Visa Information for China, Residency and Moving to China

Visas and Residency

Chinese visas are classified based on your purpose for being in China, such as tourism, education, or employment. To stay long term in China, you'll have to be connected to an organization (the company you work for or the school you attend), which pretty much rules out the possibility of retiring there or just hanging out for longer than a tourist visa will allow.

If you're thinking of starting your own business in China or working in the country on a self-employed basis, you're going to have a very difficult time getting the entry visa you'll need, since all work visas must have a corporate sponsor. (Currently you must first get a Chinese business partner who can register the business in China, though with the current push toward opening up the nation for foreign business, these regulations may soon change.)

If any of these difficult situations apply to you, our best advice is to hire one of the visa services in Hong Kong. Though expensive, they can sometimes work miracles (though if you're a highly ethical person, you may not want to ask just how they were able to obtain that visa for you).

Visa applications are no longer accepted by mail; you'll need to walk it in to the nearest Chinese consulate or embassy, or have your travel or visa agent do it for you. You'll also need to pay the application fee, which varies depending on your citizenship and the number of entries into China.

All visas are classified as single entry, double entry, or multiple entry. If you are in China on a single-entry visa but would like to leave the country temporarily (including visiting Hong Kong or Macau), you can have your visa entry type switched at your local Public Security Bureau (PSB) before you go. The PSB will also help you out if you need an extension on your visa or residence permit. Staying past your expiration date will result in a 500 CNY ($62) fine for every extra day; if you need an extension, contact the local PSB at least a week in advance.

Residency visas (D, J-1, X, Z) are only good for getting you into the country; you'll need a residency permit to stay in the country. Each type of residency visa requires different paperwork.

To get a Z visa (issued to those coming to China for employment), you'll need to submit a Work Permit or a Foreign Expert's License, obtained by the company in China you will be working for, and a letter of invitation from your employer, as well as the marriage certificate and birth certificates for accompanying spouse and children, respectively.

Long-term-study X visas require an enrolment letter and educational application form from the Chinese school. Journalist visas (J-1 or J-2) require both a letter from an employer and a letter from the Foreign Affairs Office. To get a D visa, you'll have to first get a permit from a local government in China before you can apply (if you have family members in China, they can obtain this document for you).

Unless you have close relatives who are Chinese citizens, D visas are extremely difficult to get and are typically only rewarded to those who have already resided in China for some time and have made sizeable contributions to the country financially, culturally, or technologically.

It is illegal to be employed in China on an L or F visa (in other words, tourists and students cannot work in China). If discovered, illegal employees are fined, fired, and often deported. If you get a job offer while you're in China as a student or tourist, or if you come as a tourist and decide to stay for schooling, you can switch visa types at the PSB in most provinces. There are some locales, however, that require you to leave the country to obtain the new visa; most people accomplish this with a quick trip to Hong Kong. Either way, just don't start work or classes until you have the correct visa in hand.

Along the same lines, it is illegal to engage in any news-reporting activities, such as journalistic interviews, if you are in China on a tourist visa. China likes to keep a close watch over the media, and you can be detained for engaging in journalistic activities without having a J visa.

After you've moved into your new home, you'll need to register with your local Public Security Bureau within 10 days. Bring your passport and all other documents showing your residence status. Your residence permit will be tied to your physical address, so should you decide to move, you will need to register the move with your local PSB before the relocation date, and then register with your new PSB office after you've arrived at your new location. Failure to register with your friendly neighbourhood PSB can get you deported.

You should also register with your embassy or consulate, either online, by fax, or in person when you arrive. If a natural disaster strikes or political unrest breaks out, you will be on their radar screen, and they can and will do all in their power to help you.

All information on this website is given for guidance only, and although we believe it to be correct at the time of writing, we do not accept any liability for errors, omissions, inaccuracies or misinterpretation. All charges, regulations and procedures are liable to change without notice.