Major Purpose of Visit | Visa Categories | Description of Visa |
Exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities | F | Issued to those who are invited to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other non-commercial activities. |
Commerce & Trade | M | Issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities. |
Tourism | L | Issued to those who intend to go to China as a tourist. |
Family reunion, foster care or visiting relatives with permanent residence in China
| Q1 | Issued to those who are family members of Chinese citizens or of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence and intend to go to China for family reunion, or to those who intend to go to China for the purpose of foster care. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. "Family members" refers to spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law. |
Q2 | Issued to those who intend to visit relatives who are Chinese citizens residing in China or foreigners with permanent residence in China; the intended duration of stay is limited to no more than 180 days. | |
Visiting relatives working or studying in China or other private affairs | S1 | Issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners working or studying in China to whom they are spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18 or parents-in-law, or to those who intend to go to China for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. |
S2 | Issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China, or to those who intend to go to China for other private matters. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. "Family members" refers to spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law. | |
Employment | Z | Issued to those taking up a post or employment, or giving commercial performances, in China. |
Commercial performances | ||
Transit | G | Issued to those who are going to transit through China en route to a third country (or region). |
As a crew member or a motor vehicle driver | C | Issued to foreign crew members of means of international transportation, including aircraft, trains and ships, or motor vehicle drivers engaged in cross-border transport activities, or to the accompanying family members of the crew members of the above-mentioned ships. |
As a student | X1 | Issued to those intending to study in China for a period of more than 180 days. |
X2 | Issued to those intending to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days. | |
As an introduced talent | R | Issued to those who are high-level qualified talents or whose skills are urgently needed by China. |
As a journalist | J1 | Issued to resident foreign journalists/media staff of foreign news organizations stationed in China. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. |
J2 | Issued to foreign journalists/media staff on temporary news coverage missions. The intended duration of stay in China is limited to no more than 180 days. | |
Permanent Residence | D | Issued to those who are going to reside in China permanently. |