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Visa Application

1. Entry Requirements

Here are the documents you shall prepare before submission of visa application:

  1. Passport
    Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, and a photocopy of the passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate.
  2. Visa Application Form and Photo
    One completed Visa Application Form with a recently-taken color passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background attached
  3. Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)
    If you are not applying for the visa in the country of your citizenship, you must provide the original and photocopy of your valid certificates or visa of stay, residence, employment or student status, or other valid certificates of legal staying provided by the relevant authorities of the country where you are currently staying.
  4. Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas(Applicable to foreign citizens those who were Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship)
    If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you should provide your previous Chinese passport held and a photocopy of its data page. If you have obtained Chinese visas before and want to apply for a Chinese visa with a renewed foreign passport that does not contain any Chinese visa, you should present the photocopy of the previous passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate, as well as the previous Chinese visa page. (If your name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, you must provide an official document of name change.)

2. Visa Types

  1. Visit Visa (F-Visa):
    Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities.
  2. Tourist Visa (L-Visa)
    Issued to those who intend to go to China as a tourist.
  3. Working Visa (Z-Visa)
    Issued to those who intend to work in China.
  4. High-Level Talents Visa (R-Visa)
    Issued to those who are high-level talents or whose skills are urgently needed in China.

3. Countries with Visa-Free Entry to China

The duration of stay in China for citizens from these countries may not exceed 30 days from the date of entry into China. For the extension of stay duration, application must be made in advance.
Please click the List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption between the People's Republic of China and Foreign Countries to View/Download the list of Visa-Free Countries

4. An Invitation Letter to apply for visas

To request an Invitation Letter from the Institute of physics. Chinese Academy of Sciences, please submit the following personal information and documents to the Foreign Affairs Office by email to yangliu@iphy.ac.cn

  1. Personal Information:
    Title (i.e. Dr/Prof/Mr/Ms):
    Full Name:
    Gender:
    Date of Birth:
    Job Title:
    Organization:
    Passport Number:
    Nationality:
    Arrival Date:
    Departure Date:
    Postal Address:
    City & Country of the Embassy/Consulate office that you plan to apply for visa:
  2. Documents
    Brief Job and Company Description
    Scanned Copy of Your Passport

5. Important Notes:

Proof of arrival, departure, hotel reservation and financial ability
The Consular Office may request for a copy of confirmed hotel reservation, air ticket and bank deposits. The visa applicant’s name must be listed on these documents. Please be prepared to furnish these additional documents upon request.

If there are any other questions, please contact
Ms. Liu Yang
Email: yangliu@iphy.ac.cn
Tel: 86-10-82649907, Fax: 86-10-82649218