Chinese Business and Non-Business Visit Visa (M, F)

Chinese Business and Non-Business Visit Visa

Modified: 2024-06-03

From September 2013, the original Chinese business visa ("F" visa) is divided into "M" (business and trade) and "F" ("non-business" visit), the scope of the latter includes scientific, technological and culture exchanges. Short-term advanced studies or internship is now classified as X2. There is no change in document requirement, even though the classification is changed.

From Nov. 12, 2014, applicants with US passports can get 10-year multiple entry for tourist, business visits, regardless of the passport expiration date. From March 9, 2015, applicants with Canadian passports can get upto 10-year multiple entry for tourist, business visits. However, per US-China agreement, "non-business" visit (F) is only valid for one-year.

I. Documents needed for a business (M) and non-business (F) visit visa

Please see the document list on our homepage.

Please pay special attention to:

Invitation letter (required components).
For business visa (M): Employer letter

II. How to apply

Please follow "How to apply: Step by step procedures" on our main index page.

Create New Order

III. Visa fee and processing time

The consular fee is $140 for US passport holders and $80 for Canadian passport holders regardless of the number of entries, and our service fee is $99.96. For citizens of countries, it is dependent on the number of entries. Extra fees apply for expedited processing. Please use the calculator below to find out.

Processing time	Passport country	Number of entries	Number of passports	Consular fee	Service fee
				140	80
Subtotal: (excluding shipping fees)
Shipping fee is not included in the calculation. You pay one shipping fee per order even if you have multiple passports. For some countries, the consular fee is different, and the consulate may change fees from time to time. You will pay the actual charge if it is different.

IV. Visa validity period and duration of stay

Validity period

The validity period refers to the time the visa is valid. It can range from 90 days to 10 year.

For US/Canadian citizens, this is not an issue, as you can apply for the 10-year multiple entry visa.

For citizens of other countries, a "single entry" or "double entry" "M/F" visa is usually valid only 90 days or 180 days from the date of issue. This means the holder of the visa shall enter China no later than 90 days or 180 days from the date of issue, otherwise the visa is expired and is null and void.

If you intend to apply for double entry visa, please remember that your second entry can be no later than 180 days from the date your visa was issued!

Duration of stay

The duration of stay is the time you can stay in China after each entry.

For both M or F type visa, the duration of stay is normally 60 days for US/Canadians (30 days for other countries), which means the holder of the visa may stay in China for up to 60/30 days from the date of entry on each trip. You may get 90 days if you can justify your longer stay.