How Do I Check the Progress of My Visa? How to Calculate the Validity and Stay Period?

Checking Visa Progress

Starting from October 9, 2023, the government service platform of the National Immigration Administration (NIA) has opened the function of online appointment inquiry for visa documents of foreigners in China. Foreigners can search for “nia” on Alipay and enter the mini program of the National Immigration Administration's government service platform to check the progress of their visa documents online.

If you submit your application through the Visa Application Center, you can also contact the Visa Application Center to check the progress.

Calculation of Visa Validity and Period of Stay

Visa validity period:

Calculation: usually calculated from the date of visa issuance. For example, if the visa issuance date is January 1, 2025 and the validity period is 3 months, the visa will be valid until April 1, 2025.

Special case: the validity of some visas may be calculated from the date of entry.

Period of stay:

Calculation: For example, if the period of stay indicated on the visa is 30 days, and if the date of entry is January 1, 2025, the period of stay will be until January 31, 2025.

Note: The period of stay cannot exceed the validity period of the visa and it is illegal to stay beyond the period without applying for an extension.