Skip to content
VisaGuideline
Menu

China

Visa China

Asie · Asie de l’Est

In China, the National Immigration Administration publishes an official site in six languages, including French. Within the territory it handles visa extensions, replacements and reissuances: filing at least seven days before expiry, a decision within seven working days at most, extension periods of 30 to 180 days by category, and a schedule in yuan for countries outside reciprocity agreements. The initial visa application falls to the embassies and consulates, whose pages could not be read.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 18 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
National Immigration Administration of the People's Republic of China (国家移民管理局); extensions are handled by the exit and entry administration services of the public security organs of cities above the prefecture level
Submission channel
Chinese embassies and consulates for the initial application; the embassy of China in France refers to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center and announces an online application service. Extensions are filed with the exit and entry administration services, in China
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted; the administration is, however, bringing into service an online declaration of the arrival card and an online registration of non-hotel accommodation
Decision time for an extension
Seven working days at most from acceptance of the application; filing must take place at least seven days before the visa expires
Published extension fees
For countries outside reciprocity agreements: 160 CNY with no entry, 206 CNY for one entry, 313 CNY for two entries, 413 CNY for multiple entries up to six months, 619 CNY up to one year
Penalties cited
Warnings and fines of 500 to 5,000 RMB under border control, according to the guidelines for foreigners
Portal languages
Chinese, English, Russian, French, Spanish and Arabic; the administration states that only the Chinese versions are authoritative

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Visa applications for foreign nationals
A service named in the guidelines for foreigners. The conditions, documents and fees of the initial application are not detailed on the pages read: not stated on the portal consulted. Official page (new tab)
Port visa for foreign nationals
A service named in the guidelines for foreigners, relating to the visa issued at the point of entry. Conditions and duration: not stated on the portal consulted. Official page (new tab)
Visa extension, replacement and reissuance
Handled by the exit and entry administration services of the public security organs. Filing at least seven days before expiry, a decision within seven working days at most, extension of 30 to 180 days by category. Official page (new tab)
Approval of permanent residence qualification
A service named in the guidelines for foreigners. Conditions, documents and processing times: not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
Exit and entry permit for foreigners
A service named in the guidelines for foreigners. Duration and conditions: not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
Travel permit for foreigners
A service named in the guides for foreigners, alongside the border administration area permit in electronic form. Duration and conditions: not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The National Immigration Administration organizes its guidelines for foreigners into three sets: entry, exit and stay or residence of foreigners; nationality applications; border control. In them it names the visa application for foreign nationals, the port visa, the registration of accommodation information, the exit and entry permit and the approval of permanent residence qualification.

The initial visa application falls to the embassies and consulates of China. The "Visas" page of the embassy of China in France announces the opening of an online visa application service, the extension of a temporary reduction in rates, the extension of the exemption from fingerprinting and the bringing into service of the online declaration of the arrival card, and refers to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Paris. That center states that it handles only applications concerning ordinary passports.

Once in China, the extension, replacement and reissuance of the visa fall to the exit and entry administration services of the public security organs of cities above the prefecture level, authorized by the National Immigration Administration. The application must be filed at least seven days before the visa expires.

The administration also publishes pages devoted to the transit visa exemption policy and to the visa exemption policies for regional entries. Their conditions depend on nationality: they are not reproduced here and are shown with the nationality selector on this page.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Determine the purpose of the stay and the corresponding visa category, then check whether a transit visa exemption or regional entry policy applies.
  2. File the initial application with an embassy or consulate of China; the embassy of China in France refers to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center and announces online filing.
  3. Check the validity of the passport: the Visa Application Service Center advises renewing it if its validity is less than six months, and applying for the visa three months before arrival in China.
  4. Complete the arrival card: the administration is bringing an online declaration into service.
  5. Once in China, register your accommodation: the administration offers online registration for foreigners staying outside hotels.
  6. To extend, replace or have a visa reissued, apply to the exit and entry administration service of the public security organ, at least seven days before the visa expires.
  7. Attach the valid passport, the application form for a visa, a temporary stay permit or a residence permit, a photograph complying with the guide on photographs for exit and entry documents, and the supporting documents for the purpose.
  8. Wait for the decision: it is taken within seven working days at most from acceptance of the application.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page, in its Chinese version, is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the guide on extension, replacement and reissuance publishes, for countries outside reciprocity agreements, 160 CNY for a visa with no entry, 206 CNY for one entry, 313 CNY for two entries, 413 CNY for multiple entries up to six months and 619 CNY for multiple entries up to one year.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the extension application must be filed at least seven days before the visa expires, and the decision is taken within seven working days at most from its acceptance.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the published maximum extension periods are 30 days for C, G, J2 and L visas, and 180 days for F, M, Q2, R and X2 visas; the S2 visa may be extended by 180 days for a family purpose and by 90 days in other cases.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the "Fee Schedule" page of the administration's site publishes its schedule only as images; no amount could be read there as text. The page warns that the English version is provided for reference only and that only the Chinese version is authoritative.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the guidelines for foreigners cite warnings and fines of 500 to 5,000 RMB under border control.

After the decision

The extension, replacement and reissuance of the visa fall to the exit and entry administration services of the public security organs of cities above the prefecture level, under authorization from the National Immigration Administration.

Replacement or reissuance is provided for in the event of a change of purpose of stay, a new passport, departure from the tourist group, or a damaged, lost or stolen visa.

The administration offers online registration of accommodation for foreigners staying outside hotels, as well as an online declaration of the arrival card.

The decision rests with the Chinese authority. The pages read describe neither the grounds for refusal nor the avenues of appeal; they do, however, cite fines for breaches of the entry and exit rules.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for China to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required for China?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. The National Immigration Administration, for its part, publishes pages devoted to the transit visa exemption and to regional exemptions. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

The initial application falls to the embassies and consulates of China; the embassy of China in France refers to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center and announces an online application service. In China, extensions are filed with the exit and entry administration services of the public security organs.

How does one extend a visa, and by when?

The application is filed with the exit and entry administration service, at least seven days before the visa expires. The decision is taken within seven working days at most from its acceptance.

By how much can a visa be extended?

According to the official guide: 30 days for C, G, J2 and L visas; 180 days for F, M, Q2, R and X2 visas; 180 days for the S2 visa where it is a family one, and 90 days in other cases.

How much does an extension cost?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18, for countries outside reciprocity agreements: 160 CNY with no entry, 206 CNY for one entry, 313 CNY for two entries, 413 CNY for multiple entries up to six months and 619 CNY up to one year. The administration's general schedule is published only as images and could not be read.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted: none of the pages read describes a visa issued electronically. The administration is, however, bringing into service an online declaration of the arrival card and an online registration of non-hotel accommodation.

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.