CHINESE VISA

1. Visa Category

F-visa is recommended for guests planning to attend an academic conference in China. An invitation letter is an important supporting document for the F-visa application. If you would like the Local Organizational Committee to offer you an invitation letter, please contact iaae2024logistics@gmail.com.

For details of Chinese visa categories and their document requirements, please refer to: About Chinese Visa (cs.mfa.gov.cn)

2. Length of Application Time

Normally, the Chinese Embassy or Consulate issues a visa within 4 to 5 working days and the date of passport collection will be indicated on the pick-up sheet. However, the Embassy or Consulate reserves the right to extend the visa processing time in some special cases. For applicants, it is recommended to submit their visa application about one month before their planned date of entry.

3. Application Fee

Please check the official website of the local Chinese Embassy/Consulate. Information for some countries is provided in the attached appendix 1.

4. Rush Service

Rush service is available and generally it costs about CNY 170 to 250.

5. Unilateral Visa-free Policy in China

From December 1, 2023 at 00:00 to November 30, 2024 at 24:00 (Beijing time), holders of valid ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia travelling to China for the purposes of trade, tourism, family visit and transit are exempt from visa requirements for a maximum period of 15 days.

Holders of ordinary passports from the 6 above-mentioned countries travelling to China for any other reason or for a stay exceeding 15 days, as well as holders of service passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, must always apply for a visa before travelling to China. For more details, please consult the websites of Chinese Embassies in the 6 above countries.

6. 144-hour Visa-free Transit Policy in Xiamen

Citizens from 53 countries holding valid international travel documents and valid passenger tickets for connecting travel (airplane or ship ticket) to a third country/region with confirmed seat and that the departure time is within 144 hours after arriving in Xiamen are eligible to apply for 144-hour visa-free transit at the port of entry in Xiamen. For more details, please refer to the attached appendix 1.

7. Special Cases

TE invitation letters are required for visa applicants from Turkey, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, etc., which means visa applications from these countries may take more time.

Appendix 1: Information on Chinese Visa.pdf

Appendix 2: Singapore announces mutual visa exemption arrangement with China

Appendix 3: China, Thailand sign mutual visa exemption agreement

Appendix 4: Notice on Implementation of Unilateral Visa-free policy for Six Countries NEW!