About the visa system in China

The visa system in China

Foreign experts shall apply for foreign experts working permit and employment visa before entry Chinese visa is a permit issued to a foreigner by the Chinese visa authorities for entry into, exit from or transit through the Chinese territory. The Chinese visa authorities may issue a diplomatic, courtesy, service or ordinary visa to a foreigner. General aliens obtain ordinary visas are issued to applicants according to their different purposes and each type is marked with Chinese phonetic letters (D,Z,X,F,L,G,C,J-1 and J-2 respectively).

1. Visa D: issued to aliens who are to reside permanently in China.
2. Visa Z: issued to aliens who are to take up posts or employment in China, and to their accompanying family members.
3. Visa X: issued to aliens who come to China for study, advanced studies or job-training for a period of sis months or more.
4. Visa F: issued to an applicant who is invited to China on a visit, on a study or lecture, business tour, for scientific-technological and cultural exchanges, for short- term refresher course or for job-training, for a period of on more than sis months.
5. Visa L: issued to aliens who come to China for sightseeing, visiting relatives or other private purposes.
6. Visa G: issued to aliens who transit through China.
7. Visa C: issued to train attendants, air crewmembers and seamen operating international services, and to their accompanying family members.
8. Visa J-1: issued to foreign resident correspondents in China；Visa J-2: issued to foreign correspondents who make short trip to China on reporting tasks.

Foreign experts shall apply for employment visa Z before entry.