Do I need to apply for a Chinese visa to enter China?

Home / Community / Forums / China Visa / Do I need to apply for a Chinese visa to enter China?

Forums: Start a Thread Start a Vote

Do I need to apply for a Chinese visa to enter China?
Dec 29, 2007 03:09 GMT-6
JIMMYB Points: 6322 Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: offline	Do I need to apply for a Chinese visa to enter China? No.1 According to bilateral agreement, citizens of the following countries are allowed to enter China without visas. However, they are only allowed to stay in China for 30 days at most since they entered China. If they need to extend their stay in China, they should apply for Chinese visas as soon as possible. The People’s Republic of China signed agreements with the following foreign countries on mutual visa exemption (1) for specified passport holders till the issuance day of this list: No. Foreign Country Categories of Passports Covered by Agreement on Visa Exemption Date of Entry into Force of the Agreement YYYY.MM.DD 1 Albania Diplomatic, service/special passports1956.08.25 2 Argentine Diplomatic, service/official passports 1993.08.14 3 Armenia Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affair1994.08.03 4 Azerbaijan Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs1994.02.10 Ordinary passports/international travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 1994.05.01 5 Bangladesh Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 1989.12.18 6 Belarus Diplomatic, service passports, ordinary passports/international travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 1993.03.01 7 Benin Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 1993.11.06 8 Bolivia Diplomatic, service/official passports 1987.11.15 9 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 1980.01.09 10 Brazil Diplomatic, service/official passports 2004.08.10 11 Brunei Diplomatic, service/official passports 2005.06.18 12 Bulgaria Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 1987.07.17 13 Cambodia Diplomatic, service passports 2006.09.14 14 Chile Diplomatic, service/official passports 1986.05.07 15 Colombia Diplomatic passports 1987.11.14 Service/official passports1991.11.14 16 Croatia Diplomatic, service/official passports1995.04.09 17Cuba Diplomatic, service/official passports and passports for public affairs 1988.12.23 18 Cyprus Diplomatic, service passports 1991.10.02 19 D.P.R. Korea Diplomatic, service passports 1956.10.01 Passports for public affairs, collective passports for public affairs1965.01.01 20 Ecuador Diplomatic, service/official passports1987.07.11 Passports for public affairs/special passports1988.04.30 21 Egypt Diplomatic, service/special passports*4 22 Equatorial Guinea Diplomatic, service/official passports2006.01.01 23Georgia Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs; ordinary passports/international travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 1994.02.03

Dec 29, 2007 03:10 GMT-6	#1
JIMMYB Points: 6322 Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	24Guyana Diplomatic, service/official passports and passports for public affairs 1998.08.19 25 Hungary Diplomatic, service passports 1992.05.28 26 Indonesia Diplomatic, service passports 2005.11.14 27 Iran Diplomatic, service passports 1989.07.12 28 Jamaica Diplomatic, service/official passports 1995.06.08 29 Jordan Diplomatic, service/special passports1993.03.11 30 Kazakhstan Diplomatic, service passports 1994.02.01 31 Kyrgyzstan Diplomatic, service passports 2003.06.14 32 Laos Diplomatic, service/official passports and passports for public affairs 1989.11.06 33 Lithuania Diplomatic, service passport and seaman’s identity certificate/seaman’s book 1992.09.14 34 Macedonia *2Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 1980.01.09 35 Maldives Diplomatic, service passports1984.11.27 36 Mexico Diplomatic, service/official passports1998.01.01 37Moldova Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs; ordinary passports/international travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 1993.01.01

Dec 29, 2007 03:10 GMT-6	#2
JIMMYB Points: 6322 Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	38 Mongolia Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 1989.04.30 39 Montenegro 2Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs1980.01.09 40 Myanmar Diplomatic, service/official passports1998.03.05 41 Nepal Diplomatic, service/official passports2006.10.16 42 Pakistan Diplomatic, service/official passports 1987.08.16 Passports for public affairs1988.04.30 43 Peru Diplomatic, service/special passports 2004.05.12 44 Poland Diplomatic, service passports, seafarer’s identity certificate/seaman’s identity certificate/seaman’s book 1992.07.27 45 Romania Diplomatic, service passports and seafarer’s identity certificate/seaman’s identity certificate/seaman’s book 1981.09.16 46 Russia Ordinary passports/international travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 2000.12.01 Diplomatic passports2001.05.25 47 San Marino Diplomatic, service passports and ordinary passports1985.07.22 48 Serbia 2Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs1980.01.09 49 Seychelles Diplomatic, service passports 1992.02.20 50 Slovakia *3Diplomatic, service/special passports 1956.06.01 51 Slovenia Diplomatic, service passports 1994.07.01 52 Sudan Diplomatic, service/special, official passports1995.10.26 53 Tajikistan Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affair 1993.06.01 54 Tanzania Diplomatic, service passports 2005.07.11 55 Thailand Diplomatic, service/official passports2003.10.18 56 The Philippines Diplomatic, service/official passports (for people of temporary visit only) 2005.02.28 57 Trinidad and Tobago Diplomatic, service/official passports2006.11.23 58 Tunisia Diplomatic, service/special passport2006.09.29 59 Turkey Diplomatic, service/special passports and passports for public affairs1989.12.24 60 Turkmenistan Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs; ordinary passports/international travel documents (when traveling in tour groups organized by authorized travel agencies of both countries) 1993.02.01 61 Ukraine Diplomatic, service passports, seafarer’s identity certificate/seaman’s identity certificate/seaman’s book 2002.03.31 62 Uruguay Diplomatic, service/official passports held by resident members of either country’s Embassy or Consulate-General posted to the other1988.11.07 Diplomatic passport1994.01.01 63 Venezuela Diplomatic, service passports 1989.07.13 64 Vietnam Diplomatic, service passports and passports for public affairs 1992.03.15

Dec 29, 2007 03:11 GMT-6	#3
JIMMYB Points: 6322 Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	1. Citizens of the People’s Republic of China who are holders of valid specified passports of China are exempted from visa requirements for a short visit to the above contracting foreign countries. 2. Applying the agreement signed between China and the former Yugoslavia. 3. Applying the agreement signed between China and the former Czechoslovakia. 4. Agreements have been signed, but the dates of entry into force are not finally decided. No.2 Citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan who hold ordinary passports are allowed to enter China at the ports authorized by the Ministry of Public Security without visas for traveling, trading, visiting their friends and relatives or transit within 15 days. Ports authorized by the Ministry of Public Security: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Guangzhou (Baiyun Airport), Shenzhen (Luohu, Shekou) and Zhuhai (Gongbei). Whereas, citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan should apply for their visa before leaving for the following reasons: First, ordinary passports holders who want to stay in China more than 15 days for traveling, trading, visiting their friends and relatives; Ordinary passport holders who come to China for study, work, permanent residence and interview; Those who hold diplomatic or official passports. No.3 From November 15th in 2000, aliens aliens traveling to Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SAR) in tour groups organized by travel agencies registered in the above-mentioned SARs are exempted from visa requirements for a period of not exceeding 6 days when entering into the following Chinese mainland cities: Guangzhong, Shenzhen, zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jinangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou,etc. The premise is that the traveler shall have the citizenship of a country having diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and carrying an ordinary passport. Supplement: a short introduction to tourist visa. A tourist visa, issued to aliens who come to china for sightseeing and visiting relatives, is marked with ‘L’ in the many kinds of Chinese visas. Visa L is characterized by a short duration of stay, usually 30 days, no more than 90 days, and could not be extended upon expiration. Group visa, another kind of tourist visa, is applied by foreigner traveling in tour groups. Group visa is not issued n the passports, but on a separate paper, which requires the group members enter and exit the Chinese border together. No.4 Aliens holding connecting tickets to pass through China are exempted from visa requirements. The premise is that they shall stay in the transit city within 24 hours in the airport.

Dec 29, 2007 03:11 GMT-6	#4
JIMMYB Points: 6322 Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	No.5 Citizens of the following 20 countries who pass through Shanghai City within 48 hours are exempted from visa requirements no matter what kind of passports they hold. The 20 countries are: Republic of Korea, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Netherland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. No.6 Citizens of following 19 countries who hold ordinary passports are exempted from visa requirements. The premise is that they travel as a group formed by International Travel Agencies that have been set up and registered in Hainan Province with the permission of China National Tourism Administration and that they stay in Hainan Province within 15 days. The 19 countries are: Malaysia, Thailand, Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Germany, Great Britain, France, Austria, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Netherland, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. No.7 Aliens who do not come under the above-listed categories should apply for their visas properly before entering China. No.8 Chinese citizens including citizens of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are allowed to enter China without visas. However, they should apply for their passports or other travel documents.

Dec 29, 2007 03:12 GMT-6	#5
JIMMYB Points: 6322 Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	Some of the rules are translated by myself. Hope it can offer some useful information.

Dec 30, 2007 00:35 GMT-6	#6
JABAROOTOO Points: 12071 Join Date: Jul 4, 2005 Status: Offline	Good work Jimmy. That's quite clear.

Jan 2, 2008 10:26 GMT-6	#7
APAULT Points: 5980 Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Status: Offline	Great stuff Jimmy!! So Aussies and others can go to Hainan on a tour without a visa! Maybe Aus should allow Chinese into Tasmania on the same conditions!!

Jan 10, 2008 10:10 GMT-6	#8
GUEST21155	Hi, I am Australian and will e visiting Hong Kong and Macau, i know i dont need a visa BUT do I need a visa to enter Hainan? A quick reply would be appreciated.
GUEST21155

Jan 10, 2008 23:27 GMT-6	#9
APAULT Points: 5980 Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Status: Offline	Yes, u need a visa for Hainan unless you travel there as part of an arranged tour.

Jan 20, 2008 06:37 GMT-6	#10
GUEST19014	JimmyB you have provided us with very good info on visa requirements. But I need some clarification; you mentioned: "No.2 Citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan who hold ordinary passports are allowed to enter China at the ports authorized by the Ministry of Public Security without visas for traveling, trading, visiting their friends and relatives or transit within 15 days. Ports authorized by the Ministry of Public Security: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Guangzhou (Baiyun Airport), Shenzhen (Luohu, Shekou) and Zhuhai (Gongbei). Whereas, citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan should apply for their visa before leaving for the following reasons: First, ordinary passports holders who want to stay in China more than 15 days for traveling, trading, visiting their friends and relatives; Ordinary passport holders who come to China for study, work, permanent residence and interview; Those who hold diplomatic or official passports. " I am a Singaporean currently in Hong Kong and I want to go to China for a tour of about 2 weeks before returning home, do I have to apply for a visa. My friends tell me that I have to get a visa because I did not fly direct from Singapore. Please assist!
GUEST19014

Forums: Page 1 of 16 <Previous Next> Page: