Visa

China Visa-Free Policy

To further promote people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries, China has decided to expand the visa-exemption policy for the following countries:

*Starting from Nov. 30, 2024, ordinary passport holders from the 38 countries within its visa-free arrangement, including the aforementioned newly added nine countries, can enter China without a need to apply for a visa for the purposes of business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and visits and transit, with stays of no more than 30 day

Tips for Using China Visa-free Policy

1. 1. Citizens from the above countries hold ordinary passports traveling to China for business, tourism, family visit, exchanges or transit purposes. Those coming here to study, work, reside, or do media report and interview should apply for a visa in advance.
2. 2. If your planned duration of stay is longer than allowed, you also need to apply for a visa in advance.
3. 3. The validity of the passport should be long enough to cover one’s stay in China. In some cases, it requires that the passport should be valid for at least 3 months or even longer. Other travel certificates or ID certificates are not recognized.
4. 4. There is no “overstayed” or “refused” stamps on your passport.

* Individuals who do not meet the visa-free conditions mentioned above still need to apply for a visa before entering China.

→ China Visa-free Policy: Who are Eligible, Duration of Stay (travelchinaguide.com)

Chinese Visa Application

Please check with your Chinese Embassy or Consulate General or Chinese Visa Application Centre (CVASC) which serves your residence area for your visa application details at your earliest convenience. This information will be required on your visa invitation letter. For countries that have multiple Chinese Embassies or Consulate General Offices, please double-check which Embassy or Consulate General Office you should approach for a visa application. For example, residents in the state of Texas, USA, should apply for a Chinese visa at the Chinese Embassy located in Washington D.C., while residents in the state of New York, USA, should apply for a Chinese visa at the Chinese Embassy located in New York City. You can find a link to a comprehensive list of Chinese Embassies and Consulate General Offices at the bottom of this page.

Without exception, you must have a passport valid for at least six months. Early application is highly recommended.

In general, a Tourist Visa (L Visa) will suffice for your attendance. You might not need to present an invitation letter to apply for a Tourist Visa. However, if it is required or a Business Visa (F Visa) is a must, you probably need an Invitation Letter from the Symposia.

We can issue you the Invitation Letter with signature and official stamp for visa application purpose. If you need, please register the symposia and pay for the registration fee firstly and then send the screenshot of your personal information page to us. If you do have any difficulties in obtaining your visa, and need a formal Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit, please contact us at smbe2025@ioz.ac.cn and submit the necessary information as below:

1. - Scan a copy of the passport photo page;
2. - The SMBE 2025 registration confirmation letter (The automatically sent email when you complete your account registration.);
3. - Scan a copy of your Work ID or Student ID card.

240-hour (10 days) Visa-free Transit Policy

Since December 17^th, 2024, China has carried out the 240-Hour Transit Without Visa (240-Hour TWOV) Program in Beijing.

Under the rule, citizens from countries that are listed in the 240-hour Visa-Exemption Transit Policy, holding valid international travel documents and onward flight/vessel/train tickets to a third country/region with confirmed date and seat within 240 hours upon their arrival, are allowed to apply Transit Visa Exemption in Beijing (Beijing Capital International Airport & Beijing Daxing International Airport) for total 240 hours.

After having successfully applied for 240-hour visa-exemption transit at one of the above-listed ports of entry, transit passengers are allowed to stay within Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei 京津冀地区) Metropolitan Region.

Citizens from the following 54 countries can apply for 240-hour visa-exemption transit including:

Read more details about 240-hour Visa-free Transit Policy in Beijing

→ Beijing Visa Free: 240-Hour Transit Visa Exemption Guide

Note:

1. - Please note that it is your responsibility to obtain an appropriate visa on time. You must allow adequate time (at least 1.5 months) for the whole visa application process.
2. - Please DO NOT submit multiple applications. ONE qualified application can meet the requirements.
3. - It is the participant’s right and obligation to provide TRUE and ACCURATE information while registering, particularly when you apply for an invitation letter to support your visa application.
4. - The invitation letter will be processed when you have paid for your registration.
5. - In the Symposia Invitation Letter, we can ONLY clearly state to support your participation in the SMBE 2025 in Beijing, China.
6. - Local organizers could NOT provide symposia invitation letters to accompanying personnel according to related regulations. We suggest that accompanying personnel apply for a tourism-type visa, which will be much easier and require less paperwork.
7. - Starting from August 30, 2023, China-bound travelers are no longer required to undergo a COVID-19 PCR test or Antigen Rapid Test (ART) before entering China. It is no longer required to declare the test result in the Health Declaration Form.

To avoid any travel delays and disruptions, we recommend that all travelers read and follow the instructions in the guidance issued by the official websites of Chinese embassies in your countries carefully.

Port Visa

• - Click here to learn all about Port Visa.

Useful Links

• - Consular Jurisdiction of Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States of America:
  http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/lqhf/202407/t20240708_11450067.htm
• - List of Chinese Embassies or Consulates:
  https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zwjg/
• - For visa types and apply procedure:
  http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/lhqzjjs/201311/t20131101_961583.shtml
• - For specific visa application and inquiry, please contact the Chinese Embassies / Consulates, or Chinese Visa Application Service Center (https://www.visaforchina.cn/globle/) in your area directly.