CHINA ISSUES FIRST E-VISA IN SHANGHAI

SHANGHAI, July 13 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Shanghai has issued China's first e-visa, marking a significant step in promoting electronic visas, reported Xinhua.

A Singaporean man named Chung arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at around 1 pm on Friday, holding the e-visa issued by the Government Affairs of Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

After inspection and confirmation by border authorities, he became the first foreigner to enter China with an e-visa.

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"The application and use of the e-visa are very convenient. I no longer have to renew a paper visa," said Chung.

The electronic visa, also known as "e-visa," is the digitalisation of the traditional paper visa. The visa information is stored digitally and issued to the applicant in the form of an electronic document, and there is no need to paste a paper visa on the passport. The applicant can enter the border and stay with their passport and electronic visa.

To optimise the country's visa system, and improve efficiency and service, the National Immigration Administration decided to pilot the issuance of e-visas in the Lin-gang Special Area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Shanghai FTZ).

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The Shanghai Public Security Bureau now issues visitor, business, talent, work, and personal affairs e-visas, according to Ye Wei, a visa official of the bureau.

An e-visa is valid for a single entry, with an entry validity of 15 days and a period of stay not exceeding 30 days. An e-visa holder can enter China via any of Shanghai's open ports and can exit via any open port in the country. 

--BERNAMA-XINHUA