Visa and Passport in China

China is an ancient country with a long history in East Asia. Beautiful scenery, delicious food, lively markets, historical towns are all worthy of a look at this mysterious ancient country. Before planning a trip to China, do you know what documents do you need when traveling to China? What are the visa and passport requirements for China? These are all you concern before traveling to China. Here you can get the answer.

Visa

Documents for traveling to China

What documents do I need when traveling to China? Just like traveling to other countries, a passport with a valid period of 6 months and a valid visa are necessary documents for traveling to China.

China Visa Types

Visa Exemption

According to relevant regulations, citizens of countries that have signed a visa-free agreement with China can stay in China without a visa. People from the following countries can visit China with visa-free entry. Different visa-free countries have different periods of stay, ranging from 15 days to 90 days.

• 90 days: Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino
• 60 days: Mauritius
• 30 days: Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Qatar, Serbia, Seychelles, Tonga, United Arab Emirates
• 15 days: Brunei, Japan, Singapore

Please note that visa exemption does not mean that no formalities are required. Please prepare the required materials or complete the necessary procedures as required to avoid being blocked from entry.

Visa Free Transit

The 72-hour/144-hour transit visa exemption policy is for foreigners who transit through China to a third country or region, so the start and destination must be different. Citizens of 53 countries can enjoy the 72-hour/144-hour visa-free policy, which are:

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

In China, the cities that can apply for 144-hour visa exemption are Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Shenyang, Dalian, Chengdu, Kunming, Qingdao, Shandong, Xiamen, Wuhan.

In China, the cities that can apply for the 72-hour visa exemption are Guangzhou, Chongqing, Guilin, Xi'an, Harbin, Changsha.

Documents required to apply for a Chinese visa free transit:

• Valid passport for more than 6 months.
• A joint ticket to a third country (region, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) with confirmed date and seat within 72 hours/144 hours.
• Entry and exit card application form.

Hainan 30 Days Visa Free

Starting from May 1, 2018, visa-free policy for entry and tourism from 59 countries has been implemented in Hainan Province.

Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa as long as they visit Hainan Island only and stay for no more than 30 days:

Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Monaco, Belarus

Passport

Types of passport

China passport is a document issued by the Chinese government to Chinese citizens to prove their nationality and identity when entering and exiting the country (border) and traveling or staying outside the country (border). The passports of the People's Republic of China are divided into diplomatic passports, service passports, ordinary passports and special passports.

Documents required to apply for a Chinese Passport:

• Local valid residence ID card or other legal identity certificates (original and photocopy);
• Credentials (original and photocopy) certifying the Chinese nationality and date of birth;
• Application form for Passport;
• Three passport photos.

Passport validity period

The maximum validity period of diplomatic passport and official passport shall not exceed 5 years, and the maximum validity period of ordinary passport shall not exceed 10 years. After the expiration, a new passport will be issued.

The validity period of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is generally 10 years, and the validity period of passports issued to children under the age of 16 is 5 years. The validity period of the Macao SAR passport is generally 10 years, and the validity period of passports issued to children under 18 years of age is 5 years.