Visa and Insurance

Visas for China

All students of the Hutong School normally enter China on an F (business) or L (tourist) visa. To obtain such a visa is the student's responsibility, but the Hutong School will assist you during the process.

F visa

F visas are appropriate for business visits, internships and short term studies. The main difference between the F visa and the L visa is that in order to obtain the F visa, you need an invitation letter issued by a Chinese institution. The advantage of the F visa is that it may be issued for a longer period of time. The invitation letter can only be issued after the Hutong School has found a suitable company which will provide the student with an internship position. The application at the embassy usually takes 5 working days, although there is an express procedure at extra cost.

You will always need to present your passport, a passport photograph and a filled-in Visa application form to obtain a visa. The visa application form can be obtained at the embassy or from the website of the Chinese embassy in your country. In some countries you can also send all documents to the embassy by registered mail.

This is a period in which many important events are takingplace in China (Olympics, 60th Anniversary of the People's Republic, World Expo). Visa regulation thereforechangeregularly and we advise youto write to usfor the most up-to-date visa information.info@hutongschool.com.

NOTE:

There are different types of F and L visas with different length of stay and number of entries. The length of stay should be determined by the length of the internship or Chinese classes you are applying for. In some countries, the Chinese Embassy might refuse to issue long term (30 days+) visas. In such a case, you should apply for the longest possible length of stay and extend the visa in Beijing if you wish to stay longer. The extension of F and L visa is a rather simple and inexpensive process, which the Hutong School will arrange for you when necessary. We further recommend that all applicants apply for single entry visas. The reason is that the length of stay upon each entry with a multiple entry visa may be limited to 30 days, while a single entry visa may allow for a longer stay. If you would like to leave China for a short time during your internship (for the purpose of a holiday, for example), a re-entry visa can easily be requested at the Public Security Bureau in Beijing before you leave China.

Chinese visa regulations may vary according to the location of the embassy and the applicant’s nationality. Although we try to keep this page up to date, regulations may change unexpectedly. We recommend that you consult the Chinese Embassy in your country before applying for a visa. Also don't hesitate to write us to learn more details about current visa regulations: info@hutongschool.com

Insurance

In order to participate in our programs you have to buy your own travel insurance for the whole duration of your stay before program start. On any trip abroad it is of course important to make sure that you have the correct insurance and that you carry the policy number and the hotline of the insurance company with you.

Insurance has to be arranged by you in your respective home country (the Hutong School is never liable for any medical charges not covered by the student’s insurance). Beijing has many good hospitals, several of which are Foreign Expat Hospitals. There are also some Chinese Hospitals offering good service in English.