Historic Xi'an city wall with red lanterns in China

China Visa & Immigration Services

Hudson McKenzie advises individuals, families and international businesses on China visa and immigration matters, including business travel, work visas, work permits, employee transfers, family visas, study visas, residence permits and permanent residence.

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China has different immigration routes depending on the purpose and duration of stay. Requirements can vary according to factors including nationality, proposed activities, employment arrangements, professional qualifications, family circumstances and the applicant’s intended place of residence.

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China also operates several visa-free entry and transit arrangements for qualifying travellers. These should be distinguished from work, study and other long-term immigration permissions, which generally require the appropriate visa, work authorisation or residence documentation.

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Hudson McKenzie can help individuals and businesses identify the appropriate immigration route and manage the process from initial eligibility assessment through to visa, work permit and residence applications.

China provides several immigration options for foreign nationals travelling for business, tourism, exchanges, family visits and other temporary activities.

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M Visa – Commercial & Trade Activities: The M visa is intended for qualifying commercial and trade activities. It can be relevant to activities such as commercial meetings, trade-related visits and other permitted business activity.

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A business visa should not be treated as unrestricted permission to undertake employment or productive work in China. Where the proposed activities amount to employment, the appropriate work-authorised immigration route should be assessed instead.

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F Visa – Exchanges & Visits: The F visa applies to qualifying exchanges, visits, study tours and certain other non-commercial activities, including specified academic, cultural and professional exchanges.

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L Visa – Tourism: The L visa is China’s principal tourist visa category for travellers who require a visa for tourism.

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China also operates visa-free entry arrangements for specified nationalities.

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UK Citizens — Temporary 30-Day Visa-Free Entry: From 17 February 2026 until 31 December 2026, holders of ordinary UK passports can currently enter China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days for qualifying:

business;
tourism;
family and friends visits;
exchanges; and
transit.

Travellers who do not satisfy the visa-free conditions still need to obtain the appropriate visa before travel. The policy is expressly time-limited and should be rechecked before travel.

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240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: China currently operates a separate 240-hour visa-free transit policy for nationals of 57 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States and a number of European and other countries.

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Eligible travellers must be transiting China to a third country or region, hold the required onward travel documentation and enter through a designated port. As of August 2026, the policy covers 65 ports across 24 provincial-level regions, allowing qualifying travellers to remain within the permitted areas for up to 240 hours.

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Permitted short-term activities can include tourism, business and family visits, but employment, study, journalism and other activities requiring prior approval still require the appropriate visa or authorisation.

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Route / Arrangement	Typical Purpose	Typical Stay Position	Important Point
M Visa	Commercial and trade activity	Depends on visa issued	Does not provide unrestricted employment permission
F Visa	Exchanges, visits and qualifying non-commercial activity	Depends on visa issued	Different from commercial trade and employment
L Visa	Tourism	Depends on visa issued	Tourism only
UK 30-Day Visa-Free Entry	Business, tourism, family/friends visits, exchange and transit	Up to 30 days	Current policy runs until 31 December 2026
240-Hour Visa-Free Transit	Transit to a third country or region	Up to 240 hours	Nationality, designated-port, onward-travel and permitted-area requirements apply

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Hudson McKenzie can assess the purpose of the proposed trip and advise whether a visa is required and which visitor or business category may be appropriate.

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China has several visa categories for foreign nationals joining or visiting family members. The appropriate category depends on the sponsor’s nationality and immigration status, the relationship involved and the intended duration of stay.

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Q1 Visa: The Q1 visa is generally used for longer-term family reunion involving eligible family members of:

Chinese citizens; or
foreign nationals holding permanent residence in China.

It generally applies where the intended stay exceeds 180 days.

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Q2 Visa: The Q2 visa generally applies to shorter family visits of no more than 180 days involving qualifying relatives of Chinese citizens or foreign permanent residents.

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S1 Visa: The S1 visa is relevant to certain close family members of foreign nationals residing in China for work, study or other qualifying purposes where the intended stay exceeds 180 days.

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Eligible relationships can include the spouse, parents, children under 18 and parents-in-law of the principal foreign resident, subject to the applicable rules.

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S2 Visa: The S2 visa can apply to shorter visits of no more than 180 days by qualifying family members of foreign nationals staying or residing in China. It can also apply in specified private-matter circumstances.

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Official Chinese visa rules distinguish Q visas, which centre on Chinese citizens and foreign permanent residents, from S visas, which principally concern family members of foreign nationals living or staying in China.

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Visa	Generally Relevant To	Typical Duration Basis
Q1	Family reunion with Chinese citizens or foreign permanent residents	More than 180 days
Q2	Shorter family visits to Chinese citizens or foreign permanent residents	No more than 180 days
S1	Certain close family members of foreign nationals residing in China	More than 180 days
S2	Shorter family visits to foreign nationals in China and specified private matters	No more than 180 days

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Long-term family visa holders can also need to complete residence-permit procedures after arrival.

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Hudson McKenzie can assess family eligibility and coordinate dependant visa and residence applications alongside the principal applicant’s immigration process.

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Foreign nationals who satisfy specified legal requirements may be eligible to apply for permanent residence in China.

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Permanent residence is not automatically obtained simply by living in China for a particular number of years. Eligibility is restricted to qualifying statutory categories and depends on the applicant’s circumstances.

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Potential routes can include qualifying:

investors with the required investment and tax history;
senior professionals and specified highly skilled personnel;
individuals who have made significant and outstanding contributions to China or are particularly needed by the country;
spouses and qualifying children of certain eligible permanent-residence applicants;
spouses of Chinese citizens or existing Chinese permanent residents who satisfy the applicable marriage and residence conditions; and
certain other qualifying family categories.

For example, the spouse route for a spouse of a Chinese citizen or Chinese permanent resident includes requirements concerning the duration of the marriage, residence history in China, annual physical presence, income and accommodation.

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Applicants must also satisfy the applicable general requirements, which can include compliance with Chinese law, health requirements and criminal-history conditions.

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Potential Route	General Basis
Investment	Qualifying direct and stable investment with the required tax record
Senior / Skilled Professional	Qualifying senior position or professional status together with specified employment, residence and tax history
Significant Contribution / Special Need	Outstanding contribution to China or particular national need
Qualifying Family Member	Eligibility through specified permanent resident, Chinese citizen or qualifying principal applicant

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Permanent-residence applications are assessed against the detailed requirements of the relevant category rather than years of residence alone.

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Hudson McKenzie can review an applicant’s immigration history, employment, investment and family circumstances to assess whether there may be a viable route to permanent residence in China.

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Why Choose Hudson McKenzie for China Immigration?

Hudson McKenzie advises individuals, families, professionals and international businesses on China immigration and global mobility matters.

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Our team can assist with:

China work visas and Foreigner’s Work Permits;
Z visa applications;
high-level talent and R visa assessments;
employee transfers and international assignments;
M business visas;
business-travel and visa-free entry assessments;
family and dependant visas;
Q1 and Q2 visas;
S1 and S2 visas;
X1 and X2 study visas;
post-arrival residence permits;
permanent-residence assessments;
document preparation and review;
apostille, legalisation and translation coordination;
renewals and immigration-status management; and
corporate immigration and global mobility strategy.

For businesses, Hudson McKenzie can assist HR and global mobility teams with the immigration requirements associated with hiring, transferring and assigning employees to China.

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For individuals and families, we can assess the available visa and residence options according to nationality, employment, family circumstances, study plans and longer-term objectives.

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Where a China relocation forms part of a broader international assignment, our global immigration team can also coordinate Chinese immigration requirements with wider cross-border mobility planning.

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Planning to work, relocate or transfer employees to China? Contact Hudson McKenzie to discuss the immigration options relevant to your circumstances.

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Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. Chinese visa, work-permit, visa-free entry, residence and permanent-residence requirements are subject to change. Eligibility depends on individual circumstances and the immigration rules and policies in force at the relevant time. Please contact Hudson McKenzie for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.