What are the types of Chinese visas and who are they issued to?

Answer: Chinese visas are divided into diplomatic visas, courtesy visas, official visas and ordinary visas. Among them, there are 16 […]

Answer: Chinese visas are divided into diplomatic visas, courtesy visas, official visas and ordinary visas. Among them, there are 16 types of ordinary visas, which are identified by Chinese pinyin letters and Arabic numerals:

Visa type	Applicant scope
C	International train crew members, international aircraft crew members who perform crew, aviation, and shipping tasks, crew members of international sailing ships and their accompanying family members, and car drivers engaged in international road transportation
D	Persons entering for permanent residence
F	Persons entering the country for exchanges, visits, inspections and other activities
G	Persons transiting through China
J1	Foreign correspondents resident in China (residing for more than 180 days) in Chinese news organizations
J2	Foreign journalists entering the country for short-term reporting (staying no more than 180 days)
L	Inbound tourists
M	Persons entering the country for commercial and trade activities
Q1	Family members of Chinese citizens who apply for residence in China for family reunification (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouses, brothers and sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, and spouse’s parents) and foreigners with permanent residence status in China The person’s family members (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouses, brothers and sisters, grandparents, grandparents, grandchildren, and spouse’s parents), as well as those who apply for entry and residence due to foster care and other reasons
Q2	Relatives of Chinese citizens living in China and relatives of foreigners with permanent residence status in China who enter for short-term visits (not exceeding 180 days)
R	Foreign high-level talents needed by the country and urgently needed specialized talents
S1	Spouses, parents, children under 18 years old, parents of spouses of foreigners who enter China for long-term visits (more than 180 days) for work, study, etc., as well as persons who need to stay in China for other personal matters
S2	Family members (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouses, brothers and sisters, grandparents, grandparents, grandchildren, grandchildren) of foreigners who are staying in China for work, study, etc. for short-term visits (not exceeding 180 days) (Female and spouse’s parents) and those who need to stay in China for other personal matters
X1	Persons studying in China for a long period of time (more than 180 days)
X2	Persons studying in China for a short period of time (not exceeding 180 days)
Z	People working in China

The Chinese visa authorities decide which visa to issue based on the applicant’s purpose of entry and identity.