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Internship Visa for China

Since September 2013 the Chinese visa offices in Germany no longer issue internship visas. Since March 18, 2014 the general consulate in Frankfurt which until now followed its own policy no longer grants corresponding requests either.

Students or other people who wish to complete an internship in a Chinese company or in a Chinese branch office of a foreign company are now forced to apply for a work visa (Z visa). For this the internship company must apply for a corresponding work permit with the appropriate ministry in Peking, the original of which must accompany the visa application. Because a whole series of documents must be submitted for the application process, this new regulation will probably lead to many companies active in China cutting back on their internship programs.

There is however a loophole: Upon presentation of a corresponding invitation, a 90 day visa can be applied for, that can also be extended in China for the same length of time. The visa type would then be a business visa (M) or a culture visa (F). If the extension is successful, then another de facto 180 day stay would be possible on the grounds of a business invitation. The invitation however may not include the term “internship”, because then the visa office is obliged to require presentation of a work permit. 

1a Visum Service oHG
Sprengelstraße 22
13353 Berlin
info@china-visum-express.com
www.china-visum-express.com