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Tips for Chinese Visas (Updated)
2008-12-16

Visa Section

Embassy of the P.R.China in Ireland

118 Merrion Road,Ballsbridge,

Dublin 4

Website: http://ie.chineseembassy.org/eng

e-mail: chinaemb_ie@mfa.gov.cn

Office Hours: 09:00-12:00 Monday to Thursday (except Chinese & Irish public holidays)

*The enquiry line 01-2196651 available 15:00-17:00, Monday to Friday; the auto-enquiry line 01-2196644, available for 24 hours.

Fax number is: 01-2196647

For Irish passport holders who apply for any type of Chinese visa, the following is required: one completed visa application form (available on our website), one recent photograph for passport, passport valid up to at least six months with blank pages.

Non-Irish passport holders are supposed to apply for any type of Chinese visa in the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in their home countries, with the exception that one is residing and working in Ireland. Besides the above-mentioned documents, the residence and working permission are required.

More documents are required for the following specific visa:

1. L visa for tourism or visiting relative

For the purpose of holiday, tourism, single or double entry Tourist visa is required which is normally valid for 3 months from the date of issue. Necessary travel information, such as the two-way flight ticket, hotel booking confirmation or itinerary, is required.

For travel to Tibet, an entry permit issued by the Tibetan Tourist Bureau is required. (Fax number of Tibetan Tourist Bureau: 0086-891-6834632; Telephone number:0086-891-6834313). The applicant is supposed to contact a Chinese Tour Operator to organize an entry permit before applying for a Chinese visa.

To visit relatives, single or double-entries visiting visa is required which is normally valid for 3 months from the date of issue. Proof of kinship, such as the birth certificate, marriage certificate, is required. But the applicants who were born in China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) as shown in the passport are exempt from this proof.

2. F visa for business and official visit

For the purpose of doing business or attending a meeting or conference, single, double entry or the multi-entries visa is required. Validity of the multi-entries visa varies, namely half a year / one year. The original version of invitation letter or fax from an authorized Chinese Government Department or Government-authorized company is required along with the two-way flight ticket, hotel booking confirmation or itinerary.

3. Z visa for employment in China

Foreign experts, scholars, teachers or managers shall provide the original version and photocopy of the Employment Permit from the Ministry of Labour or the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of China together with an invitation letter from the company, university or college authorized by the Chinese Government;

Foreigners to be engaged in offshore petroleum operations in China shall provide an invitation from China National Offshore Oil Corporation;

Foreigners to be engaged in commercial art performance in China shall provide the temporary commercial art performance permit from the Ministry of Culture of the PRC and the visa notification form from the Ministry of Culture of the PRC or from the Office of Foreign Affairs of provincial people's government concerned;

Chief representative of the permanent office of foreign enterprise in China shall provide visa notification form from an authorized department and the registration certificate from the local administration for industry and commerce;

Staff members working for NGO (non-governmental organizations established in accordance with the agreements between governments) shall provide the business letter or verbal note from the relevant departments of their governments.

Note: Foreigners employed in China for one year or longer is required to provide the original version and photocopy of health certificate (the form available on our website).

4. X visa for studying in China

For Study in China, a student visa is required. The applicant shall provide the original version and photocopy of JW-201 or JW-202 form issued by the Ministry of Education of China, the original letter of admission from a Chinese University / College and the original version and photocopy of health certificate (the form is available on our website).

5. G visa for transit

To Transit from China, a valid visa for the country of destination is required. Irish passport holders do not need visa when transit from China within 24-hours without leaving the airport.

6. J1 and J2 Visa for journalists

J-1 visa for resident journalist

Foreign correspondents transferred from Ireland to China need to submit application to the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the P. R. China. A Visa notification form from the Information Department of the M. F. A. of the PRC, and health certificates are required.

J-2 visa for news-coverage on a short-term basis:

For foreign correspondents based in Ireland, who travel on coverage purpose

(1) To Guangdong Province or Shanghai Municipality, visa applications can be submitted to the Office of Foreign Affairs of Guangdong Province (Tel: 86-20-81218363, Fax: 86-20-81215150), or the Office of Foreign Affairs of Shanghai (Tel: 86-21-62158269, Fax: 86-21-62562522) or alternatively to the Visa Section of Chinese Embassy in Ireland.

(2) To other provinces, municipalities or autonomous regions, visa applications can be submitted to the Visa Section of Chinese Embassy in Ireland.

The following documents are required for applicants:

(1) Application letter of the affiliated news agency

(2) Invitation letter of the interviewee

For the first time applicants, resume and a copy of passport are required

For more information about making coverage trips to the Mainland China, please search on http://ipc.fmprc.gov.cn/eng

7.Diplomatic and service visa

Officials of foreign governments or members of diplomatic missions in Ireland, staff of the United Nations, or other international organizations, who wish to travel to Mainland China for official or private purpose or be assigned on a mission to China, shall submit a verbal note from their governments, diplomatic missions or their employing organizations along with their applications. In some cases, an invitation from governmental organs concerned in China is required.

Primary contents of the verbal note should include the applicant's full name, title or occupation, the employing department, passport type and number, purpose of journey, entry and departure dates.

In case of assumption of duty to an embassy or consulate in China, information should be included such as the designated official title, term of duty as well as whether it is a new post, or if not, the name and title of the predecessor.

8. C visa for crewmembers

Crew Visas are conducted according to relevant bilateral visa agreements, if there are, for staff members working on trains, crewmembers on planes and seamen on shipboards of international transportations.

In case there are not reciprocal visa agreements or of beyond their regulations, single or double entry visas may be granted;

Crew members working on private or charter planes are required to apply visas with business letters from their employing companies. Only after the flying permits are obtained from relevant Chinese authority could the said crew visas come into effect.

9. D visa for residence in China

Applicants for resident visas shall firstly apply for residence permit in person or through their relatives in China with the local Entry and Exit Administration Division under Public Security Department. When the permit is obtained, applicants may apply for a resident visa at this section by submitting the residence permit from the said division.

Hongkong and Macau Visa

Irish nationals can visit Hongkong and Macao without a visa and stay up to 3 months.

For Detailed instructions about Hong Kong Visa Applications, please visit: http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/home.htm

Tel: 00852-28246111; Fax: 00852-28777711

For Macau, please visist: http://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/sm/

Tel: 00(853)28725488 ; Fax: 00(853) 87967300

Group visa

A tourist group should comprise at least 6 members. The required materials as follow:

--The original confirmation letter from the authorized Chinese travel agency or tourist bureau;

--A name list of the group in triplicate and a front sheet covering the information about the group.

---the passports of all group members.

Visa collection

It takes 3-5 working days for a visa to be ready for collection once the application is accepted. No express Visa can be granted on the same day.

Visa fees

Please pay in cash instead of cheque upon your collection, except for the cheque issued by the company, payable to the Chinese Embassy.

For Irish citizen: 30.00 Euros for single entry,

45.00 Euros for double entries,

60.00 Euros for multi-entries

90.00 Euros for one-year multiple entries

For USA passport holder, 100Euros regardless of entries.

For Other passport holders: 33.00 Euros for single entry,

50.00 Euros for double entries,

66.00 Euros for multi-entries

100.00 Euros for one-year multi-entries

For Irish group visa, 24 Euros per person.

For USA group visa, 85 Euros per person.

For other group visa, 27 Euros per person.

For Express service: additional express fee will be charged, 33.00 Euros for one day collection (just in case of force majeure), 23.00 Euros for three days collection.

NOTES

Express service is not available for U.S passport holders.

Application by post will not be accepted and will be returned.

The visa can be applied and collected in person or through a travel agent or a courier.

Duration of stay of a visa varies. When necessary, extension of duration of stay of a visa is possible.

Foreign tourists are not permitted to assume employment in China.

No vaccination is required for short-term visitors (less than 3 months) except for those who come from/via epidemic areas.

A health certificate is required for those who stay in China for more than one year.

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