Changes in China Visa Regulation

By Richard Hoffmann, ECOVIS Beijing China

The „Exit-Entry Administration Law of the PRC“ effective from July 1st and „Regulation on Control of the Exit-Entry of Aliens“ from September 1st this year tightened the enforcement and control of visa rules for foreigners coming to China. Procedures for new visa applications and visa extensions altered and non-citizens should get familiar with these reforms to avoid trouble at relevant authorities.

The main points of these reforms include:

• The variety of visa categories was widened, and instead of eight categories as before, there are twelve different visa types now, with the new M-, R-, S- and Z-Visa. The table below provides a brief overview.
Changes in China Visa Regulation

• Requirements were added and got generally stricter. For example, you might be asked to provide a scan of your fingerprints, when you submit your application documents.
• Longer processing times for visa applications need to be expected. Thus it is important to initiate application procedures earlier than before. The longer waiting time might also impact employees’ flexibility to travel, as travel documents, like the passport, are retained by the officials.
• Fees for the violation of immigration laws increased strikingly. An overstayed visa may cause a payment ranging from 500RMB per day, to 10.000RMB. Illegal employment can lead to a penalty of 20.000RMB and fines for failure to register at the local police station can be up to 2.000RMB under the new regulations.

It is important to note that so far requirements among different authorities and different locations vary significantly. Given the fact that the reforms were just implemented, regulations might vary among local authorities and it will take time to complete the transition process. Therefore it is wisely for applicants to make direct inquiries to respective authorities in advance.

In the course of the recent implementations of the new rules it can be observed, that Chinese authorities started to make use of interviews and on-site visits by police officers to verify statements made in application documents. We advise everyone planning to join a local entity in China, to inform local colleagues’ about their intended stay and arrival date in China.

The Chinese Government justifies the reforms with the increasing number of foreigners coming to China, which also led to an increase in illegal entries, stays and employments. In the long-run the reforms are also supposed to improve and strengthen visa-services, and thus to facilitate the general application process.

Ecovis Beijing