Embassy, visa centre or exit-entry office: who handles which part of a China visa
Embassies and consulates issue the entry visa, border inspection checks you at the border, and exit-entry administrations handle stay in China, and a visa application centre only takes in documents under Regulations, Article 37.
Chinese embassies, consulates and other institutions entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issue the entry visa. Border inspection authorities carry out inspection at the border, and exit/entry administrations of public security organs handle stay and residence inside China. A visa application centre may receive your documents, but consular officials decide whether a visa is issued.
This site is none of these offices. It is an unofficial handbook of visa and entry rules for mainland China, and it is not an immigration office, an embassy, a visa centre or a visa agent.
Who does what
| Step | Office | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Issue the entry visa | Chinese embassies, consulates and other institutions entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Law, Article 4 |
| Carry out exit/entry border inspection | Exit/entry border inspection authorities | Law, Article 4 |
| Administer stay and residence in China | Public security organs at or above county level and their exit/entry administrations | Law, Article 4 |
| Receive visa application material, input data, give consultancy | Local institutions entrusted by visa authorities abroad, with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Regulations, Article 37 |
| Decide whether to issue a visa | Consular officials | Visa Application Instructions, III. Important Tips |
Who issues the visa
Law, Article 4 says that the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are responsible for administering exit/entry affairs within their respective responsibilities. It then says that "Embassies and consulates of the People's Republic of China and other institutions stationed abroad entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereinafter referred to as 'the visa-issuing authorities abroad') shall be responsible for issuance of entry visas to foreigners."
Who checks you at the border
Law, Article 4 says: "Exit/entry border inspection authorities shall be responsible for carrying out exit/entry border inspection."
Who handles your stay in China
Law, Article 4 says: "Public security organs under local people's governments at or above the county level and their exit/entry administrations shall be responsible for the administration of the stay and residence of foreigners." So after you arrive, the exit/entry administration of the public security organ is the office named by this provision.
The same article says that the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may, within the scope of their respective responsibilities, entrust exit/entry administrations of public security organs or foreign affairs departments under local people's governments at or above the county level to accept foreigners' applications for entry, stay and residence in China.
What a visa application centre does
Regulations, Article 37 says: "With the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visa authorities abroad may entrust local institutions with services, such as receiving of visa application material, data input and consultancy." This is the provision that allows a visa application centre to work for an embassy or consulate.
The decision stays with consular officials. The Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China, in section III, Important Tips, say: "The consular officials will decide whether to issue a visa and determine its validity, duration of stay and number of entries according to the applicant's specific circumstances."
The same section adds that the invitation letter "may be a fax, a photocopy or a printout, but the consular officers may require the applicant to provide the original one." It also says that when necessary, consular officers "may require the applicant to provide other supporting documents or supplementary materials, or require the applicant to attend an interview." The page tells readers that for further details they should visit the website of the relevant Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General abroad.
Example: the embassy in India
The embassy in India says that Chinese visa applications are processed "in accordance with respective consular jurisdiction area in principle." Its notice sorts applicants by residence as follows:
| Area of residence | Processed by |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra or Karnataka | Chinese Consulate-General in Mumbai |
| Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chattisgarh and West Bengal | Chinese Consulate-General in Kolkata |
| Other areas | Chinese Embassy in India |
For a regular application, the embassy in India says applicants submit documents through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata, according to the consular jurisdiction area. Applicants fill in the visa application form online, then submit the form and documents at the centre, "as well as retain ten fingerprints as required." The centre then sends the application to the embassy for further processing.
The notice says that starting from November 2023, the requirement for appointment was removed, and applicants may submit application documents at the visa centre on any working day. It also says the centre accepts all applications submitted within the due time limit.
The notice is headed "Update August, 2024" and carries the time stamp 20 August 2024. The area list and submission arrangements may change. This site checked the notice on 10 October 2026. Confirm the area list on the official page before you travel.
Visa classes
The category table on the Visa Application Instructions page names sixteen classes: C, D, F, G, J1, J2, L, M, Q1, Q2, R, S1, S2, X1, X2 and Z. For what each class requires, see the visa classes page of this site.
Where the rules are published
Regulations, Article 4 says that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security and other departments of the State Council shall, "on their portals and websites and at the places where exit or entry applications are accepted, make available the laws and regulations on the administration of the entry and exit of foreigners and other information that foreigners need to know."
Suggestion, not a rule: before you apply, look up the consular jurisdiction for your place of residence on the official page of the office that covers it.
Questions people ask
Does a visa application centre decide whether I get a visa?
The Visa Application Instructions, section III, say that consular officials decide whether to issue a visa and determine its validity, duration of stay and number of entries. Regulations, Article 37 lets the centre receive material, input data and give consultancy, with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Who handles my stay after I arrive in China?
Law, Article 4 names the public security organs under local people's governments at or above the county level and their exit/entry administrations as responsible for the administration of the stay and residence of foreigners.
Sources
- Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (National Immigration Administration, English text)
- Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (National Immigration Administration, English text)
- Notice on Updating Requirements for Chinese Visa Application, Update August 2024 (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of India)
- Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Consular Services)
Checked 10 and 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, any embassy, consulate or visa application service centre, and it is not legal or immigration advice. If the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.