If your permission to remain in China is approaching its expiry date, the first question is not simply how to “extend your visa”. China distinguishes between visas, stay permits and residence permits, and the procedure depends on the document you hold and why you need to remain.

For foreign nationals in Hainan, three routes may be relevant: extending an ordinary visa, obtaining a stay permit in one of the circumstances allowed under immigration rules, or extending an existing work-category residence permit.

At a glance

Your situation: You hold an ordinary visa and need additional time in China.
What to do: Apply to extend the visa.
When to act: At least 7 days before the permitted stay expires.

Your situation: You fall into one of the circumstances for a temporary stay permit.
What to do: Apply for a stay permit.
When to act: Before your existing lawful stay expires.

Your situation: You already hold a work-category residence permit and will continue working in China.
What to do: Apply to extend the residence permit.
When to act: At least 30 days before it expires.

There is one important exception to the first row. If your visa states that you must obtain a residence permit after entering China, you should not treat it as an ordinary visa-extension case. Chinese law requires the residence-permit application to be made within 30 days of entry.

If you hold an ordinary visa

A foreign national who entered China on an ordinary visa can apply for an extension where there is a continuing reason to remain.

The application must be made at least seven days before the permitted stay expires. Approval is not automatic: the exit-entry authorities consider the reason for the extension and the evidence provided. There is also a limit on how much additional time can be granted. The total extension cannot exceed the original period of stay stated on the visa.

For example, if the visa originally allowed a 30-day stay, extensions cannot add more than another 30 days in total.

Hainan’s provincial service asks for four basic categories of material: a valid passport or other international travel document, an application form, a photograph and documents supporting the reason for the application. The exact supporting evidence depends on the visa category and the reason for remaining.

The National Immigration Administration’s current guide gives further details. A business visitor holding an M visa, for example, may need a letter from the inviting or receiving organisation or individual, while other visa categories have their own supporting requirements.

Once an application has been accepted, the decision must be made within the validity of the acceptance receipt, which cannot exceed seven working days. Visa charges depend on the document issued and, in some cases, the applicant’s nationality.

If you entered Hainan visa-free

Do not assume that a stay permit is automatically the correct way to extend a visa-free visit.

Hainan’s own guidance says that foreign nationals using the province’s regional visa-free policy who need to remain longer for a legitimate reason should apply for a visa through the public security exit-entry authorities before the visa-free period expires.

The National Immigration Administration also lists visa-exempt entrants among the groups that may qualify for a stay permit in certain circumstances. The correct document therefore depends on the particular visa-free arrangement and the reason for remaining.

If you entered Hainan visa-free and need more time, confirm the appropriate route with the exit-entry authorities before your permitted stay expires rather than selecting a procedure based only on its English title.

When is a stay permit used?

A stay permit is not simply another name for a visa extension.

The National Immigration Administration lists a number of situations in which one may be issued. They include some visa-exempt foreign nationals who need to remain beyond the permitted visa-free period, foreign crew members and their accompanying family members who need to leave the port city, and people whose previous reason for residence has ended but who need to remain temporarily for humanitarian reasons.

The current national guide gives the basic application requirements as:

1. A valid passport or other international travel document.
2. A completed Foreigner Visa Application Form and a compliant photograph.
3. Evidence supporting the reason for the application.
4. Any additional material required for the particular case.

The Hainan provincial record is less detailed and refers simply to evidence relating to the reason for the stay.

Foreign-language supporting documents should be translated into Chinese. Applications are normally made in person, although national rules provide limited exceptions. Once accepted, a stay-permit application should be decided within no more than seven working days.

If you already hold a work residence permit

Foreign nationals who are already living and working in China under a work-category residence permit use the residence-permit extension procedure rather than the ordinary visa route.

The legal deadline is earlier: an application to extend a residence period must be made at least 30 days before the current residence permit expires.

For Haikou, the official work-category residence-permit procedure uses an interactive checklist that changes according to the applicant’s circumstances.

For a standard extension, the page asks for a 2-inch white-background front-facing photograph, a valid passport or other international travel document, an application letter from the employing organisation, and the Foreigner’s Work Permit or an electronic social security card carrying the work-permit information.

Additional documents may be required depending on the applicant’s circumstances. These include a health certificate for permits valid for more than one year, employer registration documents where the employer has not already filed with the exit-entry authorities, and an explanation where the applicant did not enter China on an R or Z visa.

The official online checklist adjusts the requirements to the applicant’s situation, so it is worth checking before visiting the service centre.

The Haikou procedure gives a processing time of seven working days and a statutory limit of 15 working days. National guidance likewise gives a maximum 15-working-day period for residence-permit applications once they have been accepted.

The residence-permit fees are RMB 400 for a permit valid for less than one year, RMB 800 from one year inclusive to less than three years, and RMB 1,000 from three years inclusive to five years inclusive.

Where to apply in Haikou

For the work-category residence-permit procedure, the Haikou Public Security Bureau lists:

Haikou Citizen and Visitor Center / 海口市民游客中心
Comprehensive Service Window for Talent and Engineering Construction, Unit 01-15, Area B, 1st Floor, Government Service Hall
No. 1 Binhai Park Road, Longhua District, Haikou
海口市龙华区滨海公园路1号

Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 08:30-12:00 and 14:00-17:30, excluding weekends and statutory holidays.

Consultation: 0898-12367

The Haikou procedure requires an onsite visit and collection of biometric information.

For ordinary visas and stay permits elsewhere in Hainan, the correct office will depend on where the application is being handled. Rather than travelling to the provincial address shown on the Hainan “One Thing” page without checking, call 0898-12367 first or use the National Immigration Administration’s office finder.

Find an exit-entry service office through the National Immigration Administration

Official sources

Haikou — Foreigner Residence Permit (Work Category)
Authority: Haikou Public Security Bureau
Official Haikou procedure

Hainan — Foreigner Stay and Residence “One Thing” / 外国人停居留“一件事”
Authority: Hainan Provincial Public Security Department
Official Hainan provincial service

National Immigration Administration

Visa extension, replacement and reissue service guide

Stay permit issuance, replacement and reissue service guide

Residence permit service guide