Which China Visa Do I Need?

Ask what you will actually do in China, rather than choosing a category only from a preferred length of stay. The starting purpose helps route the case, but the complete facts and current requirements still matter.

The China Visa Types Guide is the reference for the broader category taxonomy; this Guide focuses on choosing a starting direction.

If you intend to work in China, investigate the Z Visa and foreign work-authorization framework. The work authorization, employer role and applicant circumstances should be reviewed together; a Z Visa is not the same thing as a work permit.

For the relationship between the entry visa and work authorization, see the China Z Visa and Work Permit Guide and the Work Visa service page.

Meetings, trade, supplier or client visits and other eligible commercial activities may point toward M Visa analysis. If the actual activity is employment, a business-visit category should not be assumed to fit.

The Business Visa service page remains the place for invitation, process and service-specific guidance.

Formal study generally points toward X1 or X2 analysis, depending on the program, intended duration, institution and current requirements. Internship-related arrangements need separate review and should not be assumed to follow automatically from student status.

See the Student Visa service page for category-specific process and study-document guidance.

Family cases require attention to the relationship, inviter status, purpose and intended stay. Q1 generally relates to family reunion stays of more than 180 days, while Q2 generally relates to family visits of no more than 180 days; the dedicated comparison Guide explains the distinction in detail.

Do not treat duration as the only factor or assume that every family situation follows the same path.

Some private-affairs or family-related situations involving foreign nationals in China may point toward S1 or S2 analysis. S1 generally relates to intended stays of more than 180 days and S2 to intended stays of no more than 180 days, but purpose, relationship, status and current requirements remain important.

S1 and S2 are not the same as Q1 and Q2. Use the dedicated S1 versus S2 Guide for the detailed comparison.

Tourism, sightseeing and personal leisure travel generally point toward L Visa analysis. Itinerary, nationality, application location and current requirements can still affect the documents and process.

The Tourist Visa service page remains the place for travel-document and service-specific guidance.

Individual review may be needed for former Chinese citizens, foreign-born children with nationality or travel-document questions, internships, founders or entrepreneurs, athletes, coaches or performers, third-country applications, old passport or valid-visa history, previous refusals, and unusual invitation or document circumstances.

These facts should not be forced into an automatic visa category. The relevant service page or dedicated Guide can be reviewed after the underlying facts are clarified.

Review your actual purpose, intended stay, nationality, current location, relationship or inviter, work or study arrangements, relevant history and available supporting documents. Requirements may vary by nationality, place of application, visa type and current policy.

Based on Easy China Visa's practical case experience, the label an applicant starts with may not answer the whole category question. Reviewing the actual activity, documents and surrounding circumstances before preparation can help identify the appropriate next question.