Visa-free entry for visitors

Visa-free policy for 49 countries

Europe (33 countries): France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Russia.

Oceania (2 countries): Australia, New Zealand.

Asia (9 countries): Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain

South America (5 countries): Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay.

Nationals of the above countries holding ordinary passports may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes for no more than 30 days. The stay is counted starting from 00:00 on the day following the date of entry.

For more information about List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption Between the People’s Republic of China and Foreign Countries, please click official link: List of Agreements on Mutual Visa Exemption Between the People’s Republic of China and Foreign Countries

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.