Different Types of China Visa for Those Interested in Going to Shanghai
If you’re a foreign traveler and you want to enter Shanghai or any city in China, you must have a visa. Depending on the purpose of your visit, you’ll need one of several types.
These include the following:
- China Tourist Visa or the L Visa
You’ll need to this visa if you want to simply tour China. This type of visa is given to foreigners who enter the country for a short period of time, for personal business, whether it be for touring, visiting family, or other “personal” reasons.
This type of visa is also available as a single entry or double entry touring visa. Either of these is good for just 30 days. You are not allowed a multiple entry visa if you take out a simple tourist visa.
- China Business Visa or the F Visa
If you’re going to Shanghai for business purposes, this is the type of visa you’ll need. This visa is granted to foreign travelers who are invited by the country to visit China for business, technological or cultural exchanges, research, a convention, a seminar, or any other type of business.
With this visa, you can obtain it in single, double, or multiple entry formats. Usually, visitors get a visa for 30 days, but you can get an extension when you must do so.
- China Work Visa or the Z Visa
This particular type of China visa is an employment visa. It is issued to foreigners who will be taking a job in the country. This type of visa is also issued to family members or other accompanying companions who will be staying with them long-term.
- China Student Visa or the X Visa
A China student visa is for those who are studying in China. It is given to foreigners who come to the country to study or to undertake an internship for a period of six months or longer.
- Residence Visa or the D Visa
This type of residential visa is for foreigners who want or need to reside permanently within Shanghai or elsewhere in China.
There are also three other types of China visa. These include:
- A transit visa, also known as a G visa.
- A journalist visa, also known as a J visa.
- A diplomatic or service visa.
It might surprise you know that a China visa is no longer needed by those who visit as foreigners in the following conditions:
If you are holding a final destination ticket as a foreigner and have booked seats on an international air flight that flies directly to China but will stay in a transit city in China for less than 24 hours, and you will not be leaving the airport during this time, you do not need a visa to stay in China.
For travelers who are foreigners from other countries and travel through the Hongqiao or Pudong Airports, they do not need a separate visa as long as they have valid visas, passports, booked seats and final destination tickets. Further, they are not to stay in Shanghai for longer than 48 hours.
Finally, you do not need a China visa if you hold a passport from a neighboring country like Singapore, Brunei or Japan and simply wish to visit the country.
You can stay in the country for up to 15 days without acquiring a special visa for business or pleasure, including visiting family or friends, touring, et cetera.
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Tags: shanghai, travel, visa, china