Short-term journalist visa (J2 Visa)

Issued to foreign journalists who intend to go to China for short-term news coverage. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days.

Application:

1. Basic documents

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

(2) Visa Application Form and photo
One completed Visa Application Form with a recently-taken color passport photo (bare-head, full face) against a white background attached (Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application)

(3) Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)
If you are not applying for the visa in the country of your citizenship, you must provide the original and photocopy of your valid visa or certificate of stay, residence, employment or student status of the country where you are currently residing.

(4) Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas (applicable to those who were Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship. If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the first time, you should provide your previous Chinese passport and a photocopy of its data page).

If you have obtained Chinese visas before and want to 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).

2. Supporting documents

Visa Notification Letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China or other authorized units in China and an official letter issued by the media organization for which the journalist works

Applicants should contact the press section of the Chinese Embassy/Consulate General in advance and complete the required formalities.

3. Application procedure, processing time and fees

Please visit Chinese Embassy/ Consulate General's websites for more details based on your State of residence.

4. Notes

(1) Each item of the application form must be filled truthfully, clearly and completely. Any false information, missed items or illegible handwriting may lead to delay of the application processing or even refusal of the visa application.

(2) According to Chinese laws and regulations, visa officers make decisions on the validity period, number of entries, and the duration of each stay of a visa.

(3) To further facilitate visa applicants, until Dec 31, 2025, all applicants applying for single or double-entry short-term visas (stay in China for no more than 180 days) from Chinese visa-issuing authorities abroad will be exempted from fingerprint collection.

(4) Authoritative interpretation remains with the Embassy should there be any change to the information above.

Extension:

The J2 Visa holder shall submit certification letter issued by the foreign affairs office of the people’s government at the provincial level. The duration of stay can be extended for 30 days at most.

Change:

To apply for a change to the J2 Visa, the applicant shall submit the certification letter issued by the foreign affairs office of people’s government at the provincial level. A visa of zero entry and duration of stay for 30 days at most may be changed.