Visa-free entry for visitors

No visa is required for ordinary passport holders from Singapore and Brunei to visit China for up to 15 days for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends or transit.

To further facilitate cross-border travels, China will adopt a unilateral visa-free policy for Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Japan until December 31, 2025. Ordinary passport holders from the above-mentioned countries may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, family visit or transit for no more than 30 days. Those from the above-mentioned countries who do not meet the conditions for visa exemption still need to apply for a visa before entering China.

Others

Most international visitors are required to obtain tourist (L visas) or Non-commerce visas (F visas) to travel to China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China maintains a worldwide index of embassies. Some countries have introduced Chinese Visa Application Service Centers. In some countries, specialized  agencies offer rapid hassle-free services to expedite your Chinese visa needs.

Quick Links: Chinese embassies/centers in Australia, Germany,  India,  Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, USA            

Visa Agencies: US/Canada: VisaRite 

Invitation Letter

If you need an invitation letter for the visa application, please write to Ms. Yan Zhang ([email protected]) with the following information: the meeting title, applicant’s full name, gender, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport issue & expiry date, tentative arrival and departure date.

If you need a visa notification issued by the Chinese authority, please write to Ms. Yan Zhang (yazhang@cshl.edu) with a scanned copy of your valid passport and indicate the meeting you are going to attend. The notification application need around 5 working days.

Attention

1. Please leave enough time for the entire application procedure. Chinese consulates will be closed for Chinese holidays.

2. Usually it’s more convenient and quick to apply for a tourist Visa than Non-commerce visa to attend our conferences.