Procedure for Australian Nationals Wanting to Return to China

The China-Australia Chamber of Commerce and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce have summarized the procedure for Australian Nationals wanting to return to China. Outlined below:
 
1.申请信：Step 1. Draft an Application Letter inclusive of the following:

• 公司介绍  
  Company introduction.
   
• 个人介绍：个人的基本信息包括姓名，护照号码，性别，国籍，邮箱，电话号码，在公司的职位，具体工作职责，需要介绍你在本公司有多么的重要（比如你是项目经理，如果你不回中国，项目没有办法进行；又或者你是科技人员，研究项目等你确认等等）
  Personal introduction: Basic personal information includes name, passport number, gender, nationality, email address, phone number, company position, specific job responsibilities, and the importance of you in the company (for example, if you are the project manager, emphasising that if you do not return to China, then the project cannot be completed; or if you’re a scientist, research projects will not be able to be completed, etc.)
   
• 在中国的具体居住地址
  Residential address in China.
   
• 需要承诺以上信息均属实，且回到中国之后需遵从中国的规章制度。
  It is necessary to promise that the above information is true, and that after returning to China, you must abide by Chinese rules and regulations.
• You must provide the contact details of a native Chinese speaker. The Chinese government will contact this person directly if there are any issues with the application.  

 
** Please note all information in the application letter should be written in Chinese. 

Example application form can be found, here. 
 
2. 填写返京复工人员信息表：Step 2: Fill in the information form of Personnel Returning to Beijing. 

Information form can be found, here.
 
如果是一个家庭的话，请写在同一张信息表里面
If you are applying on behalf of a family, please put the information of all family members in the one sheet.
 
3.申请信和返京复工人员信息表完成之后可以将文件传真至以下地址

Please fax the application letter and the information sheet of the personnel returning to Beijing to one of the following addresses, once completed. Please note this must be filled out in Chinese. 

• 北京市商务局：
  Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce:
  传真号码：55579281
  Fax number: 55579281
   
• 北京市投资促进服务中心：
  Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center
  传真号码：65543161
  Fax number: 65543161

如果传真至北京市商务局，请注明“致北京市商务局”，如果传真至北京市投资促进服务中心，请在注明“致北京市投资促进服务中心”，并在申请信上面签盖公司公章。申请信里面的所有信息需要用中文写明。
If faxed to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, please mark “To Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce”; if faxed to Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center, please mark “To Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center” and affix the company seal on the application letter. 
 
4.审核步骤 Step 4: Audit procedures
 
申请信首先需经“复工复产办”审核，“复工复产办”审核完毕之后，再经“北京市外办”进行最终审核，审核通过之后，北京外办会发放邀请函，最后拿着邀请函便可入境北京。邀请函如下：
The application letter shall first be examined and approved by the “Office of Resumption of Work and Production”. After the completion of the examination and approval by the “Office of Resumption of Work and Production”, it shall be examined and approved by the “Beijing Foreign Affairs Office”. After the examination and approval, the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office will issue an invitation letter. The invitation is as follows (see image below).

All international flights cannot directly arrive at Beijing airport, but must first land at the airport near Beijing (16 cities: Huhehaote, Jinan, Chengdu, Changsha, Hefei, Lanzhou, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Qingdao, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Wuhan, Zhangzhou, Xian) and be quarantined for 21 days in hotel. After the quarantine period has ended, you are able to travel to Beijing.

请注意的是申请信需要层层审核，并不意味着提交了申请信便可以随意进入中国，请秉着真实的原则来提交申请。

Please note that the application letter needs to be reviewed at all levels, which takes time. This does not mean you can enter into China once you have submitted the application letter. Please submit your application in accordance with the principle of truth.

Step 6: 

Once the approval letter has been received, you will need to submit this to the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. We are in conversation with the Chinese Embassy in Canberra regarding the next stages of the process and we will be providing further updates. 

Before submitting the documents outlined below, it is suggested that you first call the District Industry Competent Authority, outlining that you have prepared the relevant materials. Once they are satisfied with the documents, they will allow you to send the hard copies to them to process. 

Step 1: Original official letter from the inviting company to the District Industry Competent Authority (explaining the urgency and importance of the visit; Information about the invitee, including name, nationality, passport number, etc.). This must be written in Chinese. You must also provide the contact details of a native Chinese speaker. The Chinese government will contact this person directly if there are any issues with the application.  

Example application form can be found, here. 

Step 2: Copy of passport page with the photo of the invitee.

Step 3: Specific schedule outlining when you will arrive in Shanghai, and detail other cities (if applicable) you will travel to once you complete quarantine.  

Step 4: Information Sheet, found here. Please note this is only for Huangpu district. Different districts will have different regulations. 

Step 5: Original copy of the Letter of Guarantee, found here.

Step 1: Draft a Special Visa Application Statement for Foreigners during COVID-19 in 2020, the Application Description should include the company profile, relevant information about the foreign senior executive, and the necessity for the senior executive to come to China. This must be written in Chinese. You must provide the contact details of a native Chinese speaker. The Chinese government will contact this person directly if there are any issues with the application.  

Example application form can be found, here.  

Step 2: Personnel management plan — Post-entry management of foreign nationals (from affected countries) during COVID-19 in 2020, i.e. People Management Programme (for reference only). The plan must detail what preventative measures the company is doing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 once the foreign national has returned. This must be written in Chinese. 

Example personnel management plan can be found here. 

Step 3: Fill out and sign the Information Letter for Invitee With Relevant Epidemic Prevention Measures in Guangdong Province, found here. 

Step 4. Copy of business license, with official stamp.

Step 5: Before submitting the documents outlined above, it is suggested that you first call the District Industry Competent Authority, outlining that you have prepared the relevant materials. Once they are satisfied with the documents, they will allow you to send the hard copies to them to process. 

The contact details of the local Foreign Affairs office for SHANGHAI can be found here. 

The contact details of the local Foreign Affairs office for GUANGDONG can be found here.