until you find a full-time job. At the time of writing, applicants must leave Shanghai and re-enter in order to change an L or F visa to a work Z visa. Most companies will pay for this required trip to Hong Kong for visa processing.
Tourist Visa (L Visa) – tourist visas are the easiest to obtain. You may apply for a tourist visa in Chinese consulates and embassies abroad, or through private visa companies or travel agencies. You need two passport photos, an application form and the application fee. Tourist visas are granted for up to 60 days, but may be extended by another 30 in Shanghai. An L visa may be single or double entry.
Business Visa (F Visa) – intended for foreigners invited to China for short-term research or business, many freelancers, entrepreneurs or non-working foreign residents also depend on this visa to live long-term in Shanghai. However, it should be noted here that working under an F visa is a grey area legally in China. To enter China on an F visa, you may apply at a Chinese consulate or embassy abroad or within a private visa or travel agency. Pre-Olympics regulations have restricted F visas. As of summer 2008, one to two month F visas were only available outside of China and Hong Kong, and only F visas obtained abroad could be extended in Shanghai. Officials claimed regulations would change again after the games, in September 2008. Check with a Shanghai-based visa agency for up-to-date information. Outside of China, F visas require a stamped invitation letter from a company in China. F visas are valid for single, double or multiple entries within a three, six or twelve-month period. Before the new regulations, travellers picked up long-term F visas in Hong Kong, where travel agencies (excluding CITS) didn't require an invitation letter – only a passport and the fee. Applying for an F visa in Shanghai requires the original and a copy of the business licence of the sponsoring company, a temporary residence permit, and an invitation letter. In addition, the sponsoring company must have more than $3 million in investment capital (as reported on the business licence). Also, US citizens now have limits on the duration of consecutive days an F visa holder may stay in China. The standard is 30 days (meaning you have to leave the country every month and come back in) but you may ask for 60 days. Some visa agencies in Shanghai offer Americans no-restriction F visas for an added fee.
Student Visa (X Visa) – student visas are issued for six months or more and require an application form from the ministry of education, a letter of admission from an accredited Chinese university, and a physical examination form. Some students, unable to gather documentation in time, enter China with a tourist visa and change to a student visa once in China (with the help of the university). Student visas are valid for the time of study and universities can help extend if needed.
Permanent Resident (D Visa) – select individuals qualify for a D visa, which grants hassle-free stays for up to five years in China. These special visas are for significant investors in China (you may qualify if you have invested more than $2 million into China during the past three years, and you have been living in China during this period) or foreign children of Chinese citizens.
Work Visa (Z Visa) – work visas are granted to working foreigners. Employers should take care of all the paperwork. Requirements vary depending on the type of company you are working for. The documentation may include a copy of the work approval certificate, the original and copy of the business registration licence, work visa application, health certificate and four passport photos. Work visas can be obtained in your home country. However, an entry visa marked ‘Z’ is only valid for 30 days. During this 30 day period, the employer must process a year-long work permit and residence permit.
Foreign Correspondent Visa (J-1 Visa) or Short-term Foreign Correspondent Visa (J-2 Visa) – J visas are given to journalists or foreign correspondents on assignment. J-1 visas can sponsor family members’ residence permits as well.
If you plan to join a company job immediately upon arrival, your employer should take care of all visa processing. Most companies issue a short-term Z visa before departing and convert these to a longer work visa and grant a residence permit once in the country. If you are a job seeker, your F or L visa can be extended in Shanghai for a certain period of time until you find a full-time job. At the time of writing, applicants must leave Shanghai and re-enter in order to change an L or F visa to a work Z visa. Most companies will pay for this required trip to Hong Kong for visa processing.
