If an entrepreneur would like to come to China to set up a company, which visa should they apply for?

If a foreigner wants to set up a business or open a company here, of course, it's welcome. They can apply for an F visa or M visa (business visa), or a visa for personal affairs, through the Chinese embassy or consulate. When they arrive in China, we will check the documents provided – for example, if they want to set up a business, they will need to get a business license and show this kind of evidence. We may then give them a six-month visa or even a one-year residence permit, depending on the documents provided.

If you're still in the process of starting a company when you arrive, you can apply for an extension of the original business visa. When you're finished setting up the company, normally you'll then obtain a work permit, and if you've got a work permit, usually we will issue a residence permit for one year.

What are the requirements to apply for a start-up visa or business visa?

If you are already in China and want to change your status, you can provide proof that you're opening a company, and we may change the type of visa relatively – for instance, issue a business visa for several months. If you already have a work permit we will issue a residence permit, providing that the business is legitimate.

Are there ways to change the status of your visa?

Yes! For example, if you're in China for a short stay with a business visa, but later want to open a company, we may change the status. Or, if you were a student and now you have a work permit, we can also change it. It all depends on the situation. We will issue a residence permit based on whether you're qualified and all documents are correct.

We welcome foreigners to study, work, visit or tour in China. If you can provide the relevant documents, we will issue the relevant visa or residence permit. The door is open always, but you need to provide some evidence of your reasons for being here.

If someone needs to apply for a residence permit, but they urgently need their passport to travel, what do they do?

There are a few ways to solve this issue. If you need to travel urgently, you can provide a plane ticket to prove it's urgent, and we will rush the application through. Normally it takes seven working days to issue a visa or residence permit, but in this case, we may rush to issue it in two to three days.

If you want to travel to the Chinese mainland, you can use the application receipt, which can still be used as temporary proof of stay in China, even though we have your passport.

The third way is that if necessary, you can apply to take back your passport during the application period – we will give back your passport, and after seven working days, you can come back and we will add the visa or residence permit to the passport.

When foreigners need to update their address and personal information, where do they go? And if they move, do they have to change their information?

Foreigners who are not staying in a hotel and want to register their address can go to the local police station, or register directly through the website. If you already have a residence permit and need to change your address, you can do it directly through the website.

If you move, you need to update your information – it is required by law. If you're in a hotel, they will do it for you; if you have your own apartment or are staying with a friend, you need to do it yourself.