PU Letters Exemption – Condition Slightly Relaxed for China’s Entry
7th Jun 2022 – The current policy of applying for a China visa overseas (especially for Work and Family reunion purposes) has been modified. The big change compared to the policy in Sept 2021 is the exemption of PU Letter.
- PU Letters
Proof of Urgency Letters (“PU Letters”) are government-issued documents authorizing the issuance by the Chinese Embassy or consulate in the country or city of origin, of a special entry visa to foreigners who are willing to travel to China. They have been in place since March 2020 when access to China was limited only to those foreigners who had an urgent and imperative reason to enter the country (except holders of a permanent resident card).
Since last year, foreigners who hold a valid resident permit (or at least a valid work permit) were already exempted to apply for the PU letters to re-enter China, provided they had a WHO-approved Vaccination Certificate.
- Extended China Entry Visa Category
With the latest announcement, the category of exempted foreigners is now extended further to include those foreigners applying for Z (Work) and S1/S2 (Family Reunion) visas. These categories include foreigners who are travelling to China to take up new employment in the country and for whom a work permit notification has been issued (for Z visa) and their spouses and dependent children (under 18 years old) (S1/S2 visa). The exemption also applies to spouses and dependent children of work permit/resident visa holders who do not (yet) have a valid resident visa.
- Application Policy and Difficulty Level
If you are outside of China and would like to apply for a brand-new visa to enter China:
Purpose: Work
Apply for Z visa – (No Need for PU letter anymore)
(30 days Z-visa; to be converted into a long-term Working Residence Permit upon Arrival)
Key document: Notification of Foreign Work Permit (NFWP) + WHO-approved vaccination certificate
Family accompanies: Available
Difficulty level: Easy
Purpose: Family reunion
Foreigner (who is working in Shanghai)’s family member
Apply for S1 or S2 visa – (No Need for PU letter anymore)
(S1/S2; to be converted into a long-term Family Reunion Residence Permit upon arrival)
Key document: Relationship certificate + WHO-approved vaccination certificate
Difficulty level: Easy
Purpose: Economic, Trade, Scientific or Technological
Apply for M visa
Way1: PU letter (business) + WHO-approved vaccination certificate
Family accompanies: Not available
Difficulty level: Still difficult, must be a HUGE business project.
Or
Way2: Chinese vaccine certificate + valid APEC card
Family accompanies: Not available
Difficulty level: Still difficult, not many people have valid APEC card
Obviously, ordinary business visas (M visas) remain subject to PU letters and of course, student visas and tourism visas amongst others, are still not available at all.
With the respect to the current policy, it is therefore recommended to contact the embassies or consulates in the country or city of initial departure, shortly before you intend to travel to China, for: –
/Whether they are applying the updated rules for work and family reunion applications
/Pre-boarding conditions (including several PCR tests, travel route restrictions, etc.)
/Any specific application conditions
- WHO-approved vaccine
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- Moderna (mRNA-1273) COVID-19 Vaccine
- J&J COVID-19 vaccine
- Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
- Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine
- Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine
- Other access conditions remain in place
As far as the mandatory quarantine period is concerned, the general rule still applies in most cities in China: 14 days of centralized quarantine and 7 days of home quarantine. If the traveler doesn’t have a fixed address, he or she shall be subjected to 21 days of centralized quarantine.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
