A visa invitation letter is a certification document provided by the inviting entity or individual in China when an expat applies for a visa to visit the country.

Applicants:

The invitee:
Foreign nationals who need to come to China to engage in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education, sports, etc.

The inviter:
Government departments, units and enterprises registered with local market regulation administration, individuals, etc.

Reviewing and issuing units:
The Foreign Affairs Office of Hunan Provincial People's Government, the Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, or foreign affairs offices of the people's governments of cities and prefecture in Hunan

Application Process

1. Online Registration. The inviter shall register on this website  and fill in the relevant information accurately.

2. Review and Approve. The inviter uploads relevant documents required for the invitation (see the list for details) to the system for review. The reviewing and issuing unit shall verify the uploaded materials. If the information is incomplete or filled out incorrectly, etc., the inviter will be notified.

3. Download. The reviewing unit will issue an "invitation letter" according to relevant requirements. The results of the review are directly fed back to the inviter in the registration system in the form of an electronic version, and the invitation letter can be downloaded and printed.

4. Offline Application. Please submit materials to each reviewing and issuing unit.

Application Materials

Documents Needed

Basic Materials

(1) Official Letter of Application. If the applicant is a legal entity, it must be written on the unit's letterhead paper, signed by the person in charge, and stamped with the official seal. The content shall include: basic information of the inviting unit and the invited foreigner, the purpose of the visit to China, the relationship between the two parties, and the source of expenses, etc.

(2) Application Form for Inviting Foreigners to China (Generated after filling in the information online; for offline applications, please refer to Attachment 1).

(3) Brief introduction of the applicant unit (Not required for individual applicants).

(4) Authorization and commitment letter (Refer to Attachment 2; not required for individual applicants).

(5) Scanned copy of the passport information page of the invited foreigner.

Notes:

If the invited foreigner applies for a visa to come to China from a country other than their nationality, they need to provide a residence permit from the country of residence and its Chinese or English translation.

If the invited foreigner is entering China for the first time, they need to provide a certificate of no criminal record from their country of origin.

Other Materials

For Business Visas (Type M)

(1) Qualification Certificate of the Inviting Unit (including a copy of the business license or organization code certificate, tax payment records, a copy of the Foreign Trade Operator Registration Form, etc.);
(2) Employment Certificate issued by the unit of the invited foreigner and its Chinese or English Translation;
(3) Proof of Business Relationship (including contracts, import and export documents, customs import and export bills of lading, letters of credit, emails, letters, etc.);
(4) Schedule in China; and,
(5) Other materials.

For Visit Visas (Type F)
(1) Employment Certificate issued by the unit of the invited foreigner and its Chinese or English Translation;
(2) Proof of Relationship. (For those engaged in exchanges, visits, inspections, training, and other activities, relevant cooperation and exchange project documents are required); and,
(3) Other materials.

For Short-term Residence and Stay Visas (Type Q)

(1) For foreigners coming to China for private affairs such as visiting relatives, getting married, and inheriting property, a copy of the household register, ID card, or passport of the inviter should be provided and signed by the inviter;

(2) Proof of Relationship. (such as marriage certificate, birth certificate, kinship certificate, correspondence, letters, emails, etc.); and,

(3) Other materials.

Fee standards: free of charge

Handling time:
Online system: around the clock
Offline service window: 8:00-12:00; 14:30-17:30 (15:00-18:00 in summer); working days

Contact information of the handling units

Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of CPC Hunan Provincial Committee
Address: Hunan Foreign Affairs Comprehensive Service Hall (3rd Floor, Xianghui Building, No.12, Shaoshan North Road, Furong District, Changsha City)
Tel: 0731-81122446

Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce
Tel: 0731-82287214

Contact information of the foreign affairs offices of the people's governments of 13 cities and 1 prefecture in Hunan is as follows:

Changsha: 0731-88665509
Hengyang: 0734-8853375
Zhuzhou: 0731-28682067
Xiangtan: 0731-58583008
Shaoyang: 0739-5453903
Yueyang: 0730-8889439
Changde: 0736-7786220
Zhangjiajie: 0744-8222165
Yiyang: 0737-4220798
Chenzhou: 0735-2871208
Yongzhou: 0746-8359956
Huaihua: 0745-2779007
Loudi: 0738-8238833
Xiangxi Tujia & Miao Autonomous Prefecture: 0743-8238903

Attachment 1: Application Form for Inviting Foreigners to China. 

Attachment 2: Authorization and Commitment Letter

Chinese source: the official website of the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of CPC Hunan Provincial Committee