KUALA LUMPUR: In conjunction with the China-Malaysia Cultural and Tourism Year and Visit Malaysia 2020, Malaysians will get to stay longer in China and enter the country more times.

According to the Chinese Embassy, it will facilitate the application of visa to China in terms of “the number of entries and period of validity”.

The conditions, which enable Malaysians to stay for up to three years, are effective today.

Previously, Malaysians could only stay for six months on a multiple-entry tourist visa.

Besides the standard things such as passport, visa application form and photos, the embassy said applicants could now apply for visa with various lengths of validity by attaching the required documents.

The embassy issued a statement here yesterday detailing the conditions and lengths of stay of the different visas.

Tourists visiting via cruise would need to submit the itinerary issued by the cruise company for a three-month L- Visa, it said.

“Others can apply for a one-year multiple-entry L-Visa by submitting a detailed travel itinerary and corresponding irrevocable flight tickets, hotel bookings and photocopies of previous Chinese visas and records of travel to China, ” it added.

There is the M-Visa meant for visitors on commercial and trade activities, allowing Malaysians to be in China for between six months and three years based on their previous visas and entry records to China.

They are:

> M-Visa of six months to a year – for those who have been issued a Chinese visa within two years and have a record of going to China;

> M-Visa of two years – for those with multiple visas to China or have made three or more trips to China within two years; and

> M-Visa of three years – for those who have held multiple visas for two years within a five-year period; or those who have held two or more visas for a year; or those with records of five or more visits to China within two years.

Applicants need to submit documents on the commercial activity issued by a trade partner in China.

They can also show the trade fair invitation or other invitation letters issued by a relevant entity or individual and photocopies of previous Chinese visas and records of travelling to China.

For those who wish to visit their relatives who are citizens and foreigners with permanent residence status in China, the Q2-Visa will allow them to stay for up to 180 days.

The Q2-Visa is also for:

> Those who have been issued a Chinese visa within two years and have a record of going to China – visa valid from six months to two years; and

> Those who have held multiple visas to China for two years or have held two or more visas for more than a year – visa valid for three to five years.

To apply, one needs to submit an invitation letter issued by a Chinese citizen or a foreign citizen living in China with a permanent residence permit, photocopies of Chinese ID or foreign passport and permanent residence permit of the inviting individual, and photocopies of previous Chinese visas and previous records of travelling to China.

The S2-Visa is for those visiting their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China, or those intending to go to China for private matters – visa valid for up to 180 days.

Among the papers needed are photocopies of an invitation letter issued by the inviting individual and their relationship certificate.

For visits of other purposes such as medical treatment, inheritance, litigation or having properties in the mainland, applicants can also go for the S2-Visa (six months to three years) based on their previous visas and entry records to China.

For further information, go to the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Malaysia at https://www.visaforchina.org/KUL_EN/

Source : thestar.com.my