1. Visa Category

F-visa is recommended for guests planning to attend an academic conference in China. An invitation letter, which will be sent by conference organizers promptly after collecting participants’ information, is an important supporting document for the F-visa application.

For details of Chinese visa categories and their document requirements, please refer to: About Chinese Visa

Please submit your visa application to your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate.

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 your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate.

4. Rush Service

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

5. Mutual Visa Exemption Arrangement

List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption: List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption Between the People’s Republic of China and Foreign Countries

Exemption of visa requirements does not mean permission to stay and reside in the other contracting country for an indefinite period of time. According to the agreements, holders of valid specified passports are permitted to stay for less than 30 days upon entry into the other contracting country. If a passport holder intends to stay for over 30 days, he or she should go through residence formalities with the local authorities according to relevant regulations as soon as possible.

6. China implements unilateral visa-free policy for 50 nations

Nationals holding valid ordinary passports of 50 countries, namely Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, the Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Russia, Sweden, Canada and UK are exempted from visa requirement if coming to China for the purpose of business, tourism, family or friends visits, exchange and transit. They can stay in China for no more than 30 days without a visa.

For more information, please visit: FAQs on Visa-free Entry into China

7. 240-hour Visa-free Transit Policy

Nationals from 55 eligible countries, who need to transit through China to third countries or regions, may enter visa-free through any of the designated 65 open exit-entry ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and stay in the permitted areas for no more than 10 days, provided that they hold valid international travel documents and onward tickets with confirmed seats and departure dates.

For more information, please visit: Visa-Free Transit Policies

8. Special Cases

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

9. Quick Links

Embassy of China in the US:

Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application (Updated September, 2025)

Embassy of China in the UK:

http://gb.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/visa/