Chinese 5-year and 10-year visa eligibility for UK citizens

The Chinese Embassy in the UK issued guidance on 5-year/10-year multiple entry visas in March 2019. In summary:

• M, L, S2 5-year multiple entry visas require you to have:
  • Been granted two or more 2-year multiple entry visas; or
  • Been granted one multiple entry visa of at least 2 years and visited China at least three times in the past two years
• M, L, S2 10-year multiple entry visas require you to have:
  • Been granted one 5-year multiple entry visa
• Q2 5-year multiple entry visa requires you to have:
  • Been granted a 2-year multiple entry visa
• Q2 10-year multiple entry visa requires you to have:
  • Been granted two or more 2-year multiple entry visas; or
  • Been granted one 2-year multiple entry visa and visited China at least three times in the past two years

The full guidance is quoted below:

As of 25th March 2019, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.K. will accept applications for 5-year or 10-year multiple entry visas from British citizens who are going to visit China for the purposes of commercial/trade activities (M visa), tourism (L visa), short-term family visits (Q2 Visa), short-term personal affairs (S2 Visa), if they meet one of the following requirements:

1. If the applicant has been granted two or more 2-year multiple entry visas by the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in the U.K., he/she can apply for a 5-year multiple entry visa;

2. If the applicant has been granted one multiple entry visa valid for two or more years by the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in the U.K., and visited China at least three times each year during the past two years, he/she can apply for a 5-year multiple entry visa;

3. If the applicant has been granted one 5-year multiple entry visa by the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in the U.K., he/she can apply for a 10-year multiple entry visa;

4. British spouses and children of Chinese citizens, British citizens with Chinese heritage and their spouses and children, who are going to China for the purpose of short-term family visits, at the invitation of one of their family members from China (spouses, parents, parents of spouses, children, spouses of children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren):

   If the applicant has been granted two or more 2-year multiple entry visas by the Chinese Embassies and Consulates, he/she can apply for a 10-year multiple entry Q2 visa;

   If the applicant has been granted one multiple entry visa by the Chinese Embassies and Consulates valid for two or more years, he/she can apply for a 5-year multiple entry Q2 visa. Additionally, if the above applicant has visited China at least three times each year during the past two years, he/she can apply for a 10-year multiple entry Q2 visa.

Visa fee for a 5-year multiple entry visa is £170, and for a 10-year multiple entry visa is £255. (Service Charge incurred by the Chinese Visa Application Service Center is not included)

Based on Chinese laws and regulations, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.K. reserve the right to decide on the type of visa, number of entries, validity and duration of stay for individual cases, and the right to refuse a visa application or revoke an issued visa.

Reference

I have spoken to an assistant who accepts visa application forms at a UK Chinese visa centre. She said that the eligibility for 5 and 10 year visas is thus:

• Visas available are 2, 5, and 10 year multiple entry.
• After receiving 2 year visa twice, you become eligible for 5 years.
• After 5 years you become eligible for 10 years.

This visa structure only came into place approximately 2 and a half years ago; I believe early 2016. So nobody (except in some unusual circumstances) will have come to the end of their second 2 year visa yet; so the 5 and 10 visas are still rarely granted.

I submit this as answer because I have been unable to find written confirmation of this; I will not accept it as final answer because I still hope somebody may be able to link to an authoritative source.