Foreigners can apply for a visa at any China port with a visa office in certain cases when there is not sufficient time to apply for one at a Chinese embassy or consulate. The person applying needs an official letter from a prospective employer in China and a passport from a country with diplomatic relations or trade exchanges with China.
Reasons for applying for this type of visa include the following:
The Chinese company involved makes a last minute decision to invite the applicant for a trade fair.
The applicant is invited to China for bidding on a contract or for signing an economic or trade agreement.
The applicant is invited to China oversee a shipment of exports or imports, or for commodity inspection, or contractual reasons.
The applicant has been asked to come for the installing of equipment or for an urgent machine repair.
The applicant has been asked to come to China to deal with a claim dispute.
The applicant has been asked to provide technological consultation services.
The applicant has been allowed provisional acceptance by the Chinese to replace a group visa that he or she has or to apply for a new visa.
The applicant wants to visit a person in critical condition or make funeral arrangements.
Due to unforeseen causes, a transiting passenger is not able to leave the country by plane or to find other means of transportation within a 24-hour period.
The applicant is not able to apply for a visa, as confirmed by Chinese consular officials, and has a letter of agreement from the Chinese port authorities where he or she is about to enter.
Chinese visa offices cannot issue a visa to a foreigner without an invitation from a company or individual in China, nor can they accept a visa application from a foreigner with a diplomatic, service, official, or special passport issued by a country that does not have diplomatic relations with China, or a person who is not allowed to enter China because of a Chinese law or regulation.
Any foreigner who is refused a visa by Chinese port visa authorities must return to the place they came from, by the same means of transportation, at their own expense.