Getting the Necessary Documents and Vaccines
This section goes through the permissions, paperwork, and other preparation you need to take care of before you head to China.
Passport
You need a valid passport to travel to China. Go to your government’s Web site for details on the application process. The process can take up to two months, but you can generally expedite the process by paying an additional fee.
If you already have a passport, it must be valid for six months prior to the expiration of your visa for a single-entry visa (see the upcoming “Visa” section). For a double- or multiple-entry visa, you need your passport to be good for at least nine months before the expiration of your visa. The Chinese embassy or consulate won’t issue you an entry visa if your passport doesn’t meet the requirements. The passport also needs to have at least one blank page.
Business invitation to China
As a business visitor, you require a formal, paper invitation from Chinese business contacts saying that you’ll be visiting China for business purposes. You can ask your Chinese host to fax you a letter of invitation. You must include this letter when you apply for your China business visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate. Your invitation letter should be from a company or organization based in China. (For a sample letter, go to www.visarite.com/bizinvitation.htm.)
Alternatively, if you don’t have contacts in China yet, you can submit a business letter addressed to the Consulate General with your visa application. (Visit www.visarite.com/bizletter.htm for a sample.)
On official company letterhead, the invitation should include the following:
| ✓ | The visitor’s name and position |
| ✓ | The company name(s) |
| ✓ | The dates and purpose of the trip |
| ✓ | A statement that your company is covering expenses |
Visa
Most people entering China for business purposes need business (F) visas. Business visas are valid for up to six months, but they allow the holder to stay in the country for only up to 30 days. Business visas are available in single-, double-, and multiple-entry options. To be sure you get the right visa, check with your travel agent.
China has two Special Administrative Regions (SARs): Hong Kong and Macao. These two regions have separate and different visa and entry requirements. Your Chinese visa is not valid for entry into Hong Kong and Macao. For many travelers, however, visits to Hong Kong and Macao don’t require visas. Hong Kong and Macau allow visitors from certain countries to visit for short periods of time without a visa. Check (www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm) for Hong Kong requirements and (www.gov.mo/egi/Portal/rkw/public/view/showcomp.jsp?id=InfoShowTemp&docid=c373e909dd97940b8f7ad00d226ced8b) for Macau requirements.
If you plan to spend considerable time (90 days or more for some visitors) in China, you may be subject to personal income tax. Check with your tax advisor back home to find out the maximum number of days you’re allowed to travel to China without incurring any tax liability. (It varies by country and depends whether your country has a tax treaty with China.)
Paying attention to processing time
Check with your travel agent and/or nearest Chinese consulate to determine what the local processing time will likely be. Generally, you need up to seven days to obtain a visa in person at a Chinese embassy or consulate. Make sure you allow additional time over the holidays. The Chinese consulates are often closed for Chinese national holidays — usually in January or February, May, and October. This is in addition to observing the holidays of the host country.
You can get your visa from the Chinese embassy or consulate more quickly if you’re willing to pay a higher price. Check with the Chinese embassy or consulate to determine your best option. In the U.S., single-entry visas start at US$50. A multiple-entry visa that’s good for 12 months and lets you stay for 60 to 90 days is US$180.
You may want to consider using a passport or visa express service company. For a modest additional fee for handling and shipping, you can avoid the hassle of getting your Chinese visa. It saves you time, lets you avoid long lines, and gets the job done right the first time.
Applying for a visa
You can get your visa from the Chinese consulate or Chinese embassy in your local area. Visas are also available via a travel agent or visa service. To obtain a single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry business visa for a 6-month or 12- to 24-month period, you need
| ✓ | An application form |
| ✓ | One passport-sized photo |
| ✓ | A formal letter of invitation from your Chinese business contact (or a letter to your consulate — see the earlier section on letters of invitation) |
The single-entry visa is valid for travel to China for 90 days from the date of issue; in other words, you need to begin your travel within 90 days of getting your visa.
If you believe you’ll be headed to China more than once over the coming months or year, consider getting a multiple-entry visa. That way, you don’t have to get a single-entry visa every time you go there. The added costs of a multiple-entry visa may be worth avoiding the hassle of getting a new visa for every trip you make.
See the earlier “Passport” section for info on passport requirements.
Considering your visa when you’re in China
You can usually extend or even change your visa when you’re in China. To do so, go to the Public Security Bureau. The visas that you obtain or extend in China are usually more flexible than the ones you can get in your home country. Work with a local travel agent or get help at the hotel where you’re staying to get everything done correctly.
Make sure you leave China the day before your visa expires — not on the day it expires. Staying in China beyond the expiration date of your visa earns you monetary penalties of 300 RMB a day.
Vaccines and health requirements
The Chinese authorities don’t require vaccines for travel to China, but you should consult your doctor and relevant government agencies in your home country to determine what vaccinations may be appropriate for you. At least make sure your tetanus and hepatitis A vaccines are up-to-date.
Plan to get inoculated within a sufficient amount of time to allow the vaccine to take effect. Check with your doctor to be sure to get everything in order before your trip, and keep your vaccination records in a safe place so you know when to update them in the future.
If you’re not sure what vaccinations are recommended for traveling to China, you can check sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel/eastasia.htm).
Health may be a concern as your company decides whom to send overseas. China won’t issue visas to people with the following conditions:
| ✓ | Certain mental disorders |
| ✓ | Contagious tuberculosis |
| ✓ | AIDS |
| ✓ | Venereal diseases |
| ✓ | Similar infectious diseases |