As per the latest visa application policy, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad will update visa application requirements on applicants from 15 March 2023.

I. No visa required

1. Foreign nationals who are qualified with various mutual visa exemption agreements;

2. Foreign nationals holding valid Chinese permanent residence certificates;

3. Foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits;

4. Foreign nationals holding APEC business travel card (except soft card);

5. 24-hour transit visa free.

Note: Diplomatic passport and official passport holders of Pakistan are exempted from visas and may stay up to 30 days in the mainland of China and in Hong Kong SAR respectively. Diplomatic passport holders of Pakistan are exempted from visas and may stay up to 14 days in and Macao SAR of China.

II. Visa Types and Documents Requirements

III. Basic Documents

1.  Passport

Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages, and a photocopy of the passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate.

2. Visa Application Form and Photo

Fill online Visa Application Form through the portal https://cova.mfa.gov.cn.  Submit printed Visa Application Form, Confirmation of Online Visa Application, one copy of visa appointment, 1 piece of recent color passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a white background.

3. Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship). If you are not applying for the visa in the country of your citizenship, you must provide the original and photocopy of your valid visa of stay, residence, and employment or student status of the country where you are currently staying.

4. Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas (applicable to those who were Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship)

If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you should provide your previous Chinese passport and a photocopy of its data page.

If you have obtained Chinese visas before and want to apply for a Chinese visa with a renewed foreign passport that does not contain any Chinese visa, you should present the photocopy of the previous passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate, as well as the previous Chinese visa page (If your name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, you must provide an official document of name change).

IV. Other Requirements

1. Visa holders including D, J1, Q1, S1, X1, Z shall, within 30 days from the date of their entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of public security organs under local people's governments at or above the county level in the proposed places of residence for foreigners' residence permits.

2. The Verification Letter of Invitation or an Invitation Letter (TE) shall be provided (printout or photocopy), both of the letters must be extended by a Chinese inviter. One might be exempted from Verification Letter of Invitation or an Invitation Letter (TE) in the following situation (However, an invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China is still needed.):

a. If one works for Pakistani federal or local governments or other official institutions and holds a private passport with a mark of Government Officer or Government Employee, he or she should provide an NOC to Travel Abroad issued by his or her employer and attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.

b. Any applicant who has visited China for more than three times since 1 January 2016. One should provide photocopies of passport pages with entry/exit stamps of China Immigration Inspection.

3.  Content requirement of invitation letter

a.  An invitation letter for F/M visa application issued by a relevant entity or individual in China, should contain:

–Information about the applicant (full name, gender, date of birth, etc.)

–Information about the planned visit (purpose of visit, arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, relations between the applicant and the inviting entity or individual, financial source)

–Information on the inviting entity or individual (name, telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual)

b. An invitation letter for F/M visa application issued by a relevant entity or individual in China, should contain:

Inviter’s name XX, gender X, date of birth: XX, Chinese ID number XXX (or foreign passport number XX, Chinese permanent residence card number XX), current address in China is XX, contact phone number XX, email XX.

I hereby invite the following relatives to visit China for a short-term visit / long-term residence. He/She plans to go to China on XX, and stay in China for XX days. During XX’s staying in China, all expenditure will be covered by XX.

Invitee information: name XX, gender X, date of birth XX, nationality XX, passport number XX, and the relative relationship with the inviter is XX.

Inviter's signature:      Date:

4.  For foster care, the following documents are required:

a. Foster entrustment notarization issued by Chinese Embassies/Consulates General in foreign countries or Foster Care Power of Attorney notarized and authenticated in the country of residence or in China.

b. Original and photocopy of the consignor's passport(s), as well as the original and photocopy of certification (marriage certificate, birth certificate, certification of kinship issued by Public Security Bureau or notarized certification of kinship) showing the relationship between parents and children.

c. A letter of consent on foster care issued by the trustee living in China who has agreed to provide foster care services and a photocopy of the ID of the trustee.

d. A photocopy of the certificate indicating the permanent residence status abroad of the parent(s) when the child was born, provided that either or both parents of the child are Chinese citizens.

V. Notes

1. If necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other supporting documents or supplementary materials, or ask for an interview with the applicant, or require signing off after the applicant finish visiting China.

a. The applicant for certain types of Visa (D, Q1, Q2, S1, S2, X1, X2 & Z) should come in person for an interview.

b.  For the first visit to China within the last five years, the applicant should come in person for an interview and provide a local police character/clearance certificate (attested by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan).

c. The consular officer has the final decision on the visa issuance, validity, duration of stay and number of entries according to specific condition of the applicant.

2.  According to relevant Chinese laws and regulations, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad is going to collect the fingerprints of all foreign applicants for Chinese visas from June 15, 2018. Only the following people can be exempted from fingerprints collection.

a. Applicants over 70 or under 14 years old.

b.  Diplomatic passport holders or applicants who shall be issued Chinese diplomatic, service and courtesy visas.

c.  Applicants who have applied visa for China (mainland only) with the same passports in the same Embassy and left their fingerprints within 5 years since October 22, 2018 .

d.  Applicants whose 10 fingers are incomplete or 10 fingerprints cannot be identified.

e.  Applicants who apply for visa for China (mainland only) must personally come to the Visa Section of the Chinese Embassy to leave their fingerprints. The Chinese side reserves the right to reject entry to China in case of registering fake fingerprints which don't belong to the applicants. The applicants will have to bear all the consequences without complying with this regulation.

VI. Time and Fees for Visa Application

1. Visa application submission: after submit visa application form online, one should make an appointment for submission at Gerry’s visa centre (except diplomatic, official passports holders and R visa applicants). Gerry’s Visa application helplines: 051-8439385; 051-8439354

2. Visa Processing: Regularly it will takes 4 working days to process visa application after the embassy accept the documents.

3. Fees: Diplomatic and official passport holders of the third countries as well as Pakistani ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa fees.

a. Visa fees for U.S. ordinary passport holders: Rs. 14000 (Journalist visa fees for American nationals: Rs.37600)

b. Visa fees for other countries' ordinary passport holders:

Single Entry Rs. 4500

Double Entries Rs.6500

6-Month Multiple Entries Rs.9000

12-Month Multiple Entries Rs.13000

c. Visa fees for Romania ordinary passport holders:

Single Entry Rs.7500

Double Entries Rs.10000

Multiple Entries Rs.15000

d. Fees for Visa for Hong Kong SAR of China :Rs.3000

e. Fees for Visa for Macao SAR of China: Rs.3000

f. communication fees Rs.2000 for visa for Hong Kong & Macao SAR of China.

g. Fees for Entry permit of Hong Kong SAR of China: Rs.1000

VII. Visa for Hongkong SAR and Macao SAR of China

For detailed Hongkong SAR visa requirements and updates, please visit Hongkong Immigration Office: Police Force website:  https://www.immd.gov.hk/hkt/index.html 

For detailed Macao SAR visa requirements and updates, please visit Macao Public Security Police Force website: www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/eng/main.html.