China Q1 and Q2 Family Visas from the Philippines: Who Qualifies, Invitation Letters, Where to Apply and the 30-Day Residence Permit Rule

Types of China family visit visa: Q1 for long-term reunion, Q2 for visits of up to 180 days

On this page: Q1 vs Q2 visa types | who can apply | invitation letter and documents | where to apply | application process

If you are moving to China to live with family, apply for a Q1; if you are visiting family and will be back within 180 days, apply for a Q2. Both categories are defined in Article 6 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners. The text as amended by State Council Order No. 814 in 2025 is published in the State Council Gazette on gov.cn:

• Q1 visa: for family members of Chinese citizens, and of foreigners with permanent residence in China, who are entering to reside for family reunion, and for people entering to reside for foster care or similar reasons. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) consular service defines "family members" as spouses, parents, children, children's spouses, siblings, grandparents on either side, grandchildren on either side, and parents-in-law.
• Q2 visa: for relatives of Chinese citizens living in China, and of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence, who are entering for a short family visit. The MFA page describes this as a short-term visit of no more than 180 days.

Both categories turn on the person being visited. That person must be a Chinese citizen living in China or a foreigner holding Chinese permanent residence. If you are visiting a foreigner who lives in China on an ordinary work or study residence permit, the matching visa is S1 (long-term) or S2 (short-term) for private affairs, not a Q visa. The Chinese Consulate General in Cebu lists S1 as a long-term family visit of more than 180 days and S2 as a short-term visit of up to 180 days for family members of such foreigners.

How long you can stay on a Q2 depends on the duration printed on the visa. Article 14 of the Regulations says that an extension of stay granted by a public security exit-entry authority applies only to that entry, does not change the number of entries or the visa's validity, and cannot add up to more than the duration originally printed on the visa; you must also keep to the original purpose of the visa. A Q2 is therefore not a way to get in first and sort out a long stay later. If you plan to live in China, prepare a Q1 from the start. Validity, duration of stay and number of entries are decided by the consular officer case by case, as the Chinese Embassy in Manila states, so ignore any fixed number you see repeated online.

How the Q categories compare with the L tourist visa, and what the total cost of a Chinese visa in the Philippines is made up of, is covered in Chinese visa types and costs from the Philippines. This article covers only Q1 and Q2: who can apply, what the invitation letter needs, where to file, and what a Q1 holder must do after arrival.

Who can apply for a China family visit visa from the Philippines: Philippine passport holders, foreign residents and children of Chinese-Filipino families

Philippine passport holders can apply directly; anyone else must show lawful stay or residence in the Philippines. The Cebu consulate's page on the latest visa requirements for foreigners (updated April 2026) lists proof of lawful stay or residence in the Philippines, plus copies of the Philippine visa and entry stamp in the passport, among the basic documents. It adds that third-country nationals who are only visiting the Philippines temporarily should get their Chinese visa in their own country, and the consulate will not accept their applications. In Manila, follow the current requirements of the embassy and the visa application center.

The most common applicants:

• Filipino spouses of Chinese citizens. This is the classic Q1 or Q2 case, and the marriage certificate is the key proof of relationship. For where the marriage was registered and how a Philippine marriage certificate is recognized in China, see getting a Philippine marriage certificate recognized in China and documents for a Chinese-Filipino marriage.
• Former Chinese citizens who have become Filipino. The Cebu consulate requires anyone who previously held Chinese nationality and is applying for a Chinese visa for the first time since acquiring foreign nationality to upload and submit the original Chinese passport. Its additional requirements also say that ethnic Chinese foreign nationals born in China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) must provide the original old passport and a copy of the bio page on their first application. For the legal consequences of a change of nationality, see what happens when you enter China on a Philippine passport. Anyone who still holds a valid Chinese passport does not need a Chinese visa at all.
• Children under 18. The Cebu consulate asks for a copy of the birth certificate showing both parents (the original on a first application), copies of the parents' passports, a travel consent letter from any parent not travelling, and, where one or both parents hold non-Philippine passports, the original and a copy of a valid visa showing lawful residence, work or study in the Philippines. A child of a Chinese-Filipino marriage applying for the first time must also provide a copy of the residence or visa document the Chinese parent held in the Philippines when the child was born. Minors must be accompanied by a guardian. For which passport a child should travel on, see which passport a Chinese-Filipino child should use; for a foreign child's own status in the Philippines, see the Philippines 13C visa.

Whether Philippine passport holders can make a short family visit to China visa-free or under a transit exemption is a question for the current notices of the Chinese embassy and China's immigration authorities; this article assumes a visa is needed. Visa-free arrangements cover short stays. To live in China with family, the Regulations require a family-reunion residence permit, which brings you back to the Q1.

Invitation letter and proof of relationship for Q1 and Q2: what to include, originals or copies

The invitation letter comes from a Chinese citizen or Chinese permanent resident living in China, and a missing detail can trigger a request for more documents; a Q1 also requires proof of relationship. The MFA's explanation of Q1 and Q2 visas, published on 6 May 2026, spells out what the letter must contain. The Q1 document list of the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Manila, dated 24 August 2026, adds a few points, marked in the table:

The Q2 column follows the MFA explanation; whether the Manila visa center's Q2 list adds the same requirements is whatever its current page says.

Note the difference: a Q1 letter states the intended place and length of residence, while a Q2 letter states arrival and departure dates and places to visit. Reusing a Q2-style letter for a Q1 application is a common reason for being asked to resubmit.

Inviter's ID. Both visas need a copy of the inviter's Chinese ID card, or, if the inviter is a foreigner, a copy of the passport and permanent residence card. On front-and-back copies, the Manila Q1 list asks for both sides of the Chinese ID card, while the Cebu consulate's page asks for "the inviter's Chinese ID, or foreign passport and permanent residence card, front and back." Copying both sides covers either office.

Proof of relationship. For a Q1, the MFA requires originals and copies of documents proving the family relationship between applicant and inviter, such as a marriage certificate, birth certificate, a kinship certificate issued by a Chinese police station, or a notarized kinship certificate. The Cebu consulate's Q2 entry lists only the invitation letter and the inviter's ID, but the same page states generally that proof of family relationship means a marriage certificate, birth certificate, police-station kinship certificate or notarized kinship certificate. Prepare a Q2 file according to the current checklist of the office where you apply. Whether Philippine-issued birth or marriage certificates need an apostille or a translation depends on that office's current requirements; for how apostille works, see the apostille process.

Foster care. For a Q1 based on foster care, the MFA lists a foster care entrustment notarized by a Chinese embassy or consulate, or an entrustment letter notarized and authenticated by the host country or China; the entrusting party's passport and proof of relationship to the child; the caretaker's letter of consent and ID copy; and, where one or both of the child's parents are Chinese citizens, a copy of proof that the Chinese parent was settled abroad when the child was born. The official pages word this slightly differently: the Chinese-language Manila Q1 list and the Cebu consulate's page (in Chinese) ask for a notarized and authenticated foster care power of attorney, while the English Manila Q1 list accepts either a foster care notarization issued by a Chinese embassy or consulate or a power of attorney notarized and authenticated in the country of residence or in China, and asks for the parents' or guardians' relationship certificate to be notarized and authenticated. Prepare to the current list of the office where you apply. First establish whether the child holds Chinese nationality, which would call for a travel document rather than a visa; see registering a Philippine-born child in China.

First-time applicants: Manila and Cebu say different things. The Cebu consulate's page asks first-time L, M and Q1 applicants to provide, as their circumstances allow, bank certificates for the last 6 months, a BIR-stamped income tax return, a certificate of employment, business registration and similar proof, and notes that these do not need to be submitted on paper. Children, students and homemakers may use a parent's or spouse's documents with proof of relationship. The Chinese-language Manila Q1 list, by contrast, marks a bank certificate covering the last 6 months, with the bank's receipt for issuing it, as mandatory, lists the tax return with a certificate of employment, business registration, or a Professional ID or student ID as optional depending on your situation, and says the section does not apply to former Chinese citizens or minors. The English Manila Q1 list has no first-time section at all. If you apply in Manila, prepare to the Chinese-language list and follow what the counter asks for on the day.

For a Q1-only checklist broken down by family relationship, see China Q1 visa documents in the Philippines. For Q2 only — how to word the invitation letter and whether proof of relationship is needed — see China Q2 visa documents from the Philippines.

Where to apply in the Philippines: the visa center in Manila, online first and then the consulate in Cebu

Ordinary passport holders in the Manila area apply through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Manila; in the Cebu consulate's district, you apply online and then take your passport to the consulate. Both now use online forms and document uploads.

Manila. The Chinese Embassy's notice of 19 January 2024 says that from 29 January 2024, ordinary passport holders apply through the Manila visa application center, and the embassy no longer accepts their applications directly. The notice gives the center's address as 6th Floor, Noble Square, 6762 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, and its website as www.visaforchina.cn; the Manila center's current pages are in English and Chinese. It also says the center only receives applications and plays no part in the decision; the embassy's consular officers decide whether to issue a visa and set its validity, duration of stay and number of entries; officers may ask for more documents or an interview; and, apart from the center, the embassy has not authorized any other organization or individual to accept visa applications. A further notice of 29 September 2025 announced online processing from 13 October 2025, with forms completed and documents uploaded through the visa center's website; the old section address given in that notice no longer opens, so use the current pages above. According to the center's online application user guide (in Chinese, dated 24 August 2026), the Manila sequence is: fill in the form and upload documents online, wait for the online review to pass and print the Visa Application Certificate, then go to the center during working hours without an appointment to submit your passport and documents and pay on the spot, and finally collect the visa with the pick-up slip issued at submission. The steps are set out in the next section. Check the center's website for current service charges.

Cebu. The following is the process on the Cebu consulate's latest visa requirements page (updated April 2026) (in Chinese). It applies only to that consular district and is not how Manila works. You register an account with an email address on the China Online Visa Application system, choose "Cebu," fill in the form, upload documents and wait for the initial review. Once the status changes to "awaiting passport submission," print the barcoded application form and have the applicant, or someone assisting, take the original passport and the required hard-copy documents to the consulate. The page warns that if you do not submit within 30 days of that status change, the system cancels the application and you must start again online, and it strongly recommends applying online at least two weeks ahead. In Cebu you pay at a designated bank after submitting, following the payment instructions, which is another difference from paying at the Manila visa center.

Other areas. China has other consulates in the Philippines, each covering its own district according to where the applicant lives, and filing at the wrong one means starting over. For how to find your district, see where to file a Chinese visa application in the Philippines; for general tips on dealing with embassies in Manila, see the Manila embassies and consulates guide.

Yixing is a private consultancy registered in the Philippines. We are not a visa acceptance agency and have no role in decisions. We can check your invitation letter, organize relationship documents and the order of authentications, fill in the online form, and accompany you when you submit. Whether a visa is issued, and for how long, is for the Chinese embassy or consulate to decide.

The invitation letter is in China, the marriage certificate is in the Philippines and the child's birth certificate is not yet authenticated; if the three do not line up, the file comes back. Send Yixing your family's situation and get your Q1 or Q2 file checked first →

China family visit visa application process: Manila visa center and Cebu consulate compared

The Manila visa center and the Cebu consulate handle submission, payment and collection differently, so follow the steps for your own district and do not mix them. On fingerprints, the Manila visa center says applicants exempt from fingerprinting may have someone else submit for them, while all others give fingerprints in person at the center; Q1 applicants should plan to attend in person.

Manila (Chinese Visa Application Service Center). The steps below follow the center's online application user guide and FAQ (both in Chinese):

1. Fill in the form and upload online. Select Manila on the visa center website, register, log in and start a new form from your personal center, in Chinese or English. Documents can be uploaded only as images, not PDFs, and the system only accepts travel within the next 90 days. After submitting, click submit again on the fee confirmation page, or the status stays at "pending payment."
2. Wait for the online review. If more documents or changes are needed, the status shows "Rejected," and the file is reviewed again after you fix it. When it passes, the status shows "completed"; print the Visa Application Certificate attached to the email. Passing the online review does not mean the visa is approved.
3. Submit and pay at the center. No appointment is needed; go during working hours, with regular submissions accepted from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bring the certificate, your original passport and a copy of its first page, the photo, the signed application form, your former Chinese passport if you once held Chinese nationality and are applying for the first time, any previous Chinese visas, and other supporting documents. You pay when you submit, and the guide says only cash is currently accepted.
4. Fingerprints. The center's FAQ says applicants exempt from fingerprinting may have someone else submit for them, while all other applicants must submit in person at the center, where their photo is taken and fingerprints collected. The guide adds that if the embassy decides fingerprints are needed, the center will ask the applicant to come in person, and if someone else gives fingerprints in the applicant's place, the applicant will be refused entry to China. The Manila pages do not list who is exempt; follow what the embassy and visa center currently publish.
5. Collect. Bring the pick-up slip issued at submission between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.; regular applications are ready on the 4th working day. Check the visa details at the counter.

Cebu (Chinese Consulate General). The steps below follow the consulate's page as updated in April 2026 (in Chinese) and apply only to the Cebu district:

1. Online submission. Fill in the form, upload documents and submit for initial review. One account can file for several people, with one order and one number per person. If the status shows that more documents or corrections are required, supply them as instructed.
2. In-person submission. When the status reads "awaiting passport submission," bring a printed screenshot of that page, the original passport and the required hard copies. The consulate reviews them again and may contact you by email or phone for more documents or an interview.
3. Fingerprints. The page states that Chinese visa offices abroad exempt all applicants for short-term visas with a stay of 180 days or less from fingerprinting, while applicants for visas that require a residence permit after entry, such as D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z, still give fingerprints as required. If the consulate decides fingerprints are needed, it will ask the applicant to come in; fingerprints must be given in person, and anyone found impersonating an applicant will be refused entry to China. On that page's wording a Q2, as a short-term visa, is exempt; this is the Cebu consulate's statement, and applicants in Manila should follow the visa center.
4. Payment and collection. After submission you receive a pick-up slip and payment instructions, pay at the designated bank and keep the receipt. When the status reads "ready for collection," collect the visa with the pick-up slip and the original bank receipt. If the application is refused, collect the returned passport.

Timing. The Manila visa center's FAQ says an application generally takes 4 working days once the documents are in order, and its guide says express and urgent service are not selected by default at the online review stage; contact the center if you need them. The Cebu page says the online initial review depends on application volume, and the second review runs from the day the passport is submitted, with regular service ready for collection on the 4th working day. If the consular officer needs to verify something, processing takes longer, even if an express fee was paid. The Cebu page also says express and rush service are not available for first-time visitors to China or for F, M, X1, X2 and Z visas, and the Chinese Embassy's visa page (in Chinese) likewise says first-time applicants cannot use express or urgent service. A Filipino spouse or child going to China for the first time should therefore allow plenty of time and not book flights before applying. Fees are whatever the embassy or consulate currently publishes; we do not list figures here, and the cost structure is covered in the Chinese visa cost guide.

Documents must be genuine. The Manila Q1 list says falsified or incomplete documents will be rejected, and the first item in the Cebu page's list of precautions says the consulate verifies documents through various channels, and forged or incomplete documents will be refused and will affect future applications. If the invitation letter, the relationship documents or your Philippine status papers do not match, fix them before filing rather than hoping nobody notices.

This section is the skeleton of the two filing routes. For a category-by-category walkthrough of documents and steps, see China Q1 visa documents in the Philippines and China Q2 visa documents from the Philippines.

After entering China on a Q1: apply for a family-reunion residence permit within 30 days

A Q1 holder must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entry at the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau, at county level or above, where they plan to live. That requirement is stated in the MFA's Q1 and Q2 explanation. What lets you live in China long-term is the residence permit, not the Q1 visa itself. Three articles of the Regulations apply:

• Article 9: where a residence permit is required after entry, the visa authority must note on the visa the time limit for applying. Check that field on your visa as soon as you arrive.
• Article 15: family-reunion residence permits are issued to family members of Chinese citizens, and of foreigners with Chinese permanent residence, who need to reside in China for family reunion, and to people who need to reside in China for foster care or similar reasons.
• Article 16: applicants submit a passport, photos and supporting documents, apply in person at the exit-entry administration where they will reside, and give fingerprints and other biometrics. For family reunion, proof of the family relationship and related documents are required. Anyone applying for a residence permit valid for 1 year or more must submit a health certificate, which is valid for 6 months from the date it is issued.

In practice, take the original marriage and birth certificates you obtained in the Philippines, together with any authentications and translations already done, rather than only the photocopies used for the visa. After arrival, ask the local exit-entry administration about its own document list and appointment system as soon as possible, since local practice can differ; follow what the local office tells you.

For Q2 holders. A Q2 holder stays for the duration printed on the visa. Any extension applies only to that entry and cannot total more than the original duration (Article 14). Article 10 allows a visa to be reissued where the purpose of stay may be changed "in accordance with state provisions" and in certain other cases; whether that applies to you is for the local exit-entry administration to say, so ask well before your stay runs out.

Household registration (hukou) is a record for Chinese citizens; a foreign spouse's long-term stay runs through the visa and residence permit. If the Chinese spouse needs to check their own registration status, see checking your Chinese household registration from abroad. Before a family moves from the Philippines to China, the children's Philippine status and exit formalities also need to be wrapped up.

A Q1 only gets you in; the residence permit you obtain within 30 days is what lets you stay. Let Yixing put together the relationship documents you need to take to China →

If you need help preparing documents on the Philippine side, contact us through our visa and residency service. Visas and residence permits are decided by the Chinese embassy or consulates and the Chinese public security authorities respectively, and we do not promise outcomes.