The Most Useful Keywords to Apply For a Visa in China

Now that everyone in Shanghai is getting back into a routine, some issues that were postponed before are coming back to us.

Among them, for many foreigners, it’s the expired (or nearly expired) visa!

At the moment, most visa application centers have resumed operation, but only via online appointments.

We are not a legal agency, but since many of our students have faced this issue, we’ve put together 20 keywords that can help you submit your online visa application and make an appointment.

01. VISAS

签证
Qiānzhèng
Visa

A visa is usually issued by Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.

居留许可证
Jūliú xǔkězhèng
Residence permit

A residence permit is a certificate that foreigners apply for after entering China with a relevant visa. It allows you to stay in the country for a different purpose, work, studies, etc.

工作类居留证件
Gōngzuòlèi jūliú zhèngjiàn
Work residence permit

学习类居留证件
Xuéxílèi jūliú zhèngjiàn
Study residence permit

团聚类居留证件
Tuánjùlèi jūliú zhèngjiàn
Family reunion residence permit

居留证件变更
Jūliú zhèngjiàn biàngēng
Change of a residence permit

02. DOCUMENTS

申请表
Shēnqǐng biǎo
Application

住宿登记单
Zhùsù dēngjìdān
Household registration form

This registration form you fill in about the house you’re staying in.

无犯罪证明
Wú fànzuì zhèngmíng
Non-criminal record

An official note from the embassy/consulate.

体检报告
Tǐjiǎn bàogào
Medical report

出入境管理局
Chūrùjìng guǎnlǐjú
Exit-Entry Administration Bureau

This is the name of the physical center that handles visa applications.

03. ONLINE REGISTRATION 2022

上海一网通办
Shànghǎi Yīwǎngtōngbàn
(lit. “Shanghai – one – web – unified – handling”)

This is the website that handles all kinds of services now.
A visa application can be submitted here too.

Link for foreign applications here.

Step 1: Fill in the application form

Once you are on the website, choose this section:

出入境和停居留
Chūrùjìng hé tíngjūliú
Entry, Exit, and Stay

(This is the part of the platform that deals with visa handling and extension.)

And inside it, one of the 2 options:

居留证件签发
Jūliúzhèngjiàn qiānfā
Issuance of residence permit

(This section is responsible for new visa applications.)

签证证件延期，换发，补发
Qiānzhèngzhèngjiàn yánqí, huànfā, bǔfā
Extension, renewal, and issuance of visa documents

(This section deals with existing visas.)

You will be taken to a page with a QR to scan in Alipay. Once you log in, you will be redirected to the application form page.

Fill in all the blanks and submit the application. You’ll be prompted if any fields are left unfilled. If everything is correct you’ll see the success message:

申请提交成功
Shēnqǐng tíjiāo chénggōng
Application submitted successfully

Step 2: Book an appointment

Once you’ve filled in your personal information and successfully submitted it, the next step will be to book an online appointment.

预约
Yùyuē
(Appointment) booking
(lit. “to book; reserve”)

受理点
Shòulǐ diǎn
Reception center (referring to a visa application center)

预约日期
Yùyuē rìqī
Reservation date

预约时段
Yùyuē shíduàn
Reservation time slot

❗ TIP: Booking for a new day starts at midnight, so you can check at 00:01 for newly available time slots. Use your grocery-snatching skills!

04. YOUR TURN

Good luck!

We hope everyone’s visa issues can be resolved soon, and Shanghai can get back to normal.

Share your visa handling experience (and other tips?) in the comments 👇

We hope these keywords will be useful and help you next time you need to apply for a visa in China. To find out more interesting phrases and questions in Chinese, check out one of our blog posts 5 Small Talk Phrases in Chinese