From March 15, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone adopts the following new requirements for Chinese visa application.
1. Application procedures
1.1 Fill out the visa application form online (https://cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn), print out the confirmation page and applicationform, and sign the confirmation page and item 9 of the form.
1.2 Make an appointment online(https://avas.cs.mfa.gov.cn) to submit the application and print out the visa appointment confirmation form.
1.3 The applicant shall submit in person the visa application documents to the Consular Office of the Embassy at the appointed time.
2.Visa Types and Required Documents
2.1 General Documents (Required for all types of visa applications)
2.1.1 Passport and photocopy of the bio-page of the passport.The remaining validity must be more than 6 months with at least 1 blank visa page.
2.1.2 COVA Visa Form and one 2-inch recent, full-face, color, bareheaded photo. Please follow Annex 1 "Important Tips for online COVA visa form filling".
2.1.3 If the applicant is a foreigner in Sierra Leone, they need to provide their legal residence permit in Sierra Leone.
2.1.4 If the applicant was of Chinese nationality, and this application is the first Chinese visa application after naturalization in a foreign country, please provide a photocopy of the bio-page of the Chinese passport. In addition, the last physical Chinese passport is needed for the visa application.
2.2 Visa Types and Basic Documents
Visa Type | Visa Description | Basic Documents |
M | Issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities | Documents on the commercial activity issued by a trade partner in China (Please refer to Annex 2 for the contents of the invitation letter) |
F | Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities | An invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China (Please refer to Annex 2 for the contents of the invitation letter) |
X1 | Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of more than 180 days | Original and photocopy of the Admission Letter issued by a school or other entities in China.
2. Original and photocopy of "Visa Application for Study in China" (Form JW201 or Form JW202). |
X2 | Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days. | Original and photocopy ofAdmission Notice issued by a school or other entities in China. |
S1 | Issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners working or studying in China to whom they are spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18 or parents-in-law, or to those who intend to go to China for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. | 1.An invitation letter fromthe inviting individual (a foreigner who stays or resides in China for work or studies) (Please refer to Annex 3 for the contents of the invitation letter)
2.Photocopies of the inviting individual's passport bio-page and and residence permit
3.Original and photocopy of certification (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc) showing the relationship of immediate family members between applicants and inviting individual.
*In case of other personal affairs, relevant supporting materials shall be provided upon request |
S2 | Issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China, or to those who intend to go to China for other private matters. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days.
"family members" refers to spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law.
| 1.An invitation letter from the inviting individual (a foreigner who stays or resides in China for work or studies) (Please refer to Annex 3 for the contents of the invitation letter)
2.Photocopies of the inviting individual's passport bio-page, residence permit or visa.
3.Photocopy of certification (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc) showing the relationship of immediate family members between applicants and inviting individual.
*In case of other personal affairs, relevant supporting materials shall be provided upon request. |
Q1 | Issued to those who are family members of Chinese citizens or of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence and intend to go to China for family reunion, or to those who intend to go to China for the purpose of foster care. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days.
"Family members" refers to spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law.
| 1.An invitation letter issued by a Chinese citizen or a foreign citizen with a Chinese permanent residencepermit who lives in China. (Please refer to Annex 3 for the contents of the invitation letter)
2.Photocopies of Chinese ID (front and back) of the inviting individual; Or photocopies of the bio-page of the foreigner’s passport and the permanent residence permit (front and back).
3.Original and photocopy of certification showing the relationship of family members between applicant and inviting individual. (eg, marriage certificate, birth certificate) |
Q2 | Issued to those who intend to visit their relatives who are Chinese citizens residing in China or foreigners with permanent residence in China. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. | 1.An invitation letter issued by a Chinese citizen or a foreign citizen with a Chinese permanent residencepermit who lives in China; (Please refer to Annex 3 for the contents of the invitation letter)
2.Photocopies of Chinese ID (front and back) of the inviting individual; Or photocopies of thebio-page of the foreigner’s passport and the permanent residence permit (front and back). |
Z | Issued to those who intend to work in China | Notice for the Work Permit for Foreigners |
D | Issued to those who intend to reside in China permanently. | The original and photocopy of the Confirmation Form for Foreigner’s Permanent Residence Status |
R | Issued to High-level talents | Confirmation Letter for High Level Foreign Talents |
C | Issued to Crew member | Guarantee Letter from transport company |
G | Issued to those who intend to transit throughChina. | An onward air (train or ship) ticket with confirmed date and seat to the destination country or region. |
L | Foreigners who intend to go to China as a tourist | Documents showing the itinerary including air ticket booking (round trip) and proof of a hotel reservation, etc. or an invitation letter from a relevant entity or individual in China. The invitation letter should contain:
a. Information on the applicant (full name, gender, date of birth, etc.)
b. Information on the planned visit (arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, etc.)
c. Information on the inviting entity or individual (name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual) |
J1 | Resident foreign journalists of foreign news organizations stationed in China. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. | Visa notification letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and official letter issued by the affiliating media of the journalist |
J2 | 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. | Visa notification letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China or the relevant department/institution and official letter issued by the affiliating media of the journalist |
Special Reminder： 1、If necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other proof documents or supplementary materials. 2、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. 3.For application for emergency humanitarian visa, such as mourning or visiting critically ill relatives, the following documents shall be submitted: identity document of the deceased or critically ill person (such as Chinese ID card or foreigner’s passport, etc.), death certificate or diagnosis certificate issued by the hospital, notice of critical illness, proof of kinship, etc. |
3.Who do not need to apply for a new visa
3.1 Foreign nationals who subject to mutual visa exemption agreements
3.2 Foreign nationals who are holding valid APEC Business Travel Cards (Virtual Card will resume the entry function from May 1, 2023)
3.3 Foreign nationals who are holding all kinds of valid residence permits
3.4 Foreign nationals who are holding valid foreign permanent resident permit ID card
*Please contact the immigration inspection agencies of the intended destination for the application of the Transit Visa Exemption Program.
Please log on to the website of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone for specific application steps.
Annex 1 Important Tips for online COVA visa form filling
(1) Please carefully read the prompts and requirements of the COVA form system, and complete the entries of the visa application COVA online form step by step, making sure that the information is true, accurate and complete. Please note: Once the application form has been submitted, it cannot be modified in any way.
(2) Basic personal information. Surname, given names, gender, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport type, etc. must be exactly the same as those on the passport information page, otherwise your visa application will be returned.
(3) Completely fill in the work experience and educational background
1. Please fill in the complete work experience after graduation from school.
2. The “position” and “duty” of the application form 3.3D and 3.3E must be filled in completely.
3. Please fill in the complete learning experience since high school in 4.2, and the diploma/degree and major in 4.2C and 4.2D must be completed.
(4) Completely fill in each address
The address of the spouse in 5.5A of the application form, and the addresses of the parents in 5.5B and 5.5C refer to the address of the current location, not the address of the place of birth. The address must be filled in completely, including street, city, state, and country.
(5) If you choose "not applicable" for any entry in the form, you need to state the reason for “not applicable”.
(6) Printing and signing. After completing the COVA online form filling, you must print out a full set of application forms, including the "Confirmation of Online Visa application" and "Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China" (depending on the individual filling situation, a total of 9 to 10 pages will be generated). All the pages of the forms must be printed to turn in, the signature and date on the Confirmation Page and the Item 9 of Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China must be handwritten by the applicant him/herself. Visa applicant under the age of 18 is signed by their guardian, and meanwhile add a handwritten signature in the "For person filling in the application on the applicant’s behalf".
Annex 2 Contents of M and F Visa Invitation Letter
(1) Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, passport number, etc.
(2) Information about the invitee’s visit to China: reason for coming to China, date of arrival and departure, place of visit, relationship with the inviting unit or inviter, who will pay for the travel, etc.
(3) Inviting party information: inviting party name, address, telephone number, official seal, legal representative or inviter’s signature, date, etc. (the information must be included in the text of the invitation letter)
Annex 3 Contents of S1, S2, Q1, Q2 Visa Invitation Letter
Inviter’s name XX, gender X, date of birth: XX, Chinese ID number XXX (or foreign passport number XX, Chinese permanent residence card number XX), current address in China is XX, contact phone number XX, email XX.
I hereby invite the following relatives to visit China for a short-term visit/long-term residence. He/She plans to go to China on XX, and stay in China for XX days.
Invitee information: name XX, gender X, date of birth XX, nationality XX, passport number XX, and the relative relationship with the inviter is XX.
Inviter's signature: Date:
