Service Centre

On March 1, Liu Haitao:

Director of the Border Inspection & Management Department of China’s National Immigration Administration, announced that all foreign residents can automatically extend their stay by an additional 2 months if their visa expires during the COVID-19 outbreak.

There is no need to visit the Entry and Exit Bureau to extend the visa period. 

You can either stay in China for the extra 2 months, or leave the country as you would have before the outbreak under normal circumstances.

Additionally, all foreign workers involved in medical industries such as patient assistance, drug research and development, and any other profession contributing to our fight against the pandemic, may qualify for 24-hour emergency visa services from the Entry and Exit Administration.

In these extraordinary times, the above-mentioned professionals coming to China from overseas to engage in urgent and important matters, and who may not have been able to obtain the appropriate visa ahead of time, may apply for a visa directly upon arrival at the port of entry.

Haitao also highlighted the new “Internet + Government” system, implemented by the National Immigration Administration, whereby foreign applicants can process their personal immigration matters online, including the administration’s official website, without requiring to visit a specific center, thus reducing the risk of crowding during the outbreak.