I. Introduction

A visa is an officially approved document issued by authorised bodies of the government following the laws of the country to foreigners who are applying for entrance into, exit from or transit through the country.

According to international laws and practices, any sovereign state is entitled to decide whether to allow foreigners to enter or exit its borders and whether to issue or reject a visa, or revoke an issued visa according to its national laws.

Chinese visa-issuing authorities are entitled to make the final decision on the visa types, number of entries, period of validity and duration of stay according to Chinese laws and regulations.

Chinese diplomatic (consular) missions and other institutions entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are responsible for the issuance of visas to foreigners in host countries.

II. Conception

1. Period of Validity

The period of validity ("enter before", shown on biometric visa as "expiry date") specified in the visa means the valid period of time during which the visa holder may enter China. Unless otherwise specified by the issuing authority, a visa is valid from the date of issuance until Beijing time 24:00 on the expiring day, so long as the entries granted on the visa have not been used up. 

2. Entries

The number of "Entries"specified in the visa means the number of times that the visa holder may enter China within the validity period of the entry specified in the visa. When the entries are all used up, the visa is no longer valid. Even if there are still unused entries, the visa is not valid if its validity has already expired. In either case, the visa holder should apply for a new visa if another visit to China is planned. Holders of an invalid visa will be refused entry to China.

3. Duration of stay

The duration of stay specified in the visa means the period of time during which the visa holder is allowed to stay in China after each entry. It begins from the next day of entry.

Overstay in China violates Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners and other relevant laws and regulations, and could result in a fine or other penalty.

4. Residence Permits

Holders of D visa, J1 visa, Q1 visa, S1 visa, X1 visa and Z visa with the "000" duration of stay shall, within 30 days from the date of their entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of public security organs of local people's governments at or above the county level in the proposed places of residence for foreigners' residence permits.

Holders of W-series visa (including diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and W-ordinary visa) and service (official) visa with the "000" duration of stay shall, within 30 days from the date of their entry, apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) or MFA-authorized local foreign affairs offices for foreigners' residence permits.

III. Categories of Visa for China (Mainland only) 

Visa for China (Mainland only) includes diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service (official) visa and ordinary visa. The categories of ordinary visas are listed as below:

IV. Visa-free entry into mainland China

A foreign citizen can enter mainland China without a visa under any one of the following circumstances:

1. Direct Transit 

1) A foreign citizen who is transiting through China to a third country or region by air, ship or train is exempted from a visa if he/she will stay within the port of entry for no more than 24 hours and has a valid connecting ticket with confirmed seating.

For more detailed information, please refer to the website of the Chinese National Immigration Administration. 

2) Citizens of 53 countries (including the UK) who meet certain requirements can apply for a 72-hour or 144-hour transit visa exemption at ports of entry in certain cities.

For more detailed information, please refer to the website of the Chinese National Immigration Administration. 

2. Bilateral Agreement

Based on bilateral agreements signed or reached between China and foreign countries, foreign citizens of some countries who meet certain requirements may visit China without a visa. Please refer to the List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption between the People's Republic of China and Foreign Countries for more information.

3. APEC Business Travel Card

The APEC Business Travel Card is a substitute of a multiple-entry visa valid for 5 years. A card holder who presents a valid passport with image and biographic data exactly matches that on the APEC Business Travel Card can enter China multiple times during the validity of the card for a stay of no more than 90 days for each entry.

4. Other circumstances

 1) Pearl River Delta Region

A foreign citizen holding an ordinary passport issued by any country with diplomatic relations with China is exempted from a visa if he or she is already in Hong Kong or Macao and joins a tourist group organized by a travel agency, which is registered in Hong Kong or Macao, for a visit to the Pearl River Delta region (including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing and Huizhou) and his or her stay is no more than 6 days.

2) Hainan

From 1 May 2018, foreign citizens from 59 countries (including the UK) are exempted from a visa for visiting Hainan. For more detailed information, please refer to the website of the People's Government of Hainan Province.

3) Guilin

From 28 May 2015, group visitors (2 tourists and more) who hold ordinary passports of 10 ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Brunei, Myanmar and Philippines), who are organized and received by tourist agencies certified by the Tourism Administration Department of Guilin, Guangxi Province, and enter or leave as a whole from Guilin airport, can enjoy a 6-day visa-free tour in Guilin. 

4) Citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan

A citizen of Singapore, Brunei or Japan with an ordinary passport is exempted from a visa if he or she visits Chinese mainland for tourism, business, or meeting with friends or relatives, enters China through ports open to foreigners, and stays for no more than 15 days.

5) Holder of valid Residence Permit for Foreigners

Holder of Foreigner's Permanent Residence Card of the P.R.C. and holder of valid Residence Permit for Foreigners issued by Chinese Public Security Bureau may stay in China and enter or exit China multiple times without the need of a visa during the validity period of the permit.