Beijing This Month | Business Beijing | Beijing Official Guide | Map of Beijing | Beijing - The Magnificent City | Beijing Investment Guide | Beijing Fact File
Article featured in Business Beijing, February 2005
Publication sponsored by Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government,  Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce,  Development & Reform Commission of Beijing Municipality,  China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (Beijing Sub-Council)

Photo Contest: Beijing in the Eyes of Foreigners

'Charming Beijing' Tourism Photo Contest

Beijing 2008 Olympics

Arts & Culture
Beijing Basics
Business
Dining
Editorial
Health & Wellness
Love & Life
Nightlife
Shopping
Sport
Classifieds
Get by in Beijing
English 1000, Chinese 1000

Beijing Eases Visa Requirements for Foreigners

2005/02/15

Visa requirements for international visitors to Beijing have been loosened.

Visitors are now able to extend their visas for 6 to 12 months as many times as they wish.

In the past, foreigners were only able to renew their visas twice, each for a period of three months.

Gao Huada, vice-director of the Division of Exit-Entry Administration of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, said people who will benefit include the following five groups:

  1. Foreigners who are the spouses of Chinese; spouses, parents and children under 18 years old of foreigners who are working or studying in Beijing;
  2. Foreign nationals of Chinese origin who are older than 60 and have purchased real estate in Beijing;
  3. Those who are older than 60 and have direct relations in Beijing but not abroad;
  4. Foreign children who were adopted in Beijing;
  5. Foreigners who have come to Beijing for a short visit, cultural exchanges and activities, or business.

It will take people five working days to get their applications processed, said Gao.

The division has also increased the time span of foreigners' residency permits to five years, said Gao.

People with residency permits are no longer required to get re-entry visas, as they were previously.

Foreigners who can enjoy the residency permit measures include:

  • Top foreign professionals and investors;
  • Foreign legal representatives;
  • Returning citizens of foreign nationalities;
  • Foreign students.

A division official, who only gave his surname as Pang, explained that top professionals referred to senior advisers, high-tech or high-level managerial staff or personnel making great contributions to China.

Investors looking to inject more than US$3 million in Beijing can apply for a two to five-year residency permit.

But investors who only want to stay for two years are not subject to a specific amount of investment, said Pang.

Foreign legal representatives can only apply for residency permits spanning two years, Pang added.

People with queries can phone +86 010 8402 0101 for further information



 
*