If you are a foreigner and plan to travel to China for family visit or foster care purposes, you will need a Q visa. What are the core documents required to apply for a Q visa in China? The document requirements vary slightly depending on the reason for the family visit or foster care, we have listed them below:

如果您是外国人并计划前往中国探亲或寄养事由，您需要办理Q字签证。申请中国Q字签证需要哪些核心材料呢？ 材料需求因探亲或寄养事由而略有不同，我们将它们分别列出如下：

Reason for visiting family

探亲事由

If you are coming to China to visit your family, the following are the core documents required to apply for a Q visa:

如果您来华是因为探访家人，下面是申请Q字签证所要求的核心材料：

Invitation letter: The invitation letter needs to be issued by a Chinese citizen or foreigner with permanent residence status in China. The invitation letter should contain the visitor's personal information, the reason for coming to China, the proposed date of arrival, the proposed place of stay, the proposed duration of stay, the relationship with the inviter, and the source of expenses. All these information must be listed in the invitation letter.

邀请函：邀请函需要由居住在中国境内的中国公民或者有中国永久居留资格的外国人签发。邀请函要包含 访客个人信息、来华事由、拟抵达日期、拟居留地点、拟居留期限、与邀请人的关系以及费用来源等。这些信息均需完整列明在邀请函上。

Proof of inviter: The inviter needs to provide a copy of ID card or a copy of passport and permanent residence certificate.

邀请人证明：邀请人需要提供身份证复印件或者护照及永久居留证明复印件。

Proof of kinship: Applicants need to provide proof of kinship between them and the inviter, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate, certificate of kinship issued by public security police station or notary certificate of kinship. Both original and photocopy are required.

Reasons for Foster Care

寄养事由

If applying for a Q-word visa for a child in foster care, the following core documents are required:

如果为被寄养的孩子办理，申请Q字签证需提供以下核心材料：

Power of attorney for foster care: The power of attorney for foster care must be notarized by the Chinese embassy or consulate abroad or notarized and certified by the host country.

寄养委托书：寄养委托书必须由中国驻外使领馆出具公证或者经过所在国公证认证。

Proof of trustee: The trustee must provide the original passport, copy and proof of kinship between him/her and the foster child, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate, certificate of kinship issued by public security police station or notarized certificate of kinship, etc.

委托人证明：委托人需要提供护照原件、复印件以及其与被寄养儿童的亲属关系证明，如结婚证、出生证、公安派出所出具的亲属关系证明或亲属关系公证书等。

Proof of trustee: The trustee needs to provide a letter of consent to accept the foster care and a copy of ID card.

受托人证明：受托人需要提供同意接受寄养函件及身份证复印件。

Proof of parents: If both or one of the parents of the foster child is a Chinese citizen, a copy of the certificate of the Chinese parents' settlement outside China at the time of the child's birth is also required.

父母证明：如寄养儿童的父母双方或一方为中国公民，则还需要提供儿童出生时中国籍父母在境外定居证明的复印件。

What Q1 Visa Holders Need to Know

Q1签证持有人需知

For Q1 visa holders, after entering China, the holder needs to apply for a residence permit at the Exit-Entry Administration of the public security authorities of the local people's government at or above the county level where he/she intends to stay within 30 days.

对于持有Q1签证的人而言，持证人入境中国后，需在30天内向拟居留地县级以上地方人民政府公安机关出入境管理机构申请办理居留证件。

According to the relevant provisions of the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, the Q visa is a kind of visa for foreigners residing in China and their family members to visit their relatives in China. If you have achieved the steps of document preparation, visa application submission and validity selection, please remember to keep your passport and all visa documents and follow the requirements for other imports and matters regarding residency.

根据《中华人民共和国出境入境管理法》相关规定，Q字签证是指居留在中国境内的外籍人及其家属前往中国的一种探亲签证。如果您已经实现资料准备、签证申请递交和有效期选择等步骤，请记得保管好您的护照和所有签证材料，并按照要求办理其他进口和关于居留的事宜。