According to China-Malaysia agreement on mutual visa exemption, ordinary passport holders of Malaysian citizenship who come to China for the purposes of vacation/tour, family and friends visit, business, exchange, private affairs, medical treatment and international traffic (crew members), can enter China visa-free and stay in the country for no more than 30 days. Those who do not fall into the above-listed categories still need to obtain a visa before going to China.
I Application Procedures
1. Visa applications except for Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders and Diplomatic, Service and Courtesy Visas
(1) Log on to China Online Visa Application (COVA) (https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/), fill out the visa application form, submit the required materials online. confirm and submit the application.
(2) Check the "Track the status of my application" on the website.
(3) When the application status on the web page of the COVA shows "Passport to be submitted", please submit the application in person with materials (Please see Part 2 for material requirements) to Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching and retain ten fingerprints.
*The following applicants can be exempt from fingerprint collection:
a. Applicants under the age of 14 or over 70; Diplomatic passport holders, or applicants eligible for Diplomatic, Service and Courtesy visas; Applicants who already had their fingerprints collected within the past five years at the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching with the same passport; Applicants with all fingers uncollectible; Applicants applying for single-entry or double-entry short-term visas (staying for less than 180 days) before December 31, 2025.
2. Applications by Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders and for Diplomatic, Service and Courtesy Visas, fill out the form, confirm and submit the application on the above website, then contact the Consulate-General for other requirements.
II Material Requirements except for Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders and Diplomatic, Service and Courtesy Visas
1. Passport: Original passport whose validity period is no less than six months, and blank visa pages, and a photocopy of the passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate.
2. Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship): If you don’t apply for the visa in the country of your citizenship, you are required to provide the original and photocopy of your valid certificates or visa of stay, residence, employment or student status, or other valid certificates of legal staying provided by the Sarawak authorities.
3. Photocopy of previous Chinese passports or previous Chinese visas (applicable to foreign citizens who used to be Chinese citizens and have obtained foreign citizenship): If you apply for a Chinese visa for the first time, please provide your previous Chinese passport held and a photocopy of its data page. If you have obtained Chinese visas before and want to apply for a Chinese visa with a renewed foreign passport that does not contain any Chinese visa, you should present the photocopy of the previous passport's data page and the photo page if it is separate, as well as the previous Chinese visa page. (If your name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, please provide an official document which can certify the change.)
4. In addition to the visa documents in 1 to 3 above, the following types of visa documents shall be submitted:
Visa Types | Visa Description | Required Documents |
C | Issued to foreign crew members of means of international transportation, including aircraft, trains and ships, or motor vehicle drivers engaged in cross-border transport activities, or to the accompanying family members of the crew members of the above-mentioned ships | Guarantee letter from transport company or invitation letter from entities in China |
D | Issued to those who intend to reside in China permanently. | The original and photocopy of the Confirmation Form for Foreigners Permanent Residence Status issued by the Ministry of Public Security of China. |
F | Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities. | An invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China. |
G | Issued to those who intend to transit through China. | A photocopy of an onward air (train or ship) ticket with confirmed date and seat to the destination country or region. |
J1 | Issued to resident foreign journalists of foreign news organizations stationed in China. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. | Visa Notification Letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and an official letter issued by the media organization for which the journalist works. |
J2 | Issued to foreign journalists who intend to go to China for short-term news coverage. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. | Visa Notification Letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China or other authorized units in China and an official letter issued by the media organization for which the journalist works. |
L | Issued to those who intend to go to China as a tourist.(The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 30 days.) | Documents showing the itinerary including air ticket booking record (round trip) and proof of a hotel reservation, etc. or an invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China. |
M | Issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities.(The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 30 days.) | Documents on the commercial activity issued by a trade partner in China, or trade fair invitation or other invitation letters issued by relevant entity or individual. |
Q1 | Issued to those who are family members of Chinese citizens or of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence and intend to go to China for family reunion, or to those who intend to go to China for the purpose of foster care. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. "Family members" refers to spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law.
| 1.An invitation letter issued by a Chinese citizen or a foreign citizen with a Chinese permanent residence permit who lives in China. 2.Photocopies of Chinese ID (front and back) of the inviting individual; or photocopies of the bio-page of the foreigner’s passport and the permanent residence permit (front and back). 3.Original and photocopy of certification showing the relationship of family members between applicant and inviting individual. (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate) |
Q2 | Issued to those who intend to visit their relatives who are Chinese citizens residing in China or foreigners with permanent residence in China. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 30 days and is no more than 180 days. | 1.An invitation letter issued by a Chinese citizen or a foreign citizen with a Chinese permanent residence permit who lives in China; 2.Photocopies of Chinese ID (front and back) of the inviting individual; or photocopies of the bio-page of the foreigner’s passport and the permanent residence permit (front and back). |
R | Issued to those who are high-level talents or whose skills are urgently needed in China. | Applicants shall meet relevant requirements of the related authorities of the Chinese government on high-level talents and individuals with special skills urgently needed by China and need to submit certification in accordance with relevant regulations. |
S1 | Issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners working or studying in China to whom they are spouses, parents, sons or daughters under the age of 18 or parents-in-law, or to those who intend to go to China for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. | 1.An invitation letter from the inviting individual (a foreigner who stays or resides in China for work or studies) 2.Photocopies of the inviting individual's passport bio-page and and residence permit 3. Original and photocopy of certification (marriage certificate, birth certificate, certification of kinship issued by Public Security Bureau or notarized certification of kinship) showing the relationship of immediate family members between applicants and inviting individual. *In case of other personal affairs, relevant supporting materials shall be provided upon request. |
S2 | Issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China(The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 30 days and is no more than 180 days), or to those who intend to go to China for other private matters. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. "Family members" refers to spouses, parents, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and parents-in-law. | 1.An invitation letter from the inviting individual (a foreigner who stays or resides in China for work or studies) 2.Photocopies of the inviting individual's passport bio-page, residence permit or visa. 3.Photocopy of certification (marriage certificate, birth certificate, certification of kinship issued by Public Security Bureau or notarized certification of kinship) showing the relationship of immediate family members between applicants and inviting individual. *In case of other personal affairs, relevant supporting materials shall be provided upon request. |
X1 | Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of more than 180 days. | 1.Foreign higher education institution students: A.Photocopy or the original of Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202) B.Photocopy of the Admission Letter issued by a school or other entities in China 2. Foreign elementary, junior/senior high school students: Photocopy or the original of Confirmation Form for Elementary Stage Students Study in China (For foreign elementary, junior/senior high school students who reside in China for family reunion purpose, application for X1 visa is not compulsory.) |
X2 | Issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days. | Original and photocopy of Admission Notice issued by a school or other entities in China. |
Z | Issued to those who intend to work in China. | “Notification Letter of Foreigner's Work Permit” or the original “Foreigner's Work Permit”. |
Special Reminder
1. The invitation letter may be in the form of fax, photocopy or computer printout, but the consular officer may require the applicant to submit the original of the invitation letter. The invitation letter should contain: (1)Information on the applicant (full name, gender, date of birth, etc.) (2)Information on the visit ( purpose of visit, intended arrival date, place(s) of intended residence, intended duration of residence, arrival and departure dates, relations between the applicant and the inviting entity or individual, financial source for expenditures) (3)Information on the inviting individual (name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of legal representative or the inviting individual, etc.)
2. If necessary, the consular officer may require the applicant to provide other proof documents or supplementary materials, or require an interview with the applicant.
3. If the material is in Malay only, it needs to first be translated into Chinese or English by a qualified translator (e.g. court interpreter) or agency.
4. The consular officer will decide on whether or not to issue the visa and on its validity, duration of stay and number of entries in light of specific conditions of the applicant. | ||
5. Malaysian citizens will still be able to apply for multiple entry visa with duration of stay exceeding 30 days under L, M, Q2 and S2 categories. In addition to the visa documents in 1 to 4 mentioned above, the supporting documents (e.g. photocopies of previous Chinese visas or previous records of travelling to China) for multiple entry visa are as follows:
L-Visa
(1) 3-month multiple entry L-visa: Itinerary issued by the cruise company.
(2) 1-year multiple entry L-visa: Detailed travel itinerary and corresponding irrevocable air ticket, hotel booking and photocopies of previous Chinese visas and previous records of travelling to China.
M-Visa
(1) 6-month to 1-year multiple entry M-Visa: A photocopy of previous Chinese visa within 5 years.
(2) 2-year multiple entry M-Visa: A photocopy of previous 6-month to 1-year multiple entry Chinese visa; or photocopies of previous records of travelling to China for more than 3 times within 5 years.
(3) 3-year multiple entry M-Visa: A photocopy of previous 2-year multiple entry Chinese visa within 5 years; or photocopies of previous 1-year multiple entry Chinese visa for more than 2 times within 5 years; or photocopies of previous records of travelling to China for more than 5 times within 5 years.
Q2-visa
(1) 6-month to 2-year multiple entry Q2-Visa: A photocopy of previous Chinese visa within 5 years.
(2) 3-year to 5-year multiple entry Q2-Visa: A photocopy of previous 2-year multiple entry Chinese visa; or photocopies of previous 1-year multiple entry Chinese visa for more than 2 times.
S2-Visa
For visiting family members for a short period:
Multiple entry S2-visa with a validity period not exceeding the validity period of the inviting individual's residence permit.
For private affairs such as inheritance, litigation, having real estate in China, etc.:
(1) 6-month to 1-year multiple entry S2-Visa: A photocopy of previous Chinese visa within 5 years.
(2) 2-year multiple entry S2-Visa: A photocopy of previous 6-month to 1-year multiple entry Chinese visa; or photocopies of previous records of travelling to China for more than 3 times within 5 years.
(3) 3-year multiple entry S2-Visa: A photocopy of previous 2-year multiple entry Chinese visa within 5 years; or photocopies of previous 1-year multiple entry Chinese visa for more than 2 times within 5 years; or photocopies of previous records of travelling to China for more than 5 times within 5 years.
6. ASEAN Visa
Starting from 9 June 2025, eligible Malaysian businesspersons, their spouses and children could apply for corresponding categories of multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years with a maximum stay of 180 days per visit.
III Office Hours and Contact Information
Accepting visa application: working day 9:00am-11:30am
Collection of Visa: working day 2:30pm-4:30pm
Add: Lot 276, Block 10, Jalan Ong Tiang Swee, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Tel: 0060-82-238344 (working day 9:30 am-11:30 am, 2:30 pm-4:30 pm)
WhatsApp: 0060-11-12597159 (working day 9:30 am-11:30 am, 2:30 pm-4:30 pm)
Email: kuching@csm.mfa.gov.cn