China's first e-visa issued in Shanghai

The first electronic visa (e-Visa) was issued in Shanghai in July this year. This means that China is finally officially introducing an electronic visa issuance system.

The e-Visa will be available for the following categories - tourist, business, work, talent and personal visa. The e-Visa to China is a single-entry visa and is valid for 15 days from the date of receipt, and holders can stay in Shanghai for a maximum of 30 days. The e-Visa holder can enter through any of Shanghai's checkpoints and leave the country through any checkpoint in China.

It is known that in order to optimize the visa system, improve the efficiency and quality of service, the State Administration of Immigration decided to use the Lingang district of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone as a pilot site for the introduction of e-visas. Now, e-visas can be obtained by foreigners who come to the zone at the invitation of local enterprises.

The first holder of an e-visa to China, issued by the China Entry-Exit Office of the Shanghai Public Security Administration, was a Singaporean citizen. He arrived at Pudong International Airport and became the first foreigner to enter China with an e-visa after successfully passing through border and customs control.

The electronic visa, or e-Visa, is the digital equivalent of the traditional paper visa. The main difference is that the visa information is stored in an electronic format and is provided to the applicant in the form of an electronic document that must be presented upon entry into the country. The convenience of e-Visa is that for its issuance it is not necessary to visit a consulate or embassy, it is enough to upload all the necessary information in a convenient online system and receive confirmation by e-mail.

It is safe to say that this step was an important stage in the digitalization of China's visa system. This makes China more accessible and attractive for foreign tourists, businessmen and skilled professionals.

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