Notice of port visa application procedures for foreigners

1. Qualified applicants:
Foreigners who need to enter China because of emergency;
Foreigners who are invited to enter China because of urgent commercial affairs, emergency repair works, or other urgent issues;
Foreigners who participate in tours organized by tourist agencies in accordance with laws and regulations;

Note: Application shall be verified by related departments;
Application shall be processed by port-visa-granting offices authorized by the Ministry of Public Security.
 

2. Approach:
(1) Individuals shall apply for personal port visa after arriving at the port. Tourist agencies shall apply to the port-visa-granting office for tourists after arrival;
(2) Organizing institutions (individuals) shall apply to the local port-visa-granting office for invitees before arrival; applications on behalf of foreigners shall be transferred by administrative departments of prefecture-level city governments and governmental agencies with higher level of authority

3. Required materials:
1) Personal passport or other international travel documents (original and hard copies);
2) Filled application for port visa;
3) Personal photographs;
4) Invitation letters or other supporting documents issued by organizing institutions (individuals) or tourist agencies (original and hard copies);

Notes: Inquiries shall be conducted by port-visa-granting offices before application for port visa. Background information shall be verified by port-visa-granting offices and organizing institutions (individuals). Related institutions and individuals shall cooperate with legal investigation.

(1) To apply for C visa, the applicant shall provide an invitation letter issued by the administrative departments of county governments and governmental agencies with higher level of authority or department of civil aviation, railway, highway, port and other transport institutions, to clarify entry because of emergency.

(2) To apply for F visa, the applicant shall provide a letter of permitting port visa issued by the administrative departments.

(3) To apply for L visa, the applicant shall provide an invitation letter from qualified travel agencies, a list of members and a travel plan.

(4) To apply for M visa, the applicant shall provide an invitation letter from authorized institutions or organizing institutions which have been put on records to port-visa-granting offices; for other organizing institutions, the applicant shall provide a schedule after entry, an invitation letter for clarifying entry because of emergency and registration materials.

(5) To apply for Q2 visa, the applicant shall provide an identification of the inviter, an invitation letter including reasons for entry because of emergency and relationships between family members from a foreigner with permanent residence.

(6) To apply for R visa, the applicant shall provide supporting materials from the administrative department of talents and an invitation letter from organizing institutions for clarifying entry because of emergency.

(7) To apply for S2 visa, the applicant who comes to China for visiting relatives shall provide inviter’s passport and residence credential, an invitation letter from a foreigner living in China including reasons for entry because of emergency and relationships between family members; the applicant who comes to China for other private affairs shall provide supporting materials of entry because of other urgent issues.

Note: Family members refer to spouses, parents, parents-in-law, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and spouses of children.

Identification of Mainland China resident refers to a household registration record or a resident identity card. Identification of Chinese citizens residing abroad refers to a Chinese passport and evidence of permanent residence abroad. Identification of Hong Kong or Macau resident refers to a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents. Identification of Taiwan resident refers to a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents. Identification of foreigner refers to a foreigner’s permanent residence card. Chinese citizens residing abroad and Hong Kong and Macau residents shall also submit a certificate of residence proving residence longer than 6 months.

4. Other notices

(1). Port-visa-granting offices shall verify the application submitted by organizing institutions or individuals. If the application meets the requirements, organizing institutions or individuals will receive a foreigner’s port visa acceptance form provided by the port-visa-granting office. The applicant shall present the form to the port-visa-granting office upon arriving at the port in order to apply for a visa.

(2). After verification and approval, port-visa-granting offices shall issue a one-time visa, valid for 5 days with maximum stay duration of 30 days, to qualified foreign applicants travelling individually, or a one-time group tourist visa, valid for 15 days with maximum stay duration of 30 days, to foreign tourist groups. The port-visa-granting office will not issue a visa to foreigners who bear features stated in article 21, Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China.

(3). Foreigners with a port visa travelling individually shall enter China from the port where the port-visa-granting office is located. Foreigners travelling with a tourist group can enter China from all ports. Under exceptional circumstances foreigners shall stay at the restricted area and leave the country from a specific port according to the requirements by port-visa-granting office.

(4). Port-visa-granting offices of Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Xiamen can issue a special administrative region tourist visa allowing a maximum stay duration of 3 or 5 days. Foreigners holding a special administrative region tourist visa cannot enter areas outside the administrative region of the city where the port of entry is located.

(5). Foreigners shall pay the visa application fee to the port-visa-granting office according to the regulations when applying for a port visa.