China visas, from Pakistan.

The standard short-stay visa for tourism and sightseeing in mainland China. Pakistani applicants are typically issued a single entry with 30 days' stay and around 3 months' validity; double or multiple entry is at the mission's discretion and is not the norm on a first application.

• Passport valid 6+ months with at least two blank visa pages, plus CNIC copy
• Printed and signed COVA online application form (cova.mfa.gov.cn) with a recent white-background photo
• Confirmed return flight booking and hotel reservations covering the full stay
• Personal bank statement for the last 6 months, plus salary slips or business NTN certificate
• In-person submission with fingerprint capture (applicants under 14 and over 70 are exempt)

For commercial and trade activity — supplier visits, factory inspections, contract negotiation and trade fairs such as the Canton Fair. It permits business visits only, not employment: taking up paid work in China requires a Z visa and a Foreigner's Work Permit.

• Invitation letter from the Chinese company or fair organiser bearing the company chop, with the inviter's ID copy
• Letter from your Pakistani company on letterhead confirming your position, salary and purpose of travel
• Evidence of genuine trade activity — NTN certificate, chamber of commerce membership, past invoices or bills of lading
• Passport valid 6+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form with photo
• Bank statement for the last 6 months in the applicant's or company's name

For travellers passing through mainland China to a third country who need to leave the airport or stay overnight between flights. Pakistanis are not eligible for China's 240-hour visa-free transit, but the separate 24-hour direct transit exemption — staying airside without leaving the airport, with a confirmed onward ticket — is still available at most international airports.

• Confirmed onward ticket to a third country with a fixed date and seat
• Valid visa for the onward destination country where one is required
• Passport valid 6+ months and a printed, signed COVA form with photo
• Hotel booking covering any overnight stay in China

For stays of up to 180 days to visit a family member who is living in China on a work or study residence permit, or to handle other private affairs. This is the route Pakistani parents and spouses use for a short stay with a relative posted or studying in China.

• Invitation letter from the relative in China with copies of their passport and residence permit
• Apostilled proof of relationship — nikah nama, birth certificate or NADRA Family Registration Certificate, with certified English or Chinese translation
• Evidence of who is funding the trip — bank statement or the host's income and employment proof
• Passport valid 6+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form with photo

The main route for Pakistani students on programmes longer than 180 days — bachelor's, master's, PhD and long vocational courses, including students funded by the Chinese Government Scholarship. The visa must be converted into a study residence permit at the local Exit-Entry Administration within 30 days of arrival in China.

• Admission Notice from a Chinese university licensed to enrol international students
• Original JW202 form (JW201 for Chinese Government Scholarship students)
• Foreigner Physical Examination Record completed within the last 6 months, including chest X-ray and blood tests
• Highest degree certificate and transcripts, HEC-attested and apostilled by Pakistan's MOFA, with certified translation
• Police Character Certificate, apostilled, plus proof of funds or the scholarship award letter
• Passport valid 12+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form

For courses of 180 days or less — HSK Chinese language programmes, summer schools, exchange semesters and short technical training. No residence permit conversion is required, and an X2 cannot be turned into a study residence permit: moving on to a degree programme means applying afresh for an X1.

• Admission Notice from the Chinese institution, plus the JW202 form where the school issues one
• Proof of tuition payment or funding for the course and living costs
• Passport valid 6+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form with photo
• Return ticket and accommodation details covering the course period

For visiting scholars, conference delegates, joint-research collaborators and university staff travelling for academic, scientific or cultural exchange that is not paid employment in China.

• Official invitation letter from the host Chinese university, academy or government body
• Letter from your Pakistani institution confirming your post and approved leave
• Conference programme, research agreement or MoU covering the visit
• Passport valid 6+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form with photo

The standard employer-sponsored work route, used by engineers, technicians, teachers and Chinese–Urdu translators hired by Chinese firms, including CPEC-linked employers. The employer must obtain the Work Permit Notification in China before you can apply — you cannot start the process yourself. Intra-company transfers and short assignments under 90 days are handled inside the same work-permit system rather than by a separate visa.

• Foreigner's Work Permit Notification obtained online in advance by the Chinese employer
• Bachelor's degree plus at least 2 years' relevant post-graduation experience (commonly relaxed for master's graduates of Chinese universities)
• Degree certificate, experience letters and Police Character Certificate apostilled by Pakistan's MOFA with certified Chinese translation
• Signed employment contract meeting the local minimum salary threshold, with the employer's business licence copy
• Foreigner Physical Examination Record, and conversion to a work residence permit within 30 days of arrival

The fast-track tier for high-end and urgently-needed foreign talent — senior scientists, professors, executives, patent holders and applicants scoring 85 or more on China's foreigner work-permit points system. Fewer documents, priority processing, and a residence permit of up to 5 years after arrival. Numbers issued to Pakistani nationals are small; this is a genuine top-tier route, not a shortcut around the Class B process.

• Class A confirmation filed by the Chinese employer or provincial talent authority
• Evidence of qualifying status — senior academic or executive post, patents, national awards, or salary well above the local average
• 85+ points on the foreigner work-permit points scale where the talent-list route does not apply
• Apostilled degrees, publication list and full employment record with certified translations

Introduced on 1 October 2025 for young STEM graduates and researchers, and unusual in that no Chinese employer or inviter is required at application stage. It covers education, research, cultural exchange, entrepreneurship and business activity, with longer validity and more entries than ordinary short-stay visas. It is a new and still-evolving category — detailed eligibility rules, including age and qualifying institutions, are set by the Chinese authorities and should be confirmed with the mission before you prepare a file.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a STEM field from a recognised university or research institution, or a current teaching or research post at one
• Apostilled degree certificate and transcripts with certified translation, plus a detailed CV
• Written plan of the intended activity in China (research, exchange or start-up)
• A separate Foreigner's Work Permit if you intend to take salaried employment — the K visa alone does not authorise it

China's permanent residence, informally called the Chinese green card — among the hardest in the world to obtain, granted mainly to recognised high-level talent, long-serving senior employees, substantial investors and close family of Chinese nationals. Approvals run in the low thousands a year worldwide. There is no citizenship-by-investment or passport programme, and permanent residence does not lead to Chinese nationality in practice.

• Talent route — recognised high-level expert, or 4 consecutive years working in China with 6+ months' residence each year, high salary and full tax records
• Investment route — RMB 500,000 to 2,000,000 invested in a Chinese enterprise depending on the region, held for 3 consecutive years with a clean tax record
• Family route — spouse of a Chinese citizen or permanent resident, married 5+ years with 5 years' continuous residence in China, plus stable income and housing
• Apostilled Police Character Certificate, with full tax and social-insurance compliance in China
• Final approval by the National Immigration Administration and Ministry of Public Security before the D visa is issued

For the spouse, children, parents or parents-in-law of a Chinese citizen or of a foreigner holding Chinese permanent residence, relocating to China for more than 180 days. Converted into a family reunion residence permit at the local Exit-Entry Administration after arrival.

• Invitation letter from the Chinese relative with a copy of their ID card or Foreigner's Permanent Residence card
• Apostilled proof of relationship — NADRA marriage or family registration certificate, nikah nama or birth certificate, with certified translation
• Foreigner Physical Examination Record for the residence permit stage
• Proof of accommodation and financial support in China
• Passport valid 12+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form with photo

For visits of up to 180 days to relatives who are Chinese citizens or foreigners holding Chinese permanent residence — used heavily by Pakistani parents visiting married children settled in China.

• Invitation letter from the Chinese relative with a copy of their ID card or permanent residence card
• Apostilled documents proving the family relationship, with certified translation
• Passport valid 6+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form with photo
• Return ticket and evidence of who is funding the visit

For the spouse, children under 18 or parents of a foreign national — including a Pakistani — already living in China on a work or study residence permit, joining them for more than 180 days. This is the route most Pakistani professionals and PhD students use to bring their families over.

• Invitation letter from the family member in China with copies of their passport, visa and residence permit
• Apostilled nikah nama or NADRA Family Registration Certificate with certified Chinese or English translation
• Foreigner Physical Examination Record for the residence permit stage
• Proof of accommodation in China and sufficient income to support dependants
• Passport valid 12+ months, CNIC copy and printed COVA form with photo