Visa Information

Do I require a Visa?

All travelers to China are required to hold a valid visa (unless they meet the following visa exemption requirements as explained below). Please click on this link to download the List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption between the P.R. China and Foreign Countries.

Foreigners holding either of the following valid identification documents may enter China without a visa:

• Foreigner’s Permanent Residence Card of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
• Residence Permit for Foreigners in the PRC
• APEC Business travel card

 

Please see below for the following visa exemption requirements:

1. Citizens of some countries holding original passports may enter China without a visa, please refer to the List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption between the P.R. China and Foreign Countries for more detailed information.
2. Citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan holding passports of these respective countries may enter China without a Visa through the ports of entry open to foreigners, provided they enter with the following purposes; family visit, tourism, business or transit and have the intent to stay in China for no more than 15 days. Should you fail to meet the above requirements in terms of purpose of visit and duration (less than 15 days), they will be required to apply for a visa in advance.
   
   Holders of Japanese diplomatic and service (official) passports, and holders of Singapore or Brunei passports can stay in China for no more than 30 days without a Chinese visa.
3. Foreigners holding passports of countries having diplomatic relations with China and on tour to Hong Kong or Macao, and participating in group tours to Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) Delta Area for a stay of no more than 6 days organized by the travel services legally registered in Hong Kong or Macao do not need to apply for a visa. The Zhu Jiang Delta Area refers to the administrative area of the following cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, and Huizhou.
4. Citizens with passports of the following 21 countries and on a group tour (minimum of 5 persons) to Hainan Province for a stay of no longer than 15 days, organized by international travel services approved by the National Tourism Administration of China and registered in Hainan Province, do not need to apply for a visa: Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.
5. Citizens holding passports of Republic of Korea, Germany and Russia, need not apply for a visa, if they are on a group tour (minimum of two persons) to Hainan Province for a stay of no more than 21 days, organized by international travel services approved by the National Tourism Administration of China and registered in Hainan Province.
6. Foreigners holding a valid Foreigners’ Permanent Residence Card of the PRC or Residence Permit for Foreigners in the PRC may enter China without a visa.
7. Foreigners holding an APEC Business Travel Card may enter China without a visa.

 

General Visa Applications

There are 9 categories of Chinese visas. Visitors to the SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 will need to apply for a Non-Business Visa (type F). This type of visa is issued to foreigners who are invited to China for research, lectures, business, scientific-technological and cultural exchanges, short-term advanced studies or intern practice for a period of less than 6 months.

Visa-upon-arrival in Shenzhen

In general, visa applications should be done before arrival. However, there are some exceptions. Visitors holding the following passports can easily get a visa upon arrival in Shenzhen: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. 

 

Visitors holding passports not mentioned above would have difficulty getting the visa upon arrival if they have never been to People’s Republic of China (PRC). Visa application upon arrival would entitle the visitor to a single-entry 5-day Special Economic Zone Tourism Visa.

The single entry 5-day Visa can be applied/purchase at Luo Hu (Lo Wu) Port (09:00 - 22:30), 7 days a week between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

 

Procedures for Visa Upon Arrival:

1. You would have to pass through the Hong Kong immigration
2. Walk over the footbridge
3. You will see a pair of escalators on the left, that leads to the Shenzhen Visa Office (before you arrive at the Chinese immigration desks)
4. Get a queue number when you enter the office and wait
5. You will only be required to fill in the entry card

 

*Please Note: During off-peak period, visitors can receive their visas within a few minutes. However, this might take longer during the holidays.

Should you be unable to get a visa, you may still return to Hong Kong. The price of visa applications upon arrival varies from nationalities CNY 168 – CNY 1,000. Therefore, please prepare an estimated amount of CNY for visa applications as no other currencies will be accepted.

Having successfully received a 5-day Visa in Shenzhen, you are only allowed to remain in Shenzhen. Travelling out to other cities and regions is not covered for your 5-day Visa and will be a risk to you.

Besides the application for a 5-day visa, you may also apply for a full China visa (single or double entry) at the Luo Hu border. It is only obtainable between 09:30 – 16:30 during operational days. Unfortunately, we do not have further information on the prices of upon-arrival full China visa applications.

Passport holders of United States and France are not eligible for application upon arrival and will be penalized at arrival without a valid Chinese visa. Therefore, they are to complete their visa applications before departure.

 

Please refer to the next few sections for more information, if the “Visa upon arrival” category is not applicable to you. Please also note that this does not guarantee that all the other nationalities will have no issues receiving the visa upon arrival, as sometimes issues absolutely out of our foresight might arise.

Click here for more information about applying for a visa upon your arrival in Shenzhen.

 

Advanced Visa Application

 

General Procedures for Advanced Visa Applications

 

When applying for a visa you will need the following documents:

1. Original passport with validity of six (6) months and with available blank pages

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the expiry date of your China visa. You will need at least one blank page in your passport for the visa. Your country's embassy or consulate can usually add additional pages to your passport if need be.

 

2. Completed visa application form with passport photography attached

You may complete an Online Application Form (where a Visa Center provides such service – please follow the steps as instructed in the link), print it out and sign it; or, you can download the application form and fill it out manually and sign it.

 

Please remember to bring the completed form to the Visa Center to submit your application.



3. Invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China

Before you apply for your China business visa, you must have a letter of invitation from an authorized inviting Chinese company. If the letter is from a foreign company, such as a joint-venture company, then the letter must have the approval stamp from the local branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It should contain information on applicant, planned visit (purpose of visit, departure dates, etc.) and information on the inviting entity or individual (name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp and signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual).

 

A faxed letter is also acceptable. We will provide you with an invitation letter for exhibitors.

 

You may also fill out this application form and submit it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fax to (86) 10 8460 2480 by November 3, 2014. They will be able to prepare an invitation letter for you within 7 working days. The invitation letter will be either fax or mailed to you. The use of Burnaby’s coordinating services for the invitation letter costs CNY 160 per person.

 

Please note: The invitation letter issued by Burnaby Solutions China to apply for the Chinese visa is only applicable for passport holders of Asia, Europe, and United States. It is not applicable for passport holders of Pakistan, Nigeria, and all African countries.

 

Upon receipt of a visa invitation letter, you are required to present your passport, a recent passport photograph, the completed visa application form. and the visa invitation letter to your nearest local Chinese embassy or consulate for completion of the formalities.

 

The documents required, price and application duration for advanced visa application varies for different country passport holders. Therefore it is best to check here and select your country and region (e.g. Canada; Vancouver) or with the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate.

For Citizens from Canada, The United States or the United Kingdom please visit http://tours.travisa.com/66V41TVI/ for assistance with your visa application.  

Visa Application for U.S. Citizens

Please note: As of March 30, 2004, all U.S. citizens will need to complete their China visa application before departure. Visa applications upon entry to China will no longer be accepted.

Please click here to find the nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate in United States:

 

When applying for a visa you will need the following documents:

 

1. Original passport with validity of six (6) months and with available blank pages

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the expiry date of your China visa. You will need at least one blank page in your passport for the visa. Your country's embassy or consulate can usually add additional pages to your passport if need be.

 

2. Completed visa application form with passport photograph attached

Upon receipt of your visa endorsement (invitation letter), you must submit your completed visa application form to your nearest China consulate or representative office. These fees will be your personal responsibility.

 

3. Invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China

Before you apply for your China business visa, you must have a letter of invitation from an authorized inviting Chinese company. If the letter is from a foreign company, such as a joint-venture company, then the letter must have the approval stamp from the local branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It should contain information on applicant, planned visit (purpose of visit, departure dates, etc.) and information on the inviting entity or individual (name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, and signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual).

 

A faxed letter is also acceptable. We will provide you with an invitation letter for exhibitors.

 

You may also fill out this application form and submit it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fax to (86) 10 8460 2480 by November 3, 2014. They will be able to prepare an invitation letter for you within 7 working days. The invitation letter will be either fax or mailed to you. The use of Burnaby’s coordinating services for the invitation letter costs CNY 160 per person.



Please note: The invitation letter issued by Burnaby Solutions China to apply for the Chinese visa is only applicable for passport holders of Asia, Europe, and United States. It is not applicable for passport holders of Pakistan, Nigeria, and all African countries.

 

Upon receipt of a visa invitation letter, you are required to present your passport, a recent passport photograph, the completed visa application form, and the visa invitation letter to your nearest local Chinese embassy or consulate for completion of the formalities.

 

The documents required, price, and application duration for advanced visa application varies for different country passport holders. There it is best to consult the nearest local Chinese embassy or consulate. Please click here to find the nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate in United States

 

For a visa application form and more information, please consult your local Chinese embassy, consulate or representative office.