Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has been adjusting the visa policy following the development of the pandemic. This Notice is about the latest visa policy and the application procedures. If you need to apply for a visa to China from the Embassy, please follow the instructions:

I. Visa applications shall be made according to consular jurisdiction. The consular jurisdiction of the Chinese Embassy includes:
Washington DC, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, Puerto Rico

II. Steps of visa application at the Embassy:
1.) First, the visa applicant is required to send an email to visaoffice.dc@vip.163.com. Please be sure to send the email according to the following instructions:

• Visa applicant's driver's license / proof of residence in the Embassy’s consular jurisdiction.
• Basic Document for visa application. For “Basic Document”, please check part “3”of this Notice.
• The attachments must be in photo/picture format. Those sent in PDF or Google Drive forms are not accepted.

2.) For eligible visa applications, applicants will be notified of the required documents by email.
3.) Applicants reply to the email and send the required documents as attachments.
4.) Applicants will receive a 8-digit Preview Pass Number (PPN) after their emailed documents are previewed, and be informed of how to mail the physical documents.
5.) Applicants mail the whole set of physical documents to the designated address for review. When review is finished without need of other documents, visas will be issued and mailed back to the applicants. If additional documents are needed, applicants will be notified by email.  In certain cases, applications may be rejected during the reviewing step.

III. Visa Types and Basic Document:

Visa  Type	Applicable Situation	Basic Document (For other required documents, the applicant will be guided by the staff by email)
M/F	Visits related to economic and trade, science, technology, etc	Invitation Letter by the company/institute in China (For certain application cases, PU/TE Letter is required. The staff will guide the applicant by email.)
Z	Work	Notification Letter of Foreigner’s Work Permit in the PRC
S1/S2	Z visa / M visa / F visa /X1 visa holder's minor child/spouse/parent/parent-in-law (If above visa holder’s adult child/child’s spouse need to visit China, please send an email to specify the situation. )	Residence Permit in China of the Z visa  holder/ Residence Permit in China of the X1 visa holder/ Z Visa / M visa / F visa / X1 visa (The application documents for S1/S2 visa may vary from case to case. The staff will provide specific guidance by email.)
Q1/Q2	Foreign family member of a Chinese citizen; Foreign family member of a foreigner with Permanent Residence Card in China. *The "family member" include: Spouse/Parent/Parent-in-law/Child/Child'sSpouse/Grandparent/Grandchild/Sibling	ID card of the Chinese citizen/ Foreigner’s Permanent Residence Card in China (The application documents for Q1/Q2 visa may vary from case to case. The staff will provide specific guidance by email.)
R	High Level Foreign Talents	Confirmation Letter for High Level Foreign Talents  (R visa holder’s spouse/minor child apply for S2 visa )
C	Crew member	Guarantee letter from transport company
X1	Students for long-term diploma education	Visa Application for Study in China (JW201 / JW202 Form) Letter of Admission (For new students) /  Consent Letter for School Return (For enrolled students)

 
4. Effective from 28 September 2020, foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and reunion are allowed to enter China with no need for applying for new visas. 
Effective from 24 August 2022 (Beijing time), foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permit for study or foreigners holding valid APEC business travel card can enter China.

5. For application of emergency humanitarian visa not specified in the above form, such as attending a funeral of an immediate family member or visiting an immediate family member in critical condition, the Basic Document is Death Certificate or a certificate of diagnosis/critical illness notice issued by a hospital.

6. For diplomatic/official visas, please send email directly to visaoffice.dc@vip.163.com. Applicants will be receive detailed guidance on the applying procedures.

7. Please be kindly noted that applications for visa types other than the above mentioned are not accepted at the current stage and application emails will not receive a reply.