Applying for an Academic or Culture Exchange Visa for China (F Visa)

Purpose: Short-term guest lecturing, lecture tours, attending conferences, participating in sports tournaments, or non-commercial festivals.

Cultural Invitation Requirements:

To apply, you must have an invitation from a non-commercial organization registered in China (e.g., university, research institute, museum, tournament, or festival organizer).

If the visa is for public performances by artists, the visa application must include an invitation from the organizer as well as an additional invitation from the relevant cultural office (sometimes the Ministry of Culture in Beijing). This culture visa should be applied for as a work visa.

Duration of the Academic Visa:

Typically, the Academic Visa is granted for 30 days. However, 60 or 90 days are also possible if the necessity for such a long stay is convincingly justified in the invitation. Stays longer than 90 days require an official invitation (invitation of duly authorized unit) in addition to the organizer’s invitation. We can provide a template for an official invitation free of charge via email upon request. Invitation

The Academic Visa can be applied for single or double entry within 180 days. Multiple entry visas (valid for six months or a year) are also available. Detailed requirements for these visas can be found in the section: Multiple Entry Visa.

A double-entry visa is necessary if you plan to travel from China to Hong Kong, Macau, or another neighboring country and return to China. The second entry date must be specified in the visa application. Both entry dates must fall within 180 days of visa issuance, though the departure date may be later.

Double-entry visas allow a maximum stay of 60 days per entry. If a 90-day stay is required, it must be convincingly justified in the invitation.

Documents Required for the Academic Visa Application

To apply for a China Academic Visa (F-visa), you need:

1. The application form,
2. A valid passport,
3. A recent biometric passport photo,
4. An academic invitation,
5. Academic Invitation Specifications:
   • a) Must be on the letterhead of the inviting institution,
   • b) Must include the name and date of birth of the invitee
   • c) Must be stamped and signed.

Apply for a Chinese Visa Online

1a Visa Consulting Limited processes visa applications from all regions in the UK. We offer daily free consultations at Tel. 020 - 3239 5990.

The invitation can be prepared in English, or Chinese, scanned in China, and sent via email.

We can provide a sample invitation template upon request, available in English for forwarding to your Chinese partner.