Type of Port Visa

According to the reasons for foreigners coming to China, seven types of port visas can be issued, including crew (C), visit (F), group travel (L), trade (M), visiting relatives (Q2), talent (R), and personal affairs (S2).

Reasons for issuance

1. Urgent business reasons (such as being invited to participate in trading activities in China temporarily, signing contracts, consulting on technology, etc.).

2. Emergency engineering repair (such as being invited to participate in equipment installation, engineering emergency repair, etc.).

3. Urgent personal affairs (such as visiting critically ill patients or handling funerals).

4. Urgent visit reasons (such as entering for non-commercial activities such as exchanges, visits and inspections).

5. Other urgent reasons (such as inability to leave the country on the original plane due to force majeure or the need to change to another mode of transportation).

6. Reasons for group travel (such as foreign tourist groups invited by travel agencies with national tourism organization qualifications).

Required materials for application

1. Application Form for Foreigners' Port Visa;

2. Photos that meet the standards of the Guidelines for Photography for Exit-Entry Documents (free on-site production);

3. A valid passport or other international travel document;

4. Materials related to the matter applied and other procedures to be completed:

(1) To apply for a C-class (crew) visa, it is required to submit an invitation letter issued by the competent department of the people’s government at or above the county level and transportation companies such as civil aviation, railways, highways, ports, etc., explaining the reasons for emergency entry.

(2) When applying for an F-type (visiting) visa, it is required to submit relevant proof materials such as an invitation letter issued by the inviting organization.

(3) To apply for a group L-type (group travel) visa, the foreign tour group must be composed of two (including two) or more people and submit an official letter from the travel agency issued by an approved travel agency with corresponding qualifications, the list of persons in the “Group Travel Visa List” and the travel reception plan and other supporting materials.

(4) When applying for a Q2-type (visiting relatives) visa, the applicant must submit an invitation letter issued by a Chinese citizen or foreigner residing in China stating the relationship between family members and the reason for emergency entry in accordance with regulations.

(5) When applying for an S2-type (personal affairs) visa, inbound visitors outside the scope specified in Q2 should be required to submit an invitation letter issued by a foreigner residing in China, explaining family relationships and emergency entry reasons, as well as the inviter’s passport and residence permit; when entering the country to engage in other private affairs, it is required to submit relevant proof materials for urgent personal affairs or for humanitarian reasons. If there is no invited unit for investment and entrepreneurship, an explanation of the inspection content and itinerary, as well as proof materials related to investment and entrepreneurship, should be submitted.

(6) Other policies and measures prescribed by the National Immigration Administration shall be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations.

Application method

1. Personal visa: Individual applications can be made by the individual upon arrival at the port or by the inviter to apply on behalf of foreigners coming to China (mainly for urgent personal reasons), or by the inviting unit (mainly for urgent business, emergency repair, and other urgent reasons). The visa authority at the port of entry will record and assess the credibility of the foreign-related units inviting foreigners to China, and issue a personal visa accordingly.

2. Group travel: Travel agencies submit applications on behalf of members of foreign tour groups coming in China. The port visa authority implements registration and credit rating for foreign-related travel agencies that invite foreigners to China, and issues group tourism visas based on this.

Time limit for port visas

The port visa is valid for a single country. Corresponding types of visas are issued to individuals with a single-entry validity period not exceeding 5 days and a stay period not exceeding 30 days; to foreign tourist groups, group tourist visas are issued with a single-entry validity period not exceeding 15 days and a stay period not exceeding 30 days.

Result delivery

The applicant shall present the “Foreigner Port Visa Acceptance Form” to the visa office at the port to collect the visa. The group travel visa can be collected by the group travel agency that submits the application on behalf of the applicant.

Fee basis and standards

1. List of visa fee standards for non-equivalent countries

(Currency: RMB Unit: Yuan)

2. List of National Visa Fee Standards by country

(Currency: RMB Unit: Yuan)

Acceptance deadline

The processing time for port visa applications is completed upon acceptance, approval, and certificate issuance at the port of arrival, and the visa can be issued immediately.

Other notes

Foreigners holding port visas should enter the country from the port where the visa authority is located, and tourist groups can enter from all ports open to the outside world.

Hainan Provincial Department of Business Environment Development contributed to the story.