The State Council approved Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport and Pingtan Aoqian Port to establish port visa agencies recently, which means international passengers are able to get visas upon arrival.
Visa-upon-arrival, granted at a port of entry, is distinct from not requiring a visa at all, as the visitor must obtain the visa before they can pass through immigration. According to related policies, those who arrive in Jinjiang at the invitation of a Chinese host for an emergency issue without applying for a visa ahead of time can hand in paperwork at the airport's port visa agency, where they can get a visa upon arrival.
For the convenience of foreigners in need of urgent travel to China, port visa agencies have been established at several of the country's major ports by the Ministry of Public Security. Large cities in China like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou all have visa-upon-arrival services, and Fujian's Fuzhou Changle International Airport and Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport have also received approval to offer visas.
The approval for establishing a port visa agency in Jinjiang is real recognition of the city's growth over the past few years. Before, foreigners needed to get visas from a Chinese Embassy ahead of time, or go to cities where they could get a visa upon arrival first and then travel to Jinjiang. The increased convenience for foreigners to enter Jinjiang is expected to have positive impact in Jinjiang's open development process.
