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New Policies! Official Updates on Visa and Entry Requirements of the People’s Republic of China
Chinese visa and entry policy have been suspended since the border lockdown from 27th March. Good news is, in recent weeks, policies have changed, and foreigners meeting a few visa requirements are able to apply for a visa and come to China, again.
Foreigners wishing to enter China to work are understandably eager to know the new rules, but TTJ must remind you that news spread among unofficial websites, individuals and WeChat public accounts can often be inaccurate or incomplete, thus misleading.
In this post, TTJ has collected visa and entry information from reliable, official sources to provide you the latest visa and entry policy of your very circumstance. Also, we will provide several official sources where you can find the most accurate, reliable changes of policy.
New Entry Requirements from August, 2020
A newly applied visa is one of the REQUIRED documents to enter China. You may enter China with any type of visa, but a Z-visa is a must to work in China. Since 27th Mar, 2020, all previously issued visas and residence permits were automatically expired. But the good news is that visa application policy has changed/restarted in recent weeks:
- According to the notices from the Chinese Embassy in Denmark, foreigners from 36 European countries who are holding a valid Chinese Residence Permit are allowed to apply for Chinese visas from 12th Aug, 2020 (See the following table for details).
- From 18th Aug, 2020, foreigners from the UK without a valid Chinese Residence Permit are also able to apply for Chinese visas, if providing required documents (See the following table for details).
- More updates are expected to release, keep following TopTutorJob’s blog/WeChat articles.
Besides a valid visa, you will be required to provide other documents for entry, mostly relevant to your current health condition. You will also have to receive a health check and at least a 14-day quarantine upon your entry.
Applying for a New Visa to Re-enter/Enter If Meeting the Requirements
Your nationality and the state of your Chinese Residence Permit are two main factors deciding which policy suits your circumstance. See the table for details.
| Country | The State of Your Residence Permit | What Visa Is Available to Apply For | Documents required | Note |
| One of the 36 European countries | Valid Work Residence Permit | Z-Visa | Same as normal application requirements | Employer information during visa application should be consistent with that on your Residence Permit |
| One of the 36 European countries | Valid Residence Permit (other than work type) | Correspondent to the Residence Permit type | Same as normal application requirements | You may apply for the change of Residence Permit type to a Work Residence Permit AFTER entering China with your visa |
| Not one of the 36 European countries | Valid Residence Permit | Please check the Notices on the official website of Chinese Embassy in your country for whether visa application is available | / | / |
| UK | No Valid Residence Permit | Z-Visa | Notification Letter of Foreigners Work Permit *PU invitation letter ** or Verification Confirmation of Invitation *** | Please ask your employer whether they are able to provide you the documents required |
| America SingaporeCanadaIrelandAustraliaSouth Africa | No Valid Residence Permit | Not available | / | / |
| Countries not mentioned above | No Valid Residence Permit | Please check the Notices on the official website of Chinese Embassy in your country for whether visa application is available | / | / |
| *A Notification Letter of Foreigners Work Permit is one of the regular documents in Z-Visa application. Your employer will help you apply for one with the resume and certificates you provide.**A PU invitation letter is issued by a local Chinese Bureau of Foreign Affairs to allow foreigners to work in China for a specific employer. Usually your employer will apply for it for you, yet not every employer has the qualification to get the PU letter. *** A Verification Confirmation of Invitation is issued by a local Chinese Bureau of Foreign Affairs after verifying the invitation letter provided by your employer. | ||||
| Sources: Notice of Border Suspension from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRCNotice of Visa Application Policy Change from the Chinese Embassy in DenmarkNotice on Updated Requirements for Chinese Visa Application by the Chinese Embassy in the UK |
Things Required Besides a Visa
Please notice again that a newly issued visa is one of the MUSTs for China entry. After you get a valid Visa to enter/re-enter China, please also check the following list for other documents you may need.
Before entry, you should ALSO prepare:
- A Health Declaration Form (download the blank form here)
- Nucleic acid test (with negative results) for COVID-19 WITHIN 5 DAYS BEFORE BOARDING
- A flight ticket
- Please contact the Embassy and/or Visa Application Centre for possible newly required documents, since the policy changes frequently.
After entry, you should receive:
- A health check at the airport you land
- A quarantine for at least 14 days
After this process, you will be good to live and work in China, as always.
Finally, Know Where to Find the Latest Change of Policies
Here are some official sources where you can find accurate and reliable information:
- The official website of Chinese Embassy in your country. Updates of entry and visa policies are usually presented on “Notice” or “News” under “Visa” section.
- Each Embassy also has its own WeChat public account, yet services are mostly likely only available in Chinese language.
- Official government website of your country. Search “China visa”, and most government websites will direct you to pages providing the latest policies and travel suggestions.
- Make sure to follow us and regularly check our blog for updated news with reliable sources.
TTJ also provided some necessary preparations for returning to China, and the latest policy in November. If you have any needs, you can also contact our recruiters directly.
