Doing Business in China For Dummies®

Getting the Necessary Documents and Vaccines

This section goes through the permissions, paperwork, and other preparation you need to take care of before you head to China.

Passport

You need a valid passport to travel to China. Go to your government’s Web site for details on the application process. The process can take up to two months, but you can generally expedite the process by paying an additional fee.

If you already have a passport, it must be valid for six months prior to the expiration of your visa for a single-entry visa (see the upcoming “Visa” section). For a double- or multiple-entry visa, you need your passport to be good for at least nine months before the expiration of your visa. The Chinese embassy or consulate won’t issue you an entry visa if your passport doesn’t meet the requirements. The passport also needs to have at least one blank page.

Business invitation to China

As a business visitor, you require a formal, paper invitation from Chinese business contacts saying that you’ll be visiting China for business purposes. You can ask your Chinese host to fax you a letter of invitation. You must include this letter when you apply for your China business visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate. Your invitation letter should be from a company or organization based in China. (For a sample letter, go to www.visarite.com/bizinvitation.htm.)

Alternatively, if you don’t have contacts in China yet, you can submit a business letter addressed to the Consulate General with ...