Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission

Room 1801, New Hongqiao Building, No.55, Loushanguan Road

Monday--- Friday 9：00—17：00

62752200-265 Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission

time limit for processing the application: within 3 working days

I. Basic formalities:

1. Where people’s government above village or town level, companies, enterprises and public institutions (including state-owned, collective enterprises, joint ventures, solely foreign-invested companies and privately-owned companies) need to invite foreigners to Shanghai on account of business and trade events, the said units must go for application for visa invitation consistent with the foreigners’purpose for visiting China.

2. Where foreigners need to come to Shanghai for business and trade events and need F visa valid for one trip or two trips, they can apply for a visa notice via Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission; or the Chinese inviter units can send the invited party an invitation or invitation for various trade fairs through mail or fax (excluding from special prescriptions), who can come to Shanghai after going through the procedures for visa application with their visa notice or the said invitation at the embassy or consulate of the People’s Republic of China in the country of the foreigners

3. In addition to accepting application for visa from units in Shanghai which invite foreigners to Shanghai for business and trade activities (examine and issue“F”visa valid for one trip or two trips), Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission also accepts application for visa notice on multiple-journey business visa, work visa(2), notice on visa after arriving in emergency (F). The formalities are as the following: (1) to fill in visa application form in accordance with the visiting purpose and visa type. Person in charge of the inviter unit signs his name and stamps the official seal of the unit on the application form, and then delivers the form to the Service Center of Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission (hereafter abbreviated as Service Center). (2)After the Service Center checks against the data information and numbers the visa application form, Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission shall examine and issue a visa notice within the time limit. (3) After the visa notice is issued, person specially assigned for the visa job in the inviter unit gets the original of visa notice and mails or faxes to the invited foreign party, or entrusts the Service Center to fax the notice. (4) The invited foreigner can go, with the faxed notice or the original visa notice sent through mail (for work visa, work permit shall be also be faxed or mailed with the visa notice) to the embassy, consulate or visa application center of the People’s Republic of China in the country of the invited foreigner to go through procedures for a visa within one month. (for information on applying for a visa online, please refer to Part III)

II. Visa types: visas for foreigners coming to the People’s Republic of China for business and trade activities are divided into the following five types: business visas valid for one trip and for two trips; multiple-journey business visas valid for half a year and for one year; visa after arriving; work visa; transit visa. Specific formalities for the visas are:

1. To apply for a business visa valid for one trip or two trips(F)

Applicable to those invited to Shanghai to visit, investigate, give lectures, to do business, or those for technological exchange, to give technological guidance, inspect, attend conferences or visit relatives, etc. application conditions: Chinese inviters go through relevant invitation procedures. Materials: an application form (with signature of the person in charge of the inviter unit and stamped with the official seal of the unit); a photocopy of business license of the inviter unit.

2. To apply for multiple-journey business visa valid for half a year and for one year (F)

Applicable to foreign businessmen making multiple journey within half a year or one year or to the foreign businessmen with special circumstances. Application conditions: foreign investors in China, executive personnel of the parent company in the foreign company which has its Chinese branch; persons coming to China on regular basis to implement contract; persons having been issued“F”visas( business or visit visa) for many times (the holders of“F”visa who have been to China for over three times within the recent 6 months can apply for a multiple-journey business visa valid for half a year; the holders of“F”visa who have been to China for over eight times within the recent one year can apply for a multiple-journey business visa valid for one year). Materials provided in application: two copies of the application form for multiple-journey business visa (with the signature of the person in charge of the inviter unit and stamped with the official seal of the unit); a photocopy of the passport and record of entry and exit of the foreign invited party; a copy of circumstance explanation (stamped with the official seal); photocopy of business license of the inviter unit.

3. Visa after arriving (“F”business visa)

Applicable to the ones coming to China for emergency who do not have time to apply for a visa at the embassy or consulate of the People’s Republic of China in the country of the applicants. Meanwhile, the applicants shall have ordinary visas of the country with which China has established diplomatic relationship or has official trade contacts. Application conditions: the ones whom the Chinese counterparts make a sudden decision to invite to China for a fair; the ones invited to China for public bidding or to sign an official business trading contract; the ones coming to China, in accordance with the contract, to supervise commodity inspection for import and export or to check before delivery of a product; those invited to China for equipment installation job or for first aid repair work of a project; Those answering the requirements of Chinese party and coming to China to resolve the issue of claiming indemnity; those invited to China to provide scientific and technological consultation; where visas for the foreigners invited to China have been issued, personnel are suddenly increased or changed with the agreement from Chinese party; those coming to China to visit patients in imminent danger or to handle funeral affairs; those transiting the People’s Republic of China, out of act of God, who can not take the original flight within 24 hours (or 48 hours) to leave China or who need to take other means of transport to leave China; those having no time to applying for a visa at the resident agency of the People’s Republic of China out of other special circumstances. Materials to be provided: an application form (with the signature of the person in charge of the inviter unit and stamped with the official seal of the unit); a photocopy of circumstance explanation (stamped with the official seal); photocopy of business license of the inviter unit.

4. Work visa (“Z”visa)

Applicable to foreigners coming to work in Shanghai and their accompanying family members. Application conditions: Foreigners issued a“Work Permit for Foreigners”by Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau and their accompanying members, chief representatives or representatives of foreign resident companies in Shanghai and their accompanying family members. Materials to be provided: an application form; the original and photocopy of“Work Permit for Foreigners”issued by Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau, a photocopy of“Approval Certificate”or“Approval Certificate on Changes”issued by Shanghai Foreign Trade Commission; a photocopy of business license.

5. Transit visa

Applicable to foreigners who pass through the territory of the People’s Republic of China. Application conditions: all foreign passengers passing through the territory of the People’s Republic of China via Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport are entitled to visa exemption with their valid international travel documents, round trip tickets with definite date and flight; citizens of Japan, Korea, Singapore, U. S. A, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria and Greece who pass through the territory of China and stay at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport for 48 hours are also entitled to visa exemption. It is free of charge for foreign passengers to go for the procedures of visa exemption in Shanghai. Within the valid term of retention, foreigners passing through the territory via Shanghai are free to travel at the surrounding areas of Shanghai.

III. Illustration on processing visa application online (Note: processing visa application online is currently in the period of test operation, which is only limited to the trial spots. Please refer to the online information as to when to implement at all units):

1．Enterprise log-in system—enterprises being a member of“Rapid and Convenient Service Network”can log in via designated user’s name and corresponding instructions; enterprises going to the website for the first time shall get registered so as to get a user’s name and corresponding instructions and then log in.

2．After log-in, visa type can be chosen and corresponding application form shall be filled in--- to apply for a work visa, single-journey or two-journey visit visa, please choose“Visa Application Form for Foreign Businessmen”and fill in the form; to apply for a multiple-journey visa, please choose“Visa Application Form for Foreign Businessmen Valid for Multiple Trips”; please refer to explanation on filling in the forms as to how to fill in the application forms.

3．On finishing filling in the application form, please confirm the contents filled in the form. When the contents filled in are correct, please click (1) Deliver; and (2) Print (two copies of Application form on a multiple-journey visa are needed, and only one copy of application form for other visa types is needed. Application form shall be stamped with official seal. Generally, on getting the original of visa notice, enterprises shall present for examination the original of application form; enterprises being a member of“Rapid and Convenient Service Network”shall mail the application form and original of visa notice to Service Center within one week) and then submit---- on submitting the application form, please choose processing mode (multiple choice): to get the original of visa notice, to send fax on behalf of applicant/to process the application in rapid mode, to process the application in ordinary mode, to entrust an express delivery service in Shanghai to send back the visa notice to the enterprise, to entrust an international express delivery service to send the visa notice to foreign countries, etc. For charging standard, please refer to the appendix.

4．If you are to go on to file in application for other visa types or the application work is done, please choose corresponding items on the web page.

5．To sign out

Inquiring and modification:

1．After log in the system, you are on the inquiring page, where you can inquire on which stage the application is processed and feedback information----- there are four stages of the processing work: application has been reported to processing organ, the application is being examined and the application is approved. If there is any feedback information for the application which has been reported to processing organ, it means that the application form is not filled in correctly or application materials are not complete, and specific information is listed in the feedback information.

2．If enterprises need to correct contents in the application form which has been submitted, they can find corresponding record on the inquiring page, and it is indicated as“not accepted”on the record. Enterprises can do the correction job on the contents and save the corrected contents.

3．If enterprises need to correct contents on the form which has been accepted and approved, they shall contact the Service Center and submit a written application for change (which shall be stamped with the official seal of the applicant enterprise) through fax to the Service Center, who shall operate the correction.

After examination and approval work:

1．If enterprises choose normal processing/ or getting the original of visa notice, they can go with the original of application form and photocopy of their business license to the Service Center in three working days after submitting the application form online. After checking all materials and contents filled in the application form are correct, the Service Center shall give the visa notice to the applicant enterprises; If enterprises choose processing work in rapid mode/ getting the original of visa notice, and they answer to the conditions for the processing work, they can go with the original of application form and photocopy of their business license to the Service Center in one working day after submitting the application form online. After checking all materials and contents filled in the application form are correct, the Service Center shall give the visa notice to the applicant enterprises. Enterprises send the visa notice to the invited foreign businessmen through mail or fax, who can go with the notice to the embassy or consulate of the People’s Republic of China in the country of the businessmen to go through procedures for visas.

2. Enterprises being a member of“Rapid and Convenient Service Network”can also choose normal processing/ or sending fax on behalf of enterprises, and the Service Center shall send the approved visa notice to the invited foreign businessmen on behalf of the enterprises through mail or fax within 3 working days after the application is submitted; If enterprises choose processing work in rapid mode/ sending fax on behalf of enterprises, and they answer to the conditions for the processing work, the Service Center shall send the approved visa notice to the invited foreign businessmen on behalf of the enterprises through fax within one working day after the application is submitted; or the enterprises can ask Service Center to entrust an express delivery service in Shanghai to send back the notice to the enterprise or entrust an international express delivery service to deliver the visa notice to the invited foreign businessmen. Then, the foreign businessmen can go with the notice to the embassy or consulate of the People’s Republic of China in the country of the businessmen to go through procedures for visas.

3．If enterprises apply for a multiple-journey visa, they shall come to Service Center for the original of visa notice in three days after submitting the application form and mail the notice to invited foreign businessmen, who shall personally go with the original of visa notice to the embassy or consulate of the People’s Republic of China in the country of the businessmen to go through procedures for multiple-journey visas.