To apply for any type of Chinese visa, the following is required:

One completed visa application form, one recent passport sized photograph, a valid original passport with blank pages. More documents are required if applying for:

Tourist visa ------ L: Airline ticket or the itinerary.

Business visa---F: An invitation letter/ fax from a Chinese Government department or government-authorised company.

Work visa -------- Z: An employment permit from the Ministry of Labour or the State Bureau of Foreign Experts of China together with an invitation letter from the company authorized by the Chinese Government.

Student visa------X: JW-201 or JW_202 form issued by the Ministry of Education of China and a letter of admission from a Chinese University / College.

Transit Visa --- G: A valid visa for the country of destination and the letter from the department of work unit. Duration of transit visa is about 7 days. For British passport holder, a Chinese visa is required even to stop over in an airport of China.

Journalist Visa -- J-1 or J-2: A letter from the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai or Guangdong Municipality Government and a letter from the work unit.

Permanent Visa ----D: A Permit letter from a local government of China.

Visa validity

A single or double entry visa is usually valid for entry within 3 month from the date of issue. The multi-entry visa is divided into three categories, namely half a year / one year / two to five years visa.

Duration of stay / number of entries

Duration of stay of a visa may vary. It is possible to extend the duration of stay of a visa in China. Visa is always required wherever you enter the Chinese mainland even from Hong Kong or Macao.

Requirements towards passport

A. There must be at least one totally blank page in the passport. Pages for endorsements or amendments can not be used as a visa page.

B. Single or double entry visa requires a passport valid for at least 6 months. For multiple entry visa, a passport should be valid for at least 9 Months.

Accompanying person using the same passport

The photo of the accompanying person using the same passport should be affixed to the form. The full visa fee will apply.

Where to apply for a Chinese visa

Applicants should come in person or through a third party( e.g. travel agencies) to apply for the Chinese visa during office hours 9 -12 am in Chinese Embassy / Chinese Consulates-General in Manchester or Edinburgh.

Visa collection

Visa is ready for collection at the Visa Section during office hours ( 9 --12am) after 3 working days (72 hours)

from the date when the application is accepted. Visa can Not be issued on the same day unless the

same-day airline ticket or the itinerary is presented.

Hong Kong and Macao visa

For more information, Please look over HKSAR Web site: http://www.info.gov.hk/immd/, for Hong Kong visa and http://www.macau.gov.mo/index_cn.html for Macao visa.