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Ordinary visa categories: the letters on a Chinese visa

Unofficial entry · Sources checked

Article 6 of the Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners divides ordinary visas into twelve categories. Each category is marked with a corresponding letter in the Chinese phonetic alphabet. The English text published by the National Immigration Administration sets out the letters and the persons each one is issued to. For the wider framework, see Visas and residence.

Definition

The table lists the categories as Article 6 words them. The last column shows which letters this wiki has entries for.

Letter Article 6 item Issued to (Article 6 wording) Entry on this wiki
C 6(1) Crew members performing duties on board an international train, aircraft or vessel, and the accompanying family members of vessel crew members, and vehicle drivers engaged in international transportation services —
D 6(2) Persons who come to China for permanent residence —
F 6(3) Persons who come to China for exchanges, visits, study tours or other relevant activities —
G 6(4) Persons who transit through China —
J1 6(5) Resident foreign journalists of permanent offices of foreign news agencies in China —
J2 6(5) Foreign journalists who come to China for short-term news coverage —
L 6(6) Persons who come to China for travel; persons who come to China for group travel can be issued Group L visas —
M 6(7) Persons who come to China for commercial trade activities —
Q1 6(8) Family members of Chinese citizens and of foreigners with permanent residence status in China who apply for residence in China for family reunion, and persons who apply for residence in China for fosterage or other purposes —
Q2 6(8) Relatives of Chinese citizens living in China, or of foreigners with permanent residence status in China, who apply for a short-term visit —
R 6(9) Foreigners of high talent who are needed, or specialists who are urgently needed, by the State —
S1 6(10) Spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 or parents-in-law of foreigners residing in China for work, study or other purposes who apply for a long-term visit to China; and persons who need to reside in China for other personal matters Yes
S2 6(10) Family members of foreigners staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes who apply for a short-term visit to China; and persons who need to stay in China for other personal matters Yes
X1 6(11) Persons who apply for long-term study in China Yes
X2 6(11) Persons who apply for short-term study in China Yes
Z 6(12) Persons who apply for work in China —

What the official text says

Article 6 of the Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners gives the categories and their letters. The letters are the ones in the table above.

The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom publishes a table titled "Part One: Visa for China (Mainland only)". Its wording for each letter is as follows.

  • F: "Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities."
  • L: "Issued to those who intend to go to China as a tourist."
  • S1: "Issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners working or studying in China to whom they are spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18 or parents-in-law, or to those who intend to go to China for other private affairs, whose intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days."
  • S2: "Issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China, or to those who intend to go to China for other private matters, with an intended duration of stay in China of no more than 180 days." The same table defines "family members" as spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law.
  • X1: "Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period exceeding 180 days."
  • X2: "Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days."
  • Z: "Issued to those who intend to work in China."

The Visa Application Instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC give the following wording for five letters.

  • F: "Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities"
  • S1: "Issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners residing in China for work, study or other purposes, to whom they are spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18 or parents-in-law, and to those who need to reside in China for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days"
  • S2: "Issued to those who intend to visit their family members (spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law) who are foreigners staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes, and to those who need to stay in China for other private matters. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days"
  • X1: "Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of more than 180 days"
  • X2: "Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days"

For X1, the embassy table says "exceeding 180 days" and the Ministry instructions say "more than 180 days". For S1, the embassy table and the Ministry instructions both state an intended duration that exceeds 180 days, and each uses its own wording. Article 6 itself states no duration for any letter.

Related terms

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026.

This entry is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, and is not published by the bodies named. If the official text or the instructions of the body handling your case differ from this entry, the official text and those instructions prevail.

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