General information

Item: Handling visa for entrance into China

Processed at: Comprehensive service section

Address: 1418, Nanjing Road (W), Shanghai Zip code 200040

Tel.: 62565900 x 286 or 287 Fax 62565485

Office hour: 9:00－11:30 a.m., each Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Scope: The invitations belonging to foreign trading in principle may be submitted to the municipal foreign economy and trading commission for examination and approval and issuance of visa notice; the invitations belonging to tourism business maybe submitted to the municipal tourism administration commission for examination and approval and issuance of visa notice; the entities registered in Pudong New Area inviting foreigners to come to China for trading activities may submit the application to the Administration Committee of Pudong New Area for examination and approval and issuance of visa notice; the authorized group companies examines the invitation given by its affiliate to the foreigners for trading activities in China and issues the visa notice; Except the above, all the other invitations are subject to the foreign affair office of the municipal government for examination and approval and issuance of visa notice.

To offer convenience to the foreigners coming to China, from Jan., 1, 2000, the Shanghai authority started to offer 48-hour transit visa-free service to the foreigners from Japan, Korea, Singapore, USA and some European countries entering border at Hongqiao Airport and Pudong Airport.

The type of visa and qualifications: The Chinese visas are divided into four types, diplomat, etiquette, business and common.

The common visa includes:

"F" visa, issued to the persons invited to China for visits, investigations, lectures, business, science and cultural exchange, short-term study and participation in meetings and large events. The inviter shall have the following materials: written application for inviting foreigners; correctly filled Visa Notice; the persons attending international conferences and large events in Shanghai shall enclose the reply from superior departments approving such event.

"X" visa, issued to the persons coming to China for study or field practice. The applicant shall submit the correctly completed JW202 Form approved by the Shanghai Education Commission to the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai for approval and a name list shall be enclosed if the number of delegation exceeds 5.

"L" visa, issued to the persons coming to China for traveling and other private purposes.

"Z" visa, issued to the foreigner coming to China for employment and his family members. The maximum stay duration allowed by "Z" visa is one year.

"C" visa, issued to the international train staffs, plane crew, seamen coming to China in their service on the vehicle and their family members.

"J1"visa, issued to the resident foreign journalists and their family members.

"J2"visa, issued to the foreign journalists coming to China on short-term coverage assignment.

Validity period, stay period of visa and rules of extending visa:

The validity period of the visa refers to the time limit for entering China, and is irrelevant to its duration of stay in China. The period of stay refers to the time duration of staying in China granted to the visa holder in the validity period of the visa starting from the date of entering into China. If the visitor fails to complete his work in the period of stay, it can go to the Foreigner Entrance and Exit Administration Office of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau to handle the formalities for visa extension. The persons holding "F" visa may be given an extension of 30 days after the receiving entity submits application; A 90 day extension per time may be given to the application submitted by the superior commission, office and bureau. The times of such extension are unlimited while the aggregate duration shall not exceed one year. The persons holding "L" visa can only have an extension of 30 days/time after the receiving entity submits application.

Basis: Administration Law of the P.R. China on Entrance and Exit of Foreigners: "The foreigners entering and leaving China shall apply for visa to the diplomatic organ, consulate of China or other institutions authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country concerned ". When the foreigner is applying for such visa to the above entities, he shall carry the visa notice issued by the authorized entity. The "visa notice" may be submitted to the relevant authorized entity for examination and approval after verified by the superior commission, office and bureau of the Chinese inviter. For the Sino-foreign joint venture in Shanghai, it shall be submitted by the Chinese partner of such enterprise through its superior department. For the office of foreign enterprise in Shanghai and the solely foreign funded enterprises, it may be submitted by its warranty company.

Appendix 1 Notices for completing the visa notice:

-- The Visa Notice Sheet shall be filled out in Chinese or English with consistent content.

-- Name, nationality and ID card No.: Identical with those in the passport.

-- Visa authority: select the embassy, consulate or visa section most convenient for the invited person. Fill in the country name instead of the city name for any application processed at the Chinese embassies, e.g. "Embassy of P.R. China in the United States of America"; fill in the city name instead of country name for any application processed at the consulate, e.g., "Consulate of P.R. China in Osaka". Before filling out the form, please confirm that there is embassy or consulate of China in the place concerned. Follow the Address and Phone Number of the Overseas Agencies of China and the Foreign Affair Offices of the Ministries released by the administration section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

--Purpose of visit: foreigners coming to China shall apply for the visa corresponding to its activities in China. The inviting entities only need to indicate the purpose of visit when filling out the visa notice sheet and do not have to indicate the visa type.

-- Times of visa processing: Ditto.

-- Period of stay: According to the actual days required.

-- Validity period of the visa notice sheet: The inviter shall put forward the application at least 10 days ahead of the expected date of entrance to the municipal foreign affair office. The visa notice sheet approved by the municipal foreign affair office has a validity period of 30 days.

-- The delivery of the visa notice: After the visa notice is issued, the invitation entity shall mail the first sheet to the foreigner, keep the second sheet for filing and submit the third sheet to the municipal foreign affair office for filing.

Appendix 2 The persons enjoying the exemption of visa:

(1) Relevant persons involved in the agreement of mutual visa exemption;

(2) Plane crew or passenger going to China for a stay of no longer than 24 hours in airplane who does not step out of the airport;

(3) The foreign seaman or passenger coming to China in vessel requesting for landing who does not step out of the port city or stay over night on the land (The request for staying in Shanghai shall apply for visa to the municipal public security bureau).