Visas The Local Organising Committee has been able to negotiate

Visas
The Local Organising Committee has been able to negotiate with the Chinese Government
privileged visa arrangements for athletes and officials attending the IAAF World Championships.
Applicants are advised to follow specific guidelines which are detailed here following.
General
Australian passport holders are required to have entry visas to travel to China. All Chinese Embassies
& Consulates throughout the world will be informed of the special facilitated visa procedure for
participants, and will accept the application upon presentation of the Visa Invitation Letter issued by the
LOC and of the Visa Application Form, regardless of the applicants’ citizenship.
However, we recommend that you get the visa in your passport before you leave Australia if it is at all
possible.
Athletics Australia can now make requests to the LOC for the Invitation letter. To guarantee sufficient time
for visa processing, application documents should be submitted to Embassies and Consulates no later
than 22 July 2015. For this purpose the LOC has accepted to issue Invitation l etters for a longlist of
applicants which may therefore include all potential participants.
What you need to provide to Athletics Australia so we can apply for the Visa Invitation Letter from the LOC
Each applicant must provide a colour copy of their passport. Additionally, if you have previous Chinese
visa’s in your passport, a copy of these pages must also be provided. These should be emailed to
Nathan.sims@athletics.org.au
On a fortnightly basis (on a Friday) up until 3rd July, Athletics Australia will send lists to the LOC requesting
Visa Invitation Letter’s for athletes, coaches and support staff that have provided colour copies of their
passport within that previous fortnight.
If all documents are correct, and subject to IAAF approval, the LOC will process the request and send
the Visa Invitation Letter to Athletics Australia via email. Processing of requests will take between two and
three weeks.
Upon receipt of the Visa Invitation Letter (in pdf format) Athletics Australia will send you it by email. The
Visa Invitation Letter will contain the names of multiple applicants and you will be able to print a copy.
How to apply for the Visa at the Embassy or Consulate
Applications can be made at any Chinese Embassy or Consulate around the world, however in Australia
you must use the visa application centre. Visa applications are normally processed in five working days.
Applications can be made for either Multiple or Single Entry visas. The longest validity of both can be six
Months while the longest stay can be for 180 days. The Embassy or Consulate will issue the Visa based
upon your real needs.
Information on where to apply for your visa in Australia can be found below:
http://au.china-embassy.org/eng/ls/vfc/t1038761.htm
The following documents must be submitted by the applicant to the Embassy or Consulate:
LOC Invitation Letter
Original Passport & copy of the photo page and any previous Chinese visa’s
Completed Visa Application Form of People’s Republic of China (available from the website of the
Chinese Consulate where the Application is submitted)
A recently-taken colour passport photo (frontal with no hat), taken against a light background.
Upon receipt of the Visa Invitation Letter, it is your responsibility to ensure you get the visa in your passport.