How to... get an invitation letter for a business visa

If your company needs to invite personnel from abroad for short business missions in China, they will have to apply for an invitation letter for the person to come to make sure he or she can get an F visa. For stays under 30 days of duration, and with only one single entry to China, an informal invitation letter is usually sufficient. For longer stays, companies are advised to get an official invitation letter from the local Bureau of Commerce.

The corresponding authority in Beijing is the:

Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce
Service Hall on the first floor, Counter 11,
190 Chaoyangmennei Daijie, Dongcheng District, Beijng
post code:100010
Tel: 010-6522 1696, 010-6523 6688 ext. 2165
Fee: 400 RMB

You can download the application form for invitation letters online at http://eservice.beijing.gov.cn/ (only in Chinese).

After entering details online (the status of the application can be tracked online), pick up your invitation confirmation at the Bureau of Commerce.

Required documents are:

• Print-out of the online application with company stamp and signature of the CEO
• Copy of the applicant’s passport (personal information and any previous Chinese visas)
• Copy of the inviting company’s business license
• Explanation of the reason for traveling to China with a company stamp: detailed company information and travel itinerary (further supporting documents, such as a project plan, contracts, or information about exhibitions to be visited, etc. are preferable)
• Further documents that the Bureau might require to process the application

The final result should look something like this:

invitation letter picture:

If you have a look at the top of the letter it clearly states at which embassy or consulate the applicant should apply for his visa. If you want to apply in Hong Kong, you will need the appropriate invitation letter saying you should apply there!

Please note it's currently pretty difficult to obtain F visa even if a company manages to get an invitation letter from the Bureau of Commerce! Some companies can only issue letters to GMs from abroad, some none at all. Make sure you think about alternative options in case the employee's application is rejected.