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Rules for the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens

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(Approved by the State Council on December 3, 1986, and Promulgated by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 27, 1986) These Rules are formulated in accordance with the stipulations in Article 33 of The Law of the People's Republic of China on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens (hereinafter referred to as The Law on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens)

Chapter I

Entry into the Country

Article 1 For entry into China, aliens shall apply for visas from Chinese diplomatic missions, consular posts or other resident agencies abroad authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Aliens who hold ordinary passports issued by countries which have diplomatic relations or official trade links with China as well as letter(s) or telegram(s) from authorized units in China, may, under any of the following circumstances where they must necessarily rush to China but have no time for visa application to the aforesaid agencies, apply to the visa-granting departments at entry ports as authorized by the Ministry of Public Security:(1) they are invited at the last moment by a Chinese host to come to China for a trade fair;(2)they are invited to come to China to submit a tender or to sign a formal economic or trade contract;(3) they come to China by appointment to supervise the inspection of import and export commodities or to participate in a check-and-accept operation in accordance with contracts;(4) they are invited to participate in the installation of equipment or in the emergency repair of engineering projects;(5) they come to China at the request of the Chinese side to solve a problem of claims;(6) they are invited to come to provide technical advisory services;(7) they come to China due to a last-minute change in the composition of a visiting group and with consent of the Chinese side after the visas are granted;(8) they come to China to seepatients in critical conditions, or to undertake funeral matters;(9) owing to force majeure, transit visa holders cannot leave the country within twenty-four hours by taking the original place or by takingother means of transport;(10) other invited guests who really have no time for visa application to the aforesaid China's resident agencies abroad, and who hold letter(s) or telegram(s) from competent authorities who give the consent for the invited guests to apply for the visa at the designated entry ports. The visa-granting agencies at entry ports shall not accept and handle visa applications filled out by people who do not come under the aforesaid circumstances.

Article 2 Visa-issuing departments at port of entry, as authorized by the Ministry of Public Security, are stationed at the following ports: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou,Kunming, Guangzhou(Baiyun Airport), Shenzhen (Luohu, Shekou), Zhuhai(Gongbei)

Article 3 Different categories of visa, such as diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa, and ordinary visa, shall be issued to different aliens in accordance with the different capacities in which they visit China and also with the different categories of passport they hold.

Article 4 In accordance with aliens' reasons for coming to China, the ordinary visas to be issued to them shall be marked with the following Chinese pinyin letters:(1) the letter "D" is marked on a visa issued to a person who comes for permanent residence in China;(2) the letter "Z" is marked on a visa issued to a person who comes to China for a post or employment, and also to this person's accompanying family members;(3) the Letter "X" is marked on a visa issued to a person who comes to China to study, to engage in advanced studies, or to do fieldwork, for a period of more than 6 months;(4) the letter "F" is marked on a visa issued to a person who is invited to come to China for a visit, for investigations, for giving lectures, for doing business, for carrying out scientific, technical and cultural exchanges, for pursuing short-term advanced studies or for doing short-term field work: these activities shall not exceed 6 months;(5) the letter "L" is marked on a visa issued to a person who comes to China for sightseeing, for visiting relatives, or for private matters; a group visa shall be issued to a China-bound tourist group of nine members or more;(6) the letter "G" is marked on a visa issued to a transit traveler; (7) the letter "C" is marked on a visa issued to a crew member performing his/her duties on board an international train, or on an international airliner, to a sailor on board an international ocean-liner or freighter, and also to their accompanying family members.

Article 5 An alien, who is applying for a visa, shall answer the questions put to him/her and go through the following procedures:(1) to present a valid passport or other certificate(s) that can be used in place of a passport;(2) to fill in a visa application form, and hand in recent frontal hatless half-length passport-size photos of the applicant;(3) to present, for examination, documents of certification pertaining to the reasons) for entry or transit application.

Article 6 The documents of certification as mentioned in Item (3) Article 5 of these Regulations, refer to:(1)those applying for the visa marked with "D" shall hold status-of-residence identification forms. To obtain such a form, the applicant may apply, or do so through his/her relatives in China, to the entry-exit controlling department under the public security bureau of the city or county where the applicant is to reside;(2) those applying for the visa marked with "Z" shall hold documents of certification issued by a Chinese unit indicating the engagement or employment, or hold letter(s) or telegram(s) sent by an authorized unit;(3) those applying for the visa marked with "X" shall hold documents of certification issued by a host institution or by a competent department; (4)those applying for the visa marked with "F" shall hold letter(s)or telegram(s) sent by an authorized unit;(5) those applying for the visa marked with "L", who come to China as tourists, shall hold certifying documents for reception issued by a Chinese tourist department;(6) those applying for the visa marked with "G" shall hold a valid visa issued by the country (or region) the applicant is going to. Only a through-ticket holder is exempt from the procedures for such visa application;(7) those applying for the visa marked with "C" shall produce relevant certificates according to agreement. Aliens who come to reside in China or to stay in China for more than one year shall, when applying for an entry visa, produce for examination a health certificate issued by a health department designated by the country the applicant resides in, or issued by a health department and attested by a notary office. The health certificate shall remain valid within a period of 6 months of its issuance.

Article 7 Aliens belonging to any of the following categories shall not be permitted to enter China:(1) deportees by the Chinese government whose terms of deportation have not yet expired;(2) those who are considered prone, after entering the country, to terrorist or subversive activities or violence;(3) those who are considered prone, after entering the country, to smuggling, prostitution, or drug trafficking;(4) those who suffer from mental diseases, or leprosy, AIDS, venereal diseases, open tuberculosis and such infectious diseases;(5) those who lack the means to support themselves financially while staying in China;(6) those who are considered prone, after entering the country, to other activities that may jeopardize the country's security and interests.

Article 8 Aliens may be exempt from going through the procedures for obtaining a transit visa if they hold a through ticket and have booked seats on international airliners flying directly through China, and will stay in a transit city for less than 24 hours without leaving the airport; aliens who wish to leave the airport shall apply to the border inspection office for permission to stay.

Article 9 During the period of time when an international ocean-going vessel casts anchor at a port in China, foreign crewmembers and their accompanying family members who wish to come on land but do not leave the seaport city shall apply to the border inspection office for landing certificates; those who wish to spend the night on land shall apply for lodging certificates. Those who wish, with justification, to go to places beyond the limits of a seaport city, or are unable to leave the country on board the original ship, shall apply to the local public security bureau for proper visas.

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