Nearly everyone needs a visa to enter the People’s Republic of China. Only citizens of Hong Kong or Taiwan, may be able to enter China without a pre-arranged visa.
Chinese visa regulations can be difficult to navigate, so it is important to allow adequate time to prepare.
If you have accepted a position in China, you should be in contact with your employer for guidance about what type of visa to apply for, the necessary documentation, and how to proceed.
More information on Chinese visa regulations can be found here: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/.
There are a few major types of visas for China:
- Z Visa – Work visa – These visas are for people working inside China. These must be applied by your company and are viewed as difficult to get.
- F Visa – Business visa – These visas are intended for commercial or academic people temporarily visiting partners, clients, suppliers, etc.. Documentation also needs to be provided by the receiving institution.
- X Visa – Student visa – These require that the person be enrolled in classes within China.
- L Visa – Tourist visa – These are generally limited to short durations. They can generally be extended one to two times.
There are a number of visa services that can help you get a visa (particularly business visas). However, they range in quality and legitimacy.