Do you need a visa to China - the whole truth about the many faces of Asian embassies and officials of the Celestial Empire

Group visa to China

Group visa to China

opens only to Russian citizens in
a group of 5 or more people, subject to entry and exit from China on the same dates and cities
, on the same flight. Passport control, both in Russia and in China, is carried out according to visa-free lists, which the receiving party submits to the border in advance.

The duration of a tourist trip for a visa-free exchange should not exceed 15 calendar days.

Group lists are issued by a travel agency, the cost is usually included in the tour package, or may be paid additionally. Some travel agencies, for a fee, include tourists on such a list without purchasing a tour or with a partial purchase of air tickets/hotel accommodation.

Group visa-free list of Hainan Island

Conditions for inclusion in the visa-free group list for Hainan Island:

• number of people in the group
  - from 2;
• Arrival airport
  - "Phoenix" Sanya;
• only direct flights
  from Russia;
• length of stay - up to 21 days
  ;
• The expiration date of the passport is until the last day
  (some tour operators require 6 months from the date of entry);
• cost
  - $20 (some travel agencies include it on the list for free);
• the tourist must have a round-trip air ticket, an insurance policy, a voucher for accommodation and transfer;
• it is forbidden
  to leave the island;
• It is prohibited
  to change the duration of the tour or hotel accommodation.

Documents for obtaining a group visa

• color scanned image of the passport page
  with tourist data

Registration period

• no later than 1-5 days
  before the plane departs

Visa-free China

The Chinese side is loyal to Russians entering its territory. However, the presence of concessions does not mean that you will be lenient if you violate migration rules. Therefore, before you start packing your bags, carefully read the rules for visiting various regions of the PRC so that, while there, you do not become a violator of state laws.

The most popular option for travelers is to obtain a visa on arrival. This option is possible in cases where a pre-formed group is sent to the Celestial Empire. Travel agencies handle paperwork for groups. Even before tourists are sent to China, their lists are sent to the border zones. To get to China this way, you need to travel in a group of more than 2 people.

This route is suitable only for Beijing and Hainan Island, where high-quality tourist services and the opportunity not only to relax, but also to receive treatment are offered. As part of a group formed by travel agencies, you can stay on the territory of these parts of the state for no more than 21 days. You can't leave them. You can leave, just like you arrived, only as part of a group.

Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Even if you do not plan to purchase a tourist package, it makes sense to contact a travel agency. Many of them include additional people in the formed groups for a fee.

Visa on arrival in China

It is possible to obtain a visa on arrival in China at the border, with some differences depending on the entry points into the country.

Documents for obtaining a visa upon arrival in China

• a color scanned image of the passport page with data (valid for at least 6 months from the start date of the trip);
• round trip air tickets;
• accommodation voucher;
• medical insurance;
• full contact information of the tourist
  (telephone number, address where he will live in China, it is advisable to indicate the telephone number of relatives, friends in China who can be contacted, address of the meeting persons).

Documents for crossing the border

• 2 photos of a tourist, size 3*4 cm, color on a white background, without corners and ovals;
• visa application form;
• invitation from a travel company.

Visa on arrival to Beijing

A visa upon arrival in Beijing is issued by a travel agency and is only available for a group of 2 people or more. A visa on arrival is not issued for one tourist. Before departure, the tourist is given an invitation and a copy of the visa. The visa is opened for the duration of stay in China, by ticket, but for no more than 30 days, and is a single-entry tourist visa.

• processing time
  : from 4 working days;
• The cost of the visa fee
  is approximately $130 (payable at the airport in local currency).

Visa on arrival to Urumqi

A visa upon arrival in Urumqi is issued by a travel agency. Before departure, the tourist is given an invitation and a copy of the visa. Upon arrival in Urumqi, the tourist is issued an original visa. The visa is issued for the duration of stay in China, by ticket, but not more than 30 days; the visa is a single-entry tourist visa.

• processing time
  : from 5 working days
• Visa fee costs
  approximately $230 (payable at the airport in local currency)

Visa on arrival to Hainan Island

A visa on arrival at the airports of Sanya and Haikou is issued by a travel agency, subject to a trip to the island on a direct international flight. Before departure, the tourist is given an invitation and a copy of the visa. The visa is issued for the duration of stay in China, by ticket, but not more than 15 days; the visa is a single-entry tourist visa. Upon arrival on the island, you must register at the hotel or at the police department of the area where tourists will live.

• processing time
  : from 2 working days;
• The visa fee costs
  approximately $67 (payable at the airport in local currency).

It is also possible to extend your visa upon arrival.

, if the tourist flies to Hainan Island for more than 15 days. The visa can be extended for no more than 15 days. The extension is carried out at the immigration service on the island, in the personal presence of the tourist (application, international passport, 2 photos, state fee 180 yuan, costs of transferring yourself and an accompanying person from the receiving party).

Cost of inviting a travel company for a visa on arrival

If the tour is purchased as a complete tour package, issuing a visa invitation is usually free

, otherwise the price is 1000-1200 rubles.

Starting from September 18, 2021 and for the whole of October, changes have been made to the issuance of visas on arrival at Phoenix Airport, Sanya.

The maximum period of stay for tourists of all ages on this visa will be no more than 7 days, regardless of the duration of the tour. Extension of visas only in exceptional cases and only at the discretion of local authorities! The cost of renewal is 160 yuan. The extension period is no more than 7 days.

Tourists who have visited Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan since the beginning of 2014 and stayed in these countries for more than 30 days (in total) will not be issued a visa. Upon arrival, these tourists will be deported. The exceptions are children under 15 years of age and tourists over 60 years of age.

Where a visa is not required

If you are thinking about how to travel to China on your own, without contacting a travel agency to buy a trip or join a group, consider various options for visiting the country.

Trip from Blagoveshchensk to Heihe

For example, you have the opportunity to travel to Heihe without obtaining a visa. This is a city located very close to the Russian border. You can go to it from Blagoveshchensk, located just one kilometer away. It is enough to cross the Amur, and you are in China.

When traveling, you only need to take your international passport for presentation at the border. Since 2004, Chinese migration legislation has allowed Russians to stay in Heihe for 30 days.

The trip from Blagoveshchensk to Heihe takes from 15 to 20 minutes. The choice of transport depends on the season. In the off-season, Puma ships equipped with air cushions are transported from Blagoveshchensk across the river to the Chinese side. Departures every 20 minutes. This crossing method is relevant for December, November and April.

When in the region during the winter months, you can travel from Blagoveshchensk on one of the buses that travel across the Amur River on temporary pontoon bridges. The availability of this type of travel to Chinese borders depends on weather conditions.

In the summer, once an hour along the Amur River to Heihe, a ship carrying 200 passengers carries people.

The Blagoveshchensk route is extremely popular, so to get through security, you need to stand in a rather impressive line. To go to the other side, you need to fill out a migration card, half of which is returned after verification. It should be stored for the return crossing of the border. There is a fee for crossing to the Chinese side.

Suifenhe City

An excellent holiday destination is the city of Suifenhe, located in Heilongjiang Province. Since 2013, Russian citizens can stay in it without a visa for 15 days.

Macau

Another attractive tourist destination for visitors from all over the world is Macau.

Venetian Hotel Macau

This is a special administrative region of the state, where since the end of September 2012 Russians can come without a visa and stay here for about 30 days.

Hong Kong

If you choose China for travel, perhaps the most attractive place in the country is Hong Kong. Unfortunately, you are only allowed to stay there for two weeks without a visa. This is not enough to get acquainted with the beautiful and legendary part of the PRC. However, until July 2009, Russians did not even have the 14 days allowed today. It was necessary to go to the country's consulate for a visa. You can also find out how to apply for a visa to Hong Kong.

In order to travel to the listed areas without a visa stamp in your passport, you need to have return tickets and a passport with you.

Hong Kong

Before you travel, check which areas may require proof of financial solvency and hotel reservations at the time of your trip. But it’s better to stock up on both the first and the second, just in case. This guarantees you unhindered passage.

Hainan Island

From May 1, 2021, this Chinese province has canceled visas for travelers from 59 countries, including Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. You can now spend 30 days on the island without a visa .

The new rules apply to both groups and individual tourists. But what is important here is the condition of purchasing a ticket through a travel agency. And further. A foreign passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the end of the trip.

Hainan Island

If you are going to Hainan Island, but plan to leave it during your stay in China and travel to other places in the country, secure this opportunity by obtaining a single-entry visa. To do this, at the airport in Sanya, when crossing the customs point, you need to obtain a visa by presenting a passport and air tickets for departure from the Middle Kingdom. This will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the island without being trapped on its territory. The visa permit is valid for 15 days.

Transit visas to China

Visa-free transit

through Chinese territory is permitted in cases where a transfer from one aircraft to another at the same airport is required. Visa-free transit is prohibited if departure to the final country is intended not by plane, but by other means of transport.

To apply for a visa-free transit interruption, you must provide an electronic ticket (in English) or a boarding pass for the next flight, a tear-off boarding pass coupon from the previous flight, a valid international passport, and a visa to the final destination country, if required. During this time, you are allowed to leave the airport transit area

(the final decision on the possibility of a person leaving the transit zone is made by a specific airport border service officer).
You are not allowed to travel outside the city or move around the country
.

• when staying in China for less than 24 hours,
  
  visa-free transit
  is allowed ;
• At the airports of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian, Guilin, Wuhan and Harbin,
  
  72-hour visa-free transit
  is available for foreign citizens en route to a third country. Within 24 hours, the tourist must register with the police (if you are staying at a hotel, you will be registered by default). A passenger wishing to take advantage of the right to visa-free transit should notify the airline of his intention 3 days before departure. If these rules are violated, the traveler faces a lifetime ban from entering China;
• 
  There is
  a 144-hour visa-free transit at the airports of Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Nanjing.
• Urumqi
  Airport the maximum visa-free transit time is 2 hours;
• At the airports of Fuzhou and Yanji,
  visa-free transit is prohibited.

Is it possible to refuse visas?

China is one of the most loyal countries to Russians. The embassy readily issues visas to citizens of the Russian Federation, because they understand that our country is a very good neighbor to the Middle Kingdom. Russians go to Beijing not only for tourism, but also for work, networking, starting a business and much more.

However, if visa rules are not followed, Russians are denied visas, even despite all the loyalty of the Chinese government. The main reason for refusal is problems with documents. You may unintentionally make a typo in a document or forget to provide another certificate, and this may well lead to a refusal. Visas are also denied if they suspect that you have provided false documents. In principle, we do not recommend buying fake income certificates and passports, since at best you will simply get rejected, and at worst you will go straight to prison.

Visas are also denied to applicants who have previously violated China's visa rules. For example, during your last trip to Beijing, you stayed in the country longer than expected or deliberately violated customs standards for transporting food and personal belongings.

We wish you successful travels!
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Applying for a visa at the Chinese Consulate

List of required documents for obtaining a tourist visa at the Chinese Consulate

• a foreign passport
  with a validity period of more than 6 months after the end of the trip (the foreign passport must have a blank page for affixing a visa) + a copy of the photo page
• application
  form “Visa application form of the People's Republic of China” - 1 copy. The application form must be filled out carefully in Russian, English or Chinese, contain truthful information and be signed by the applicant
• one color photograph
  as for a passport, full face, without headdress, taken recently, size 35 mm x 45 mm. The photo must be pasted on the application form.
• travel voucher
  or hotel reservation along the entire route, or a written invitation issued by a relevant organization or individual in China
• booking air tickets
  along the entire route
• for pensioners
  - a copy of the pension certificate
• For minor tourists
  (under 18 years old) a copy of the birth certificate is required
• for minor tourists
  (under 18 years of age) traveling with one of the parents, accompanied by other adults, or independently, it is necessary to provide a notarized copy of consent to allow the child to travel abroad from either one or both parents. In this case, you must provide a copy of the Russian passport of one or two parents (who do not travel with the child)
• medical insurance
  for the entire tour period, insurance coverage of at least 15,000 USD

Visa processing times

• regular
  - receipt on the 5th working day after submitting the application
• urgent
  - receipt on the 2nd working day after submitting the application (with the permission of the visa service)
• emergency
  - receipt on the day of application (with the permission of the visa service)

Valid term of a visa

• A single-entry
  tourist visa is valid for 90 days of entry. Duration of stay up to 30 days
• A double-entry
  tourist visa is valid for 180 days of entry. Duration of stay is up to 90 days.
• A multiple-entry
  business visa is valid for 6/12 months for entry. Duration of stay up to 30/60/90 days.

Cost of obtaining a visa to China for citizens of the Russian Federation

Consular fee for an individual tourist visa to China:

• 3300 rubles for a single-entry visa;
• 6600 rubles for a double-entry visa;
• 9900 rubles for a multiple visa for a year or six months.
• an additional 2,000 rubles will be charged for an urgent visa within 2 working days;
• Registration of a visa on the day of application is additionally charged 4,600 rubles.

Contacts of Chinese Embassies and Consulates in Russia

Chinese Embassy in Moscow

• Address: Moscow, Druzhby street, building 6;
• Telephone (consular section);
• Acceptance of visa documents: Monday-Friday from 09:00 to 12:00.

Consulate of China in St. Petersburg

• Address: St. Petersburg, Griboyedov Canal embankment, building 134;
• Phones: +7 (812) 713-80-09;
• Acceptance of visa documents: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 09:30 to 11:30.

Consulate of China in Yekaterinburg

• Address: Ekaterinburg, Tchaikovsky street, building 45;
• Telephone;
• Acceptance of visa documents: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 09:30 to 12:00.

Migration card

Upon arrival in China, before crossing the border, a migration card is filled out. To speed up the process of passing through the border control point, such cards are usually issued on the plane, where our flight attendants can help fill them out. It should be filled out with a blue or black pen, in block Latin letters. The card must be filled out for each person entering, including each child with their own passport. Sample of filling out a migration card when entering China. There is no need to download a blank card from the Internet, print it out and fill it out at home; just take a sample of the form with you.

To Beijing without a visa

You can cross the territory of Beijing without a visa, but you must apply in advance for a visa-free visit to the country. You can stay in China without a visa for 24 hours, but in some provinces the time is longer. For example, you can stay in Beijing for no more than 72 hours with a transit permit.

Conditions of stay

• From the moment visa-free transit is issued, the countdown of 72 hours for your stay in China begins.
• you must notify the airline in advance of your desire to obtain permission for visa-free transit;
• you need to have a copy of your air ticket with you;
• the third point must be different from the country of departure;
• The passport must contain a visa from the country to which you are traveling.

Important! If a tourist does not travel by plane, he will not be able to obtain permission for visa-free transit, even if there is a transfer from the plane to another mode of transport.

After receiving permission, you need to register with the police within one day. Because the police in China are monitoring foreigners who have received this permit. Also, the passenger cannot leave the city limits, and departure is possible only from Beijing. Tourists need to select a flight in advance that will not violate the rules of visa-free transit.

Types of visas

The People's Republic of China issues many categories of Beijing visas for Russians. The type of document primarily depends on the tasks for which the applicant plans to cross the border.

Categories:

• C – for aircraft crew members;
• G – this visa is required when transiting through Beijing;
• F – will be required for persons coming on exchange, on study visits, on training tours, etc.;
• D – those arriving for permanent residence;
• M – for carrying out commercial activities;
• L – for tourists;
• R – for persons who have particularly valuable knowledge and skills for the PRC;
• Z – work visa;
• J1, J2 – for foreign journalists and other media workers working in China;
• Q1, Q2 – for family members of Chinese citizens (or those with a residence permit) for the purpose of family reunification;
• S1, S2 – for those foreigners who want to come to visit persons studying or working in the PRC or other private visits;
• X1, X2 – study visa.

Other visas for Russians

If you need to go to China for another reason: transit, for treatment, to visit friends or relatives, to study, or for some other purpose, you can also contact the country's embassy for the necessary documents. There are also a number of peculiarities here: students need to provide certificates of admission, and relatives and friends of Chinese - an official invitation, which will indicate the covering of all possible expenses for the duration of your trip

.

One way or another, there is nothing difficult about getting a visa to China for Russians, even a group one. The main thing is to collect all the necessary documents on time and submit them to the embassy

. And during the trip, you just need not to violate the period of stay in the country and make sure that the validity of the foreign passport that identifies your identity does not expire during your stay in the Middle Kingdom. Otherwise, you may have to get home earlier than you planned.

To visit China, Russians need to obtain a visa in advance. This takes a lot of time and effort, and not all our cities have visa centers. Over the past decade, China and Russia have done a lot of joint work to simplify the visa regime when tourists cross customs borders

. Governments have officially designated a number of territories with visa-free and simplified visa regimes.

Visiting China without a visa

In some cases, Russians have the right to visit the country without a visa. The most common cases of application of this exception:

• Visit to Hong Kong.
• Trip to Macau.
• Transit trip.
• Simplified visa regime for some regions of China (visa on arrival).

When traveling to China without a visa, a traveler must be well versed in the issues of paperwork at the border so as not to get into an awkward situation. Let's consider each visiting option separately.

Trip to Hong Kong

Hong Kong has the status of a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China and is renowned as one of the financial centers of the world. Many people are interested in visiting this city.

. The visa-free regime is valid for Russians coming here for up to 14 days for tourism purposes.

The regime has been in effect since July 1, 2009, in accordance with an intergovernmental agreement signed earlier between the government of the Russian Federation and the head of the Hong Kong SAR of China.

At the same time, upon entry, a special sticker with a mark on the date of entry is affixed to the passport. If you plan to visit Hong Kong for more than two weeks, you will need to obtain a visa in advance.

Trip to Macau

In 2012, the Russian government signed an agreement with representatives of another special administrative region of China, Macau. Russian citizens have the right to visa-free visits to Macau for tourism purposes for up to 30 days.

Both in the case of Hong Kong and in the case of visiting Macau, you must have a valid passport on hand upon entry.

Transit rules

If a Russian citizen is transiting through China to a third country through some of the air harbors noted in the table below, then he is exempt from issuing a visa. There are a number of restrictions for transit passengers, which will be discussed below.

If there is no airport in the table through which the passenger is traveling, then the rule applies in this case: the period of stay of a citizen at the airport without a visa cannot exceed 24 hours, exit to the city is not allowed.

City Airport name Length of stay within the city, in hours

The starting point for visa-free transit is considered to be 00:00 from the date following arrival. An application for transit is submitted upon arrival at the international airport, accompanied by a return ticket and a boarding pass from the arrival flight. The rule applies only to citizens arriving at international airports

. For those arriving by train or sea, the standard procedure for obtaining a Chinese visa applies.

It is prohibited to leave the city of arrival and travel around the country with such a permit. The 144-hour transit was agreed upon with China relatively recently and came into force on January 30, 2021. In case of flight cancellation, delay or other unforeseen circumstances, the traveler is required to submit documents for a visa to the municipal bureau (PSB), registration takes place at the international airports indicated in the list.

Transit cannot be processed if the citizen is traveling to Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macau. These administrative regions are not considered third countries.

Visa on arrival

Organized groups of travelers visiting the resort island of Sanya with an arrival at Sanya or Haikou airports are issued a visa upon arrival. This rule does not apply to individual travelers, since lists are submitted by travel companies in advance

. You need to have photographs, a passport, a hotel reservation and round-trip tickets with you.

Russians living in the border zone will not be able to enter China without a visa, however, for residents of the Irkutsk, Amur, Chita regions, as well as the Khabarovsk, Primorsky and Trans-Baikal Territories, when visiting China, a visa is issued at the border.

The rule applies if the purpose of the trip is tourism. Documents for a visa include a foreign passport, an invitation from a travel agency, and a hotel reservation.

. The minimum period for which a visa is issued is 15 days. Also, Russians can visit the Suifenhe and Heihe trade zone for a period of 15 days or more, having only a foreign passport in hand.

It should be remembered that failure to comply with visa requirements and periods of stay is a serious violation. It is important to strictly follow the rules of entry into the People's Republic of China, especially since today a large number of intergovernmental agreements have been signed aimed at facilitating the visa regime with China.

Do Russians need a visa to China?

China is becoming increasingly popular among Russians, so tourists from Russia often wonder whether Russians need a visa to China. The answer is clear - you need it

.
And the process of obtaining this document, allowing you to stay on the territory of the republic, has its own distinctive features, which are best familiarized with in advance
.

The first thing you need to do to travel to China on your own is to contact the country's embassy with a request to provide you with permission to freely enter the country. In order to obtain such permission (in other words, a visa to China), you need to submit all the required documents to the consular department, which we will talk about a little later.

A visa to the “celestial kingdom” is required for all Russian citizens, except for those who are also citizens of China. Without this, the most basic document, no one will let you into the country.

It is worth noting that the rules and conditions of entry into the country, as well as the possible length of stay in China, are regulated by international agreements, and depend, among other things, on the purpose of your trip. Therefore, a tourist visa, a business visa and a number of other types of visas are distinguished separately, which we will discuss below.

How to avoid problems

A transit flight through China is not always as simple as it seems at first glance. The main problem that needs to be resolved is the need to obtain a transit visa. It is important to remember some nuances that the Chinese pay special attention to.

In some cases, a visa is not needed at all. But it’s worth finding out in advance so as not to run into problems.

To go through passport control at a Chinese airport, you need:

• provide an itinerary receipt for a plane ticket, completed in English;
• determine which cities you can go to without a visa;
• calculate how many transfers there will be during the flight;
• find out the number of hours you will have to spend in China.

If you take into account all these nuances, the trip will not be overshadowed by anything.

Where is a tourist visa issued?

The procedure for obtaining a visa to Beijing for Russians is controlled by the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Control of the Entry of Foreigners. According to it, Russian citizens must obtain a visa to visit Beijing.

In the Russian Federation, you can apply for a permit to enter Beijing in 2021:

1. By contacting the Consular Section of the Chinese Embassy;
2. By visiting visa departments located in major cities of Russia.
3. At the visa department of the Consulate General.

To obtain a permit, a basic package of papers is required. In addition, consular officers may require additional information.

When accepting an application, an employee of the embassy or visa center issues a receipt, which indicates: what visa the papers are being submitted for, when it will be ready and the amount of the consular fee.

Before a permit is issued, the applicant will be asked for a receipt for payment. If there is a POS terminal at the place where you submit your application, you can pay for the service on the day you receive your Chinese visa.

Transit through China

There are two types of visa-free transit with the right to leave the airport:

• For 24 hours - provided that it is an international airport in China (except for Yanji) and tickets to a third country are available;
• For 72 hours - if these are international airports of the cities listed below: You must have air tickets to a third country;
• The tourist is only in the city of arrival - and he has the opportunity to rent a hotel room and see the sights;
• The time is counted from the moment the visa concession is issued - from midnight of the day following the day of arrival (that is, the day of arrival is not taken into account);
• Departure is only from the airport of arrival;
• During the first 24 hours, you need to obtain registration at the police station.

Airports with 72-hour transit

• The first city in China to introduce a visa-free regime for foreign tourists was Beijing (since January 1, 2013).
• From January 1, 2013, a transit visa is available to passengers arriving at Pudong and Hongqiao airports in Shanghai.
• Guangzhou (since August 1, 2013).
• In September 2013, the city of Chengdu was added.
• Visa-free transit through Chongqing was introduced in November 2013.
• On January 1, 2014, a transit regime was introduced for Russians in the cities of Shenyang and Dalian, Liaoning Province.
• In the summer of 2014, the city of Xi'an appeared on the list of cities for visa-free transit flights.
• Since July 28, 2014, tourists have been able to visit the city of Guilin, located in southern China, without a visa.
• Since March 2015, Russians have been coming without a visa to the capital of Hubei province, Wuhan, according to the Xinghua news agency.
• From April 1, 2015, the city of Kunming and the popular resort of Xiamen, from the southern province of Fujian, joined the list of Chinese cities accessible to tourists from Russia without visas.
• From August 1, 2015, Russians had the opportunity to visit the city of Harbin, located near the border with our country.