Explainer: China's Foreign Ministry Adjusts Entry Rules for Foreigners Holding Three Categories of Residence Permits

The following material is excerpted from the Chinese Embassy in the United States.

Original Text of the September 23 Announcement

In light of the current COVID-19 situation and prevention and control needs, partial measures in the Announcement on the Temporary Suspension of Entry by Foreign Nationals Holding Valid Chinese Visas or Residence Permits, jointly issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Immigration Administration on March 26, 2020, are adjusted as follows:

Starting from 0:00 on September 28, 2020, foreigners holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal affairs, or family reunion are permitted to enter, and such persons do not need to reapply for visas. If the above three types of residence permits held by foreigners expired after 0:00 on March 28, 2020, the holders may, provided that the purpose of their visit to China remains unchanged, apply to Chinese embassies or consulates abroad for corresponding visas for entry using the expired residence permits and relevant materials. The aforementioned persons must strictly comply with China's epidemic prevention and control regulations.

Other measures in the March 26 announcement remain in effect. China will, on the premise of ensuring epidemic prevention safety, gradually and in an orderly manner resume personnel exchanges between China and other countries.

This is hereby announced.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China; National Immigration Administration

Explanations Regarding the Announcement

What Is a Foreigner's Residence Permit?

A foreigner's residence permit is a type of residence document issued by domestic public security authorities to eligible foreigners who need to reside in China for a long period (more than 180 days). Within the validity period of the residence permit, the holder may reside in China and enter and exit China multiple times with the permit.

According to the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners, foreigner residence permits are classified into several types, including work, personal affairs, family reunion, study, and journalist. The three types of residence permits mentioned in the announcement and their target recipients are as follows:

• Work-type residence permits, issued to persons working within China;

• Personal affairs-type residence permits, issued to spouses, parents, children under 18, and parents-in-law of foreigners who reside in China for work, study, or other reasons and who enter China for long-term family visits, as well as persons who need to reside in China for other personal affairs;

• Family reunion-type residence permits, issued to family members of Chinese citizens and family members of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence status who need to reside in China for family reunion, as well as persons who need to reside in China for reasons such as foster care.

What Is the Difference Between a Residence Permit and a Visa?

Entry and exit and stay or residence in China are two different concepts. Both visas and residence permits are issued to foreigners and are both sticker-style designs; the two are related but not the same. The main differences are:

• Issuing authorities differ: visas are issued by embassies and consulates abroad and by domestic public security authorities, while residence permits are issued by domestic public security authorities.

• Target recipients differ: visas are issued to foreigners traveling to China, while residence permits are issued to eligible foreigners who need to reside in China for more than 180 days.

• Nature of the document differs: although holders of short-term visas with a stay period of no more than 180 days may stay in China according to the visa's stay period, the main nature of a visa is an entry and exit document for foreigners. Although residence permit holders may enter and exit China multiple times during the permit's validity period, its main nature is a residence document for foreigners.

(Plain-language explanation: A visa is an entry and exit document; a residence permit is a residence document that comes with the function of multiple entries and exits during its validity period.)

Can One Enter with a Valid Foreigner Residence Permit?

Currently, this is not the case. According to the announcement, the current allowance is limited to those who presently hold one of the three types of residence permits—work, personal affairs, or family reunion—and whose residence permits are still valid. If the person held one of the above three types of residence permits but the permit expired after 0:00 on March 28, 2020, the holder may, provided that the purpose of visiting China remains unchanged, apply to Chinese embassies or consulates abroad for a corresponding visa for entry using the expired residence permit and relevant materials.

Other types of residence permits are not within the scope of the announcement's adjustments.

My foreigner residence permit is one of the three types and is valid. Do I Need to Reapply for a Visa?

According to the announcement, persons holding valid work, personal affairs, or family reunion residence permits may, starting from 0:00 on September 28, 2020, enter with their valid residence permits without needing to obtain a visa.

For those who originally held work, personal affairs, or family reunion residence permits but whose permits expired and became invalid after March 28, if the purpose of traveling to China remains unchanged, they may apply to Chinese embassies or consulates abroad for corresponding visas for entry using the expired residence permits and relevant materials. In the United States, such cases should be handled according to consular district divisions; applicants should follow the notices of the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate in the U.S., submit the required proof via email in advance, and make an appointment.

For those who originally held work, personal affairs, or family reunion residence permits but whose permits expired and became invalid before March 28, the announcement issued on March 26 shall apply. (In other words, those whose residence permits expired before March 28 cannot enter China at present.)

Can Foreigners Enter with a Valid Visa?

No.

• The announcement issued on September 23 only made partial adjustments to the announcement issued on March 26; it did not replace the original announcement. Specifically, the September 23 announcement only partially adjusted the measure of 'temporarily suspending the entry of foreigners holding currently valid residence permits.'

• Measures in the March 26 announcement, including 'temporarily suspending the entry of foreigners holding currently valid visas to China' and 'suspending the entry of foreigners holding APEC Business Travel Cards, and suspending policies such as port visas, 24/72/144-hour transit visa-free entry, Hainan entry visa-free, Shanghai cruise visa-free, 144-hour visa-free entry to Guangdong for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao, and visa-free entry to Guangxi for ASEAN tour groups,' remain in effect.

• If a case does not fall under the three situations mentioned in the September 23 announcement, including ten-year multiple-entry visas, entry is still not permitted at present with a visa obtained before March 28.

Can One Enter Normally Now with a Valid Ten-Year Multiple-Entry Q2 Visa?

According to the announcements jointly issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Immigration Administration on March 26 and September 23 respectively, starting from 0:00 on March 28, 2020, the entry of foreigners holding currently valid visas to China is temporarily suspended. The above measures continue to be implemented. Those holding valid multiple-entry visas for business (M), tourism (L), family visit (Q2), personal affairs (S2), or other categories are, according to the requirements of the above announcements, temporarily unable to enter China.