Entry

1. Entry

1.1. Entry

1.1.1. Entry Issues

1.1.1.1. Visa Application

Place of Visa Application:

All foreign citizens except visa exemption aliens stipulated explicitly should come to Chinese embassies and consulates stationed abroad, Offices, MFA Offices stationed in Hong Kong and Macao or other Chinese representative offices authorized by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China to deal with the visa application in advance. An applicant should deal with the visa application in advance according to their own journey.

In the absence of exceptional circumstances, an applicant can come to the above offices to deal with the visa application during the transferring to China if he/she has no time to deal with the visa application near his/her residence.

Chinese embassies and consulates have their own division. An applicant should come to the embassy or consulate of his/her residence to deal with the visa application. Except citizens of a few countries who must come to Chinese embassies or consulates stationed in these countries to make an application, an applicant can come to the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate to deal with the visa application.

After aliens enter China with ordinary visas, they should come to local public security organs at or above the county level to make an application if they need to prolong or alter their visas.

Rules of Visa Exemption:

-- Aliens with the passports of those countries which signed Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption between the P.R. China and Foreign Countries.

-- According to bilateral agreement, citizens of those countries should take the corresponding passports to come to China for visa exemption. But these citizens can stay in China within only 30 days. If they need to prolong stay time, they should make an application to the related departments as early as possible. Refer to the List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption Between the P.R. China and Foreign Countries (http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/lsfw/qzjj/zlbg/t267979.htm), refer to Chinese Version (http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/lsfw/qzjj/zlbg/P020071031493935476308.pdf)

-- Citizens from the following three countries who come to Chinese Mainland for travel, business, or visit in 15 days and enter from open ports for foreigners are exempted from the visa application: Singapore, Brunei, and Japan. But the following citizens from the above countries need to deal with visas in advance: (1) citizens with ordinary passports who come to China for travel, business, and visit exceed 15 days; (2) citizens with ordinary passports who come to China for study, work, residence, and report; (3) citizens with diplomatic or public passports.

-- From November 15, 2000, aliens with ordinary passports of the countries having diplomatic relations with China who come to Hong Kong and Macao for travel, and are organized by the travel companies registered in Hong Kong and Macao to travel in the Pearl River Delta Region (including administrative units of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou, Shantou) in 6 days are exempted from visa application.

-- Aliens with connecting flight tickets who have booked the connecting seats to take international scheduled flight to pass through China directly within 24 hours without going out of the airport are exempted from the visa application.

-- Citizens of the following 20 countries with any kinds of passports who pass through Shanghai within 48 hours are exempted from the visa application: Republic of Korea, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and other Schngen Agreement Countries.

-- Citizens organized to travel in Hainan Province within 15 days by the international travel agencies approved by National Tourism Administration and registered in Hainan province with ordinary passports from the following 19 countries are exempted from the visa application: Malaysia, Thailand, Republic of Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Germany, Britain, France, Austria, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Holland, America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

-- All other aliens except the above condition should deal with the visa application in advance to come to Chinese Mainland.

Chinese citizens who come to Chinese Mainland are exempted from the visa application, but they must deal with the passport application or corresponding travel certificates. Please click here to know the notice of the passports and travel certificates.

According to the principle of international law, any sovereignty state has the right of making a decision whether it allow aliens enter or exit its frontier, and has the right of issuing the visa, declining visa application, or declaring the canceling of the issued visa according to its own law.

Tourist / Family Visit (L) Visa

"L" Visa is issued to an alien who comes to China for sightseeing or visiting family members/friends or other private affairs.

1. Requirements:

Your valid & actual passport which must have at least six months of remaining validity with blank visa pages in it;

One Visa Application Form (Q1) with one photo of 2X2 inches (black & white or color is acceptable) glued on it.

An applicant who was born in China and naturalized in a foreign country later is required to submit his /her original Chinese passport. If he/she was naturalized in a foreign country for a long time and his/her new foreign passport was exchanged from his/her old foreign passport, he/she is required to submit his/her old foreign passport for check.

Please fill the application faithfully, completely; the application may be declined or the travel may be delayed if the applicant provides unfaithful information, misses out, or write illegibly.

2. Way and time of application

An applicant may come personally or entrust someone else or a travel/visa agent to come to the Embassy or Consulate General to deal with the visa application.

No appointment is required.

Mailed applications are not acceptable

The regular processing time is 4 working days. For express service, additional fees of $30 for 1 working day processing (only for the applicants who hasten for the funeral, visit the sick, or deal with emergent public affairs ), or $20 for 2-3 working days processing will be charged.

3. Visa fees, Validity and Duration of Stay

Please pay by Cash, Money Order, Cashier's Check, or Company Check. Personal checks are not acceptable. Please make the check or money order payable to the Chinese Embassy. If an applicant come to Embassy to deal with visa application, please fill the heading of the check as: Chinese Embassy; if an applicant come to Consulate to deal with visa application, please fill the heading of the check as : Chinese Consulate.

Usually the duration of stay is 30 days. If the applicant requests a stay in China for more than 30 days, he/she must specially give clear indication of the requirement on the application and get the authorization from the consulate officer. Usually, the validity of a Single Entry visa is three months, and the validity of a Double Entry visa is six months from the date of issue.

4. Attention

The consulate officer will decide the validity, duration of stay, and times of entry according to related Chinese law and regulation. The consulate officer has the right of declining the visa application which is not in accord with Chinese law and regulation, or declaring the canceling of the issued visas.

Laws and rules the foreigners must abide by in China:

1. The foreigners shall check before come to China whether the Visa is still valid. Under the condition that the visa has expired or the time of entry is not enough, he should apply for a visa to China first.

2. The foreigners entering China with articles as animals, plants, and currencies shall comply to the relevant laws of China and regulations by Health Quarantine, Animals and Plants Quarantine, the Custom, and finance administrative department.

3. The foreigners shall not undertake matters which have nothing to do with the reason of their visa application.

4. The foreigners shall not stay in China when their visa expires. They shall notice the validity of their visa and apply for an extension before it expires at the public security department in the condition that an extension of stay is needed.

5. The foreigners shall not go to the cities or counties not open to the foreigners in China. In the condition that it is needed, the foreigners shall apply for an allowance from the public security bureau of the local city or county. The foreigners shall not go to the spots which are not open to the foreigners in China.

6. Make sure the following situations don't happen to you, or the foreigners will be refused to board, enter China, or be fined.

-- Come to China without a visa. (not apply when a visa exemption is held.)

-- Come to China without a passport, visa, or valid ID.

-- Stay in China when the visa has expired.

-- Stay in China when the passport has expired.

-- Refuse to be checked for ID.

-- It is notified by the public security bureau or the national security department that your entry or exit is not allowed.

-- Come to China within the duration of refusal of entry after the deportation by Chinese government.

-- Have mental illness, AIDS, venereal disease, or epidemic diseases like open TB.

-- Have no necessary finance to guarantee your stay in China.

1.1.2. Arrival Guide

Capital International Airport is open to the public since Oct. 1, 1999, and it is a gift to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the new China's establishment. It is an international airport integrating modernity and comforts.

-- Arrive in Beijing

Once you get off your plane, just follow the signs.

There are clean public toilets before entry should you need them.

-- Fill in the Health and Quarantine Declaration Form

You should have received a Health and Quarantine Declaration Form on your flight but if not you can find them in the airport before your entry.

-- Fill in the Entry Card

You should also have filled in an Entry Card on your flight but if not, you can find it in the airport too.

-- Take the Foreigners lines

Make sure you join a line for "Foreigners" unless you hold a Chinese passport.

-- Claim your baggage

After clearing entry make your way down to baggage claim. There are porters for hire, but you can also get your own trolley for free if you wish.

Find the baggage claim which is marked with your flight number and origin. The displays alternate between Chinese and English.

-- Make your Entry

Unless you have something to declare, go through the green line. You may get your bags x-rayed. You can ask for your films to be hand checked.

The deposit place is located at the 2nd floor of the hall, and you can deposit your baggage for hours up to 7 days.

The money exchange window of each bank will provide the exchange services. You can also withdraw RMB from your credit card at the ATM in the hall.

If you need to make an international call, just buy an IP card at the store and make your call at the Call office.

-- Leave the airport

Generally speaking, you can either take a taxi or take the airport bus to the city center.

Find a metered taxi and ignore any offers of a private taxi, you will surely overpay. The airport is located 15 miles/26 kilometers northeast the city center. A taxi ride to the centre of Beijing should be about RMB 75 plus 15 for the road toll. Make sure your driver starts the meter when you leave the airport - meters start at ten.

There is a government run bus which goes into the city found at the arrivals area. Many hotels also run their own shuttle services or will meet you if you have made arrangements.

1.1.3. Prohibited items

-- All kinds of weapons, simulation of weapons, ammunition and explosive materials;

-- Counterfeit currency and counterfeit securities;

-- On China's political, economic, cultural, moral harmful print, film, photographs, records, films, audio and video tapes, laser optic disc, computer storage media and other items;

-- Various potent poisons;

-- Opium, morphine, heroin, cannabis, as well as other people can addiction narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances;

-- Dangerous bacteria, insects and other pests from the animals, plants and their products;

-- Impede the health of people and livestock from the affected areas can be transmitted diseases and other food, medicine or other items.