# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Visas

How Do I Change an L Visa to a Z Visa Out of China?

Of the many visas available to foreign visitors to China, the L visa--the tourist visa--is certainly the most commonly issued. Another type of Chinese visa is the Z visa, which permits you to enter China to work for a single company. If you need a Z visa, it's important to note that, as of August, 2010, it is not possible to convert an L visa to a Z visa within mainland China. Secondly, understand that the Z visa is an entry visa only--you must convert it to a Residence Permit within 30 days of your arrival.

Valid Passport
Chinese Visa Notification form
Chinese Work Permit
Chinese Foreign Experts certificate
Passport-size photos
Registration Form of Temporary Residence

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare your documents. Obtain the following from your employer: Visa Notification form, Chinese Work Permit and Chinese Foreign Experts certificate. Check your passport to make sure it has at least six months validity remaining and at least two consecutive, blank visa pages. Visit a photo studio and have two 2-inch-by-2-inch passport photos taken.
- 2
  Ask your employer to provide you with a return plane ticket home. As of August, 2010, you must leave mainland China in order to get a Z visa--and, officially, return to your home country and apply there. If your employer is legitimate, they will surely know this.
- 3
  Make an appointment with a Chinese Embassy in your home country--or contact a visa agency. Visa agencies allow you to complete the visa process via certified mail in the event you live far from a Chinese Embassy--they deliver and retrieve your documents for you.
- 4
  Gather documents required for a Residence Permit within 30 days. Register with your local Police Security Bureau within 24 hours of returning to China and obtain a pink Registration Form of Temporary Residence. Get a comprehensive medical exam. Obtain an Employment Certificate and your original Foreign Experts certificate--the Chinese Embassy returns this to your employer after it processes your visa--from your employer.
- 5
  Apply for your Residence Permit. Visit your city's Exit-Entry Bureau and submit your documents. Wait at least seven working days, at which point an official will contact your employer's immigration representative to inform her your passport is ready to pick up.