A visa is a travel document issued by authorized government agencies to foreign citizens applying to enter, exit from or transit through the host country's territory based on the host country's laws and regulations.
Foreign citizens must obtain a Chinese visa before entry into China, with the exception of visa-free entry based on relevant agreements with other countries or Chinese regulations. Please check the validity of your visa before traveling to China. If the visa is expired or the number of entries is completely used, you must apply for a new visa.
The Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in Australia do not accept visa applications of ordinary passport holders. Applicants holding ordinary passport must submit their visa applications to the Chinese Visa Application Service Centers located in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Brisbane according to their services areas.
In accordance with international law and practice, any sovereign state is entitled to decide on whether or not to allow a foreign citizen to enter or exit from its territory, and whether to issue a visa, decline a visa application or to cancel an issued visa in accordance with its national laws.
Chinese consular officials are entitled to decide on the type, number of entries, validity and duration of each stay of a visa to be issued based on Chinese laws and regulations. Consular officials reserve the right to decline a visa application or revoke a visa.
Select a proper visa for your visit to Chinese mainland
There are four types of Chinese visas: diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visas are further divided into the following categories.
Please select a proper visa for your visit to the Chinese mainland and click the categories to check the detailed requirements.
Visa Categories | Description of Visa |
Issued to foreign crew members of means of international transportation, including aircraft, trains and ships, or motor vehicle drivers engaged in cross-border transport activities, or to the accompanying family members of the crew members of the above-mentioned ships. | |
Issued to those who intend to reside in China permanently. | |
Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities. | |
Issued to those who intend to transit through China. | |
Issued to resident foreign journalists of foreign news organizations stationed in China. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. | |
Issued to foreign journalists who intend to go to China for short-term news coverage. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. | |
Issued to those who intend to go to China as a tourist. | |
Issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities. | |
Issued to those who are family members of Chinese citizens or of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence and intend to go to China for family reunion, or to those who intend to go to China for the purpose of foster care. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. | |
Issued to those who intend to visit their relatives who are Chinese citizens residing in China or foreigners with permanent residence in China. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. | |
Issued to those who are high-level talents or whose skills are urgently needed in China. | |
Issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners working or studying in China to whom they are spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18 or parents-in-law, or to those who intend to go to China for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. | |
Issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China, or to those who intend to go to China for other private matters. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. | |
Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of more than 180 days. | |
Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days. | |
Issued to those who intend to work in China. |
Validity, Number of Entries and Duration of Each Stay of Chinese Visa
1. Visa Validity ("Enter Before") means that the visa is valid, or can be used for entry into China from the date of issue to the "Enter Before" date indicated on the visa (Beijing Time). If a visa has unused entries, the bearer can enter China before 24:00 (Beijing Time) on the expiration date.
2. "Entries" refers to the number of times the bearer is permitted to enter into the Chinese mainland during the validity of a visa.
A visa becomes invalid if there are no entries left, or if there are entries left but the visa validity expires. If a visa becomes invalid, its bearer must apply for a new visa before entering China. Traveling with an invalid visa to China will result in refusal of entry.
Please be noticed that if you come out from the Mainland to the Hong Kong SAR, and then back to the Mainland, you should apply for a 2-entry visa for both the first and second entry.
3. "Duration of Each Stay" refers to the maximum number of days the visa bearer is permitted to stay in China each time, which is calculated from the next day of your entry into China.
A foreign citizen who overstays the end date of his/her authorized stay in China without going through extension formalities is subject to fines and other penalties for violation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens and its Detailed Rules for Implementation. If a visa bearer is to stay in China longer than the duration of stay allowed on the visa, approval must be obtained from local public security authorities above the county level before the duration of stay expires. Approval of an extension of stay may or may not be granted. Please check the website of the local public security authorities in China for more information. Chinese Embassies and Consulates overseas are not authorized to extend a visa.
A bearer of a D, Q1, J1, S1, X1 and Z visa must apply for a residence permit at the local public security authorities within 30 days of entry into China. Members of foreign diplomatic or consular missions in China must apply for a residence permit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or local foreign affairs departments within 30 days of entry into China.