Shanghai Foreign Affairs Service Center

Room 328, Floor 3, Jiu’an Plaza, No.258 Tongren Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 9：00－11：30, 13:30—17:30

In principle, for invitation made for issues in foreign trade field, the application can be filed in to Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission for examination, who shall issue a visa notice after approval; for invitation made for business in the field of travel industry, the application can be filed in to Shanghai Travel Industry Administration Commission, who shall issue a visa notice after examination and approval; where units registered in Pudong New Area invite foreigners to China for business and trade issue, they can apply to Pudong New Area Administrative Commission, who shall issue a visa notice after examination and approval; for any authorized corporations, if the enterprises subject to the corporations invite foreigners to China for business trade, the corporations shall issue the visa notice after examination and approval. Applications other than the said ones shall be examined by Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal government, who issues a visa notice after approving the application.

For the convenience of foreigners coming to visit the People’s Republic of China, from January 1st,2000, foreigners from Japan, Korea, Singapore and some Europeans countries are entitled to 48-hour visa exemption who pass through the territory of China at Hong Qiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport.

Visa type and application qualifications: Chinese visas are divided into the following four categories: diplomatic, reception, business and ordinary visas

Ordinary visas include:

An“F”visa is issued to anyone who is invited to China for visit, investigation, giving lectures, business, for scientific and cultural exchange program on short term, or for conferences or other large-scale events. The inviter must prepare the following materials: a written request on inviting foreigners to China; to fill in a correct“Visa Notice”; the official and written reply on approving the event concerned from the state competent department is needed for those invited for international conferences and large events.

An“X”visa is issued to those who come to China to study, for training program and for field work. Applicant unit shall be examined by Shanghai Education Commission and fill in JW202 Form, which shall be sent to Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal Government for examination and approval. Where a group with more than 5 persons coming to China, their name list shall be attached with the JW202 Form.

A“L”visa is issued to those traveling in China or coming to China for other private business.

A“Z”visa is issued to those who work in China and their accompanying family members.”Z”visa holders can stay in China for one year at most.

A“C”visa is issued to those working on international train, flight or seagoing vessel and their accompanying family members.

A“J1”visa is issued to the foreign journalists stationed in China and their accompanying family members.

A“J2”visa is issued to the foreign journalists coming to China for interview on short term.

Valid term of visa refers to the time limit that the visa holder enters the boundary of the People’s Republic of China, which does not affect the time limit the visa holder stays in the territory of the People’s Republic of China. Period of retention refers to the time that the visa holder can stay in China counted from the day when he, within the valid term of visa, enters the boundary of China. If he does not finish his business within the period of retention, he can go to Entry-Exit Administration Bureau of Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau to go through procedures for an extension of valid term. For holders of“F”visa, their reception units file in the application and the valid term of their visa can be extended for 30 days; competent commissions, offices or bureaus file in the application and the valid term of their visa can be extended for 90 days for one application, and unlimited application for the extension can be made, but accumulated extended time shall not be more than one year. For holders of“L”visa, their reception units file in the application and the validity term of their visa can only be extended for 30 days, with only one application for the extension being allowed.

Note 1: Remarks on filling in visa notice:

——Visa Notice shall be filled in in Chinese or English, but only one of the two languages can be used in filling in the Notice.

——Name, nationality and serial number of passport shall be absolutely identical as the ones on the passport.

——organ issuing visa: embassy or consulate or visa application center of the People’s Republic of China in the country of the person invited which shall be most for the convenience of the applicant. Name of the country, instead of the city name, shall be filled in if the applicant files in the application at the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the country concerned, such as“Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in U.S.A”; city name, instead of the country name, shall be filled in if the application is filed in at the consulate of the People’s Republic of China in the country concerned, such as“General Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Osaka”. Before filling in the Visa Notice, the applicant shall make sure if there is embassy or consulate of the People’s Republic of China in the country. Detailed information can be found in“Address List of Organs or International Units Stationed Abroad”issued by General Office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

——Visiting purpose: foreigners coming to China shall apply for a visa consistent with the business for which he comes. Inviters only need to indicate the visiting purpose, but not visa type, in filling in the visa notice.

——visa is valid for how many trips: the same as the above information.

——period of retention: shall be filled in according to the actual needs of visitors.

——term of validity of visa notice: Inviters shall file in the application to Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal Government within 10 days before the foreigner enters the territory of the People’s Republic of China. Visa notice examined and approved by Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal Government is valid for 30 days.

——delivery of visa notice: After the visa notice is approved, its first copy shall be sent to the foreigner to be invited, the second copy shall be kept on file and the third copy kept on file at Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal Government.

Note 2: Persons entitled to visa exemption:

（1）Relevant persons prescribed in the List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption between the P.R. China and Foreign Countries

（2）The flight crew members and passengers taking flight to the People’s Republic of China and staying within the boundary of the airport for no more than 24 hours, who do not go outside the airport;

（3）Foreign ship crew members and passengers asking for landing, but not entering port cities or staying overnight ashore (those wishing to stay in Shanghai shall apply for visas to Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau).

It is prescribed in the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Control of Entry and Exit of Aliens: For entry into China, aliens shall apply for visas from Chinese diplomatic missions, consular offices or other resident agencies abroad authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On applying for visa from the above organs, aliens shall have the visa notice issued by the organ authorized by the People’s Republic of China.“Visa Notice”can be sent by the inviters in China to competent commissions, offices or bureaus for examination work before being reported to relevant authorized organs for examination and approval. If it is a joint venture in Shanghai, competent authority of the Chinese party of the enterprise can report the notice to higher department for examination and approval. If it is the office of a foreign enterprise in Shanghai or solely foreign-owned enterprise in Shanghai, their bonding company can report the visa notice to higher department on their behalf.