(S1) Family member of foreigner(s) staying or residing in China or person who needs to come to China for personal matters (more than 180 days)

Prepare the following application materials to submit your visa application online.

(1) Passport
Original passport with at least six months of remaining validity and with at least two blank visa pages, a photocopy of the passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate

(2)Photo
a recently-taken colour passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a light background (size: 48mm x 33mm) attached. Please click here for  general photo requirements.

(3) Proof of legal status (applicable for those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)

Applicants other than South Africans must provide the original and photocopy of your permanent residence permit or other temporary residence permits valid for over 6 months beyond the date of your intended date of arriving in China.

(4)Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas 

If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you should provide the last Chinese passport and a photocopy of its data page.(applicable for those who were Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship)

If you have obtained Chinese visas before and apply for a Chinese visa with a renewed foreign passport that does not contain any Chinese visa, you should present the photocopy of the previous passport’s data page and the photo page if it is separate, as well as the previous Chinese visa page (If your name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, you must provide an official document of name change).

(5) For applicant under 18 years old must provide: 1. The original and photocopy of the unabridged birth certificate of the applicant or The Affidavit from the parents indicating kinship issued by local police station. 2. Photocopy of the parents’ passports or ID cards. 3. Notarized Parental Letter of Consent or the Affidavit from non-accompanying parent(s) authorizing the travel. This letter or affidavit should contain the dates of travel and the parents contact information.

1.An invitation letter from the inviting individual (a foreigner who stays or resides in China for work or studies) which contains:
　a) Information on the applicant (full name, gender, date of birth, passport no., etc.)
　b) Information on the visit (purpose of visit, arrival and departure dates, place of intended residence, relations between the applicant and the inviting individual, financial source for expenditures, etc.)
　c) Information on the inviting individual (name, contact telephone number, address, signature, etc.)
2.A photocopy of the inviting individual’s passport and residence permit
3.Original and photocopy of Apostille of kinship(marriage certificate, birth certificate, certification of kinship issued by Public Security Bureau or notarized certification of kinship) showing the relationship of immediate family members between applicants and inviting individual.
" Immediate family members " refers to spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18, parents-in-law.
4.If you are applying together with an applicant for a Z or X1 visa, you must also provide a copy of the application materials for the Z or X1 visa.

We kindly remind you that:
Holders of S1 Visa shall, within 30 days from the date of their entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of public security organs under local people’s governments at or above the county level in the proposed places of residence for foreigners’ residence permits.

Notes:
(1) Unless the original version is required in particular, the invitation letter may be in the form of fax, photocopy or computer printout.
(2) If necesssary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other proof documents or supplementary materials, or require an interview with the applicant.
(3) The consular officer will decide on whether or not to issue the visa and on its validity, duration of stay and number of entries in light of specific conditions of the applicant.