Passport and visa regulations
Nationalities
| Passport required | visa required | Return ticket required | |
| Germany | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Austria | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Switzerland | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other EU countries | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Turkey | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Passport information
Generally required, must be valid for at least 6 months upon entry, and at least 9 months for two or more entries.
Note on the passport
- a) Most trips are organized by the official state travel agency China International Travel Service CITS (www.cits.net). Normally, the tour operator handles the formalities, but individual travelers can also do this themselves. In principle, travelers must be in possession of return or onward travel tickets. More information can be obtained from the competent consular representations and tourist offices. (b) Entry with your own vehicle is only possible as part of a group trip and with a special written permit. (c) Advanced Passenger Information System (Apis): The system of pre-recorded passenger data, called Advanced Passenger Information System (Apis), requires the following personal data of passengers to be registered by the transporting airline: name, surname, date of birth, nationality, passport number, country of residence, destination, type of travel document and gender. The data is collected at check-in.
Visa information
China: A visa is required for all citizens of the countries listed in the table above. Chinese island province of Hainan: Citizens of the following countries listed in the table above may visit the island province of Hainan for a tourist stay of up to 30 days (up to 15 days for cruise travelers) without a visa if the trip is booked at least 48 hours before arrival via an approved Chinese incoming agency is organized: (a) Germany, Austria and all other E countries; (b) Switzerland.
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Costs
Germany: The following visa fees apply for German citizens and for citizens of Schengen countries: Tourist and business visa (valid for 3 months for stays of max. 30 days each): single entry, double entry, multiple entry 6 and 12 months: 125, 45 € (Consulate fee: 60 € + Visa Center service fee: 65.45 €) The following visa fees apply to Turkish citizens with a residence permit for Germany: Tourist and business visa (valid for 3 months for stays of max. 30 days each) 95.45 € (single entry), €115.45 (double entry); €135.45 (multiple entries, 6 months); €165.45 (multiple entries, 12 months). Visa extension is possible under certain circumstances in China. Processing fee of the consular providers: €65.45. Austria: The following visa fees apply to Austrian citizens and to nationals of Schengen countries: Tourist and business visa: single entry, double entry, multiple entry 6 and 12 months: 126 € (consulate fee: 60 € + service fee from Visa Center: 66 € ) The following visa fees apply to Turkish citizens with a residence permit for Austria: single entry visa (valid for up to 3 months): 99 €; double entry visa (valid for up to 6 months): €116; multiple entry visa (valid for up to 6 months): €136; multiple entry visa (valid for up to one year): €166; Visa Service Center service fee: €66 (standard). Visa extension is possible under certain circumstances in China. Switzerland: The following visa fees apply to Swiss citizens and nationals of Schengen countries: Tourist and business visa: single entry, double entry, multiple entry 6 and 12 months: 188.50 CHF (Consulate fee: 70 CHF + service fee from Visa Center: 188.50 CHF) The following visa fees apply to Turkish citizens with a residence permit for Switzerland: single entry visa (valid for up to 3 months): CHF 158.50; double entry visa (valid for up to 6 months): 178.50 CHF; multiple entry visa (valid for up to 6 months): CHF 198.50; multiple entry visa (valid for up to one year): CHF 238.50; Visa Service Center service fee: 118.50 (standard) CHF. The extension of the visa is under
Visa types and costs
Categories: Visas for commercial visits, non-commercial visits, tourist stays, long stays, high-ranking persons, visits by non-Chinese citizens, visits by Chinese citizens, and airline crew visas. There are also student visas, journalist visas, short-term work visas, transit visas, group visas and visas for family visits. Tourist and group visas are usually issued to package tourists. However, tourist visas are also issued to individual travelers.
Validity
Tourist visa: 3 months (single, double and multiple entry). Business visa: 6 months (multiple entries), 12 months (multiple entries). Transit visa: maximum 7 days. Note: Tourist visas for 3 months with multiple entries are only issued to cruise passengers and only if it can be proven that multiple entries are actually necessary during the cruise. Delays in the processing of applications are to be expected.
Transit
Transit travelers who fly on with the next connection within 24 hours and have valid documents for the onward journey do not need a visa. The transit area may be left, but not the airport. Among other things, German, Austrian and Swiss transit passengers as well as all EU citizens can stay a maximum of 72 hours at the following entry points under the above conditions, provided they have a valid flight ticket for exiting China (PR). Entry and exit must take place at the following airport/canton intended for the respective place of stay: Yangtze Delta region when entering via the following airports/ports/railway stations: Baiyun International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport, Nanjing Lukou International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Shijiazhuang Zhengding Airport, Tianjin Binhai Airport, Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port, Qinhuangdao Port, Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal and Shanghai Railway Station (Shanghai-Hong Kong trains), Beijing West Railway Station. In addition, a valid passport is required, as well as a valid flight ticket for the third country, that proves the departure from the above places to the third country within 72/144 hours. The short-term visitor may not leave the above-mentioned places or travel in and out overland. Travelers must register at the nearest police station within 24 hours. You can get more information about transiting without a visa from the Federal Foreign Office or the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. Cruise passengers traveling in groups and disembarking in Shanghai can stay in Shanghai or Beijing and coastal provinces such as Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan without a visa for up to 15 days, if the trip is organized and operated by a tour company registered in the PRC. Germany Diplomatic and service visas in person at the responsible consular representation. It is not possible to apply for a visa by post. Anyone who cannot appear in person should contact a visa agency or messenger service. Tour operators also apply for visas. All other types of visas (e.g. tourist, business and transit visas, etc.) must be applied for in person at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center after using the online appointment system and filling out the online visa form (Visaservice-Zentrale Berlin, Invaliden Str 116, Tel: (030) 979 92 00 00; Visa Service Headquarters Frankfurt, Bockenheimer Landstr. 51-53, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: (069) 26 91 91 30; Visa Service Headquarters Munich, Lutzstr. 2, 80687 Munich, Tel: (089) 58 92 74 60; Visa Service Headquarters Hamburg, Willy-Brandt-Str. 57, 5th floor, 20457 Hamburg, Tel: (040) 323 10 60 00.), Visa Service Center Düsseldorf, Pempelforter Straße 50, 40211 Düsseldorf, Tel: (0211) 540 88 50.). You can only apply for a visa in person and no longer on assignment, because fingerprints are taken from each applicant and a photograph is taken. Visa application forms are available on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center websites. Austria Diplomatic and service visas in person at the responsible consular representation. It is not possible to apply for a visa by post. You can only apply for a visa in person and no longer on assignment, because fingerprints are taken from each applicant and a photograph is taken. All other visa types (e.g. tourist, business and transit visas, etc.) must be applied for in person at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center after prior online appointment request and after filling out the online visa form at a consular provider (Chinese Visa Application Service Center, Schönbrunner Straße 108, Top 1. 01, 1050 Vienna, Tel. +43 (0)1 544 3591 11). Visa application forms are available on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center websites. Switzerland Diplomatic and service visas in person at the responsible consular representation. It is not possible to apply for a visa by post. Those who cannot appear in person should contact visa agencies or messenger services. Tour operators also apply for visas. All other types of visas (e.g. tourist, business and transit visas, etc.) must be applied for in person at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center after making an online appointment request and filling out the online visa form (Chinese Visa Application Center, Giesshuebelstrasse 45, 8045 Zurich, Switzerland)., Tel: +41 (0)58 618 89 99. or Chinese Visa Application Center, 1st floor, Murifeld, Weltpoststrasse 5, 3015 Bern, Switzerland, Tel: +41 (0)58 618 89 99.) Visa application forms are available available on the websites of the Chinese Visa Application Service Centers.
Application required
Tourist Visa: (a) 1 Application Form (Only available online from the relevant Chinese Visa Application Service Center). (b) 1 recent (no older than 6 months), biometric, color passport photo (3.3 x 4.8 cm) with a white background and no headgear must be affixed to the printed application form. (c) Passport valid for at least six months at the time of visa application and containing at least two blank facing pages. As well as a copy of the relevant pages of the passport. Also a copy of the passport pages with personal information. (d) Proof of Sufficient Funds. (e) Copy of all paid hotel reservations with arrival and departure details, addresses and telephone numbers of the hotels for the entire stay (or Proof of the amount debited from the account). (f) Copy of the paid flight ticket (round trip) (or proof of the amount debited from the account). Visa for double and multiple entry only with corresponding booking confirmation. (g) Fee (by credit card, in cash when applying in Zurich). (h) Original and copy of the residence permit/registration certificate/work permit for Germany, Austria or Switzerland, if applicable. Otherwise, the visa application must be submitted in your home country. (i) Detailed itinerary (accurate listing of all places to be visited). (j) Proof of vaccination against Corona. Citizens of Turkey: Curriculum Vitae. Additional requirements from the Chinese consulates in Hamburg and Frankfurt: – Holders of passports issued after January 1, 2015, must also present the original of their old passport if they are between 16 and 55 years old (men) or between 18 and 40 years old (women). Business Visa: (a) – (j) and (k) Employment License (a police clearance certificate may be required to apply for a work permit); (l) Official letter of invitation in the original from a relevant ministry, provincial government, an authorized company (and a Certificate of Registration) or an official Chinese organization (please inquire in individual cases). Turkish nationals must present the official official letter of invitation and a letter from the inviting Chinese company to the Chinese consulate in Berlin. Visa for 12 months: copy of expired visa of the same category, which must not be older than 6 months, or official invitation from Chinese authorities for the desired visa category. (m) Information about the inviting person/institution(s) Copies of all previous Chinese visas. However, a work visa/work permit is required for the following activities: Research activities, sporting training stays, participation in fashion shows/modeling and filming/filming (including stays of less than 90 days), assembly and service work on approved systems, construction site supervision, secondment of employees to subsidiary companies / representative offices as well as voluntary work or unpaid activities for a stay of 90 days or more. Group visa: (j) additional confirmation (letter or fax) from the Chinese tour operator, numbered passport copies of all travelers and a list of travelers in triplicate. Visa for private visits: (k) Invitation letter with a copy of the passport and Chinese residence permit of the non-Chinese person to be visited or a copy of the Chinese identity card of the Chinese citizen to be visited. (Chinese consulate in Munich: The invitation must not be older than six months, with the date of issue and the name and telephone number of the contact person in China.) (l) Visa that entitles you to multiple entries: Letter of invitation from a responsible Chinese ministry. In addition to the visa for the People’s Republic of China, travelers to Tibet also need a special permit from the Tibetan Tourist Board. Note: In any case, it is strongly advisable
Temporary Residence
Inquiries to the competent consular representation.
Processing time
Visas should be applied for as early as possible, but no earlier than 50 days in Germany and no earlier than 90 days in Switzerland before the planned departure. As all visas are issued by the authorities and processed according to their importance, it may take some time before an application is approved. As a rule, visa processing in all consulates takes at least 3-4 working days for personal applications and at least 2 weeks for applications by post. Applying for a business visa usually takes 3-4 working days for German applicants in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. Express processing within two consular working days is currently only possible in Berlin for business visas.
Proof of sufficient funds
Foreigners must have sufficient funds for their stay.
Legally Required Registration
Visitors and transit travelers without a visa must report to the local police within 24 hours of entry. Hotels take over the report automatically.
Documents required upon entry
(a) Return or onward travel tickets (b) Travel documents for third countries, if applicable (c) Sufficient funds and hotel vouchers.
Entry with children
German: Machine-readable children’s passport or your own passport. Austrians: Own passport. Swiss: Own passport. Turks: Own passport. Note: The same visa requirements apply to children as to their parents. Since June 27, 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (also within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible.
Entry restrictions
Recently, some travelers holding Turkish, Iraqi or Pakistani visas have been denied visa-free transit in China. To avoid such situations, a visa should be applied for before travel. Special regulations apply to Hong Kong and Macau. No entry permit in the form of an official invitation is required for tourist trips to Urumqi. Non-tourists are required to apply for an entry permit from the Xinjiang Tourism Bureau or a recognized travel agency in Xinjiang. For individual and group travel to Tibet, official travel permits (TAR Permits) are issued by the Tibetan Tourist Board (in Beijing: 118 Beisihuan Douglu, 1. 1st floor of the Tibet Building, tel: (010) 64 98 03 73), which are also available through the embassies. More information from the Chinese embassies and consulates.
Entry with pets
Birds are not allowed to be imported into China. For cats and dogs (max. 1 animal per passenger) a health certificate and a rabies vaccination certificate issued by the official veterinarian of the country of origin are required. The rabies vaccination certificate is valid for a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 12 months before entry. Cats and dogs must be quarantined for at least 7 days (Pudong Airport) or 30 days (all other airports). The animal owner bears the costs. Note: Cats, dogs and other pets are not allowed in Chinese hotels.
