L Visa (For Stay Less Than 90 Days)

L Visa allows visitors to travel to China for a short stay between 30 and 90 days. Simple and fast, L Visa only requires travel documents, such as itinerary, flight tickets and hotel confirmation letter.

       F Visa

Foreigners who intend to go to China for exchanges, study tours, sports, and other non-business activities may apply for an F visa, which requires an invitation letter from Tsung-Dao Lee Institute. For detailed information, please ask the embassy/consulate visa offices.

       Checklist

To apply for a Chinese visa, the following items are needed:

• Passport: valid for at least six months following the date of submission, with one blank page for the visa
• Visa Application Form
• Photo: 2-inch full-faced and bareheaded passport photo
• Official invitation letter
• Itinerary, flight tickets, hotel confirmation letter, etc.
• Other supporting documents required by your visa category
•  

***Visa exemption for 12 countries***

To promote exchanges between Chinese and foreign nationals, China has decided to extend the visa-free policy to Dec. 31, 2025, for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Citizens of these countries with ordinary passports will be allowed to enter and stay in China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit.

***72/144-hour visa-free transit in China***

Passengers from 53 countries can enter China from designated ports with their valid travel documents and a connecting ticket to a third country or region, with a confirmed seat and date within 144 hours. Please check the following link for more information.

What to know before you travel: China's 144-hour visa-free transit (shanghai.gov.cn)

Q: Which ports does the 144-hour visa-free transit policy cover?

A: It applies to several ports, including Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports, Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Railway Station, Nanjing Lukou International Airport and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport.

Q: Which countries are eligible for the 144-hour visa-free transit?

A: They are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Q: What is the process for the visa-free transit?

A: You should present your valid exit-entry documents and connecting ticket to a third country or region, with a confirmed seat and date within 144 hours, to the check-in staff when departing from abroad. The carrier you are traveling with will declare your transit to the border inspection station before arrival at the port in China. The border inspection station will review your documents and handle the visa-free transit.

Q: What materials should I submit for the 144-hour visa-free transit?

1. Valid exit-entry documents (must be valid for no less than 3 months).

2. A connecting ticket to a third country or region with a confirmed seat and date within 144 hours.

3. A fully completed Arrival/Departure Card.