Renewing a travel Visa in China

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

[Randy W]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

 

 

Each visit is good for a number of days. If you are allowed, say, a 90 day visit you may stay for the full 90 days. Just don't expect to be able to leave the country (such as a quick visit to Hong Kong) and come back after the visa expiration. Of course, you could always pick up a new visa in Hong Kong.

[Bill and Linda]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

 

 

Each visit is good for a number of days. If you are allowed, say, a 90 day visit you may stay for the full 90 days. Just don't expect to be able to leave the country (such as a quick visit to Hong Kong) and come back after the visa expiration. Of course, you could always pick up a new visa in Hong Kong.

 

You must go to any Chinese consulate outside of China and re-apply for another L visa. If a consulate is not convenient to get to, you can use an expiditing service, just mail your passport, make payment for the visa and their fee, and they will mail the passport back to you. It is of course quicker to appear at the consulate personally. Make sure you ask for the maximum length of stay and multiple entries during the length of time the visa is good for.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bill

[GZBILL]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

 

First, carefully examin the terms of your existing visa. Sometimes visas may be, for example, 90 days but the longest permissible stay may be 45. That means you'd have to leave the country and then return.

 

Or, if your visa is truly expiring, go to the local Public Security Bureau Entry & Exit Administration and request an extension. "L" and "F" visas can usually be extended in-country at least once (and generally twice) for 30 days at a stretch.

[usaRichard]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

My impression is the visa will expire while he is in China, so how would this situation be handled. If you enter on a valid visa and it expires during your visit...? BTW surely nothing bad can happen on January 30th, right?

[Richard & Li]

I've done it on three separate visits.

 

All I had to do was apply at the local police station, pay the fee, and I got an extension with no hassle at all.

 

Your wife (or fiancee) should be able to determine the appropriate person to talk to.

[yuehan123]

I agree with Richard.

 

My travel visa expired, in Nanning, before my return flight a few years ago. We did what Richard said. I did not leave and re-enter China.

 

But, I had a small problem. I had to get a local 'residence' registration first. The local police station wasn't going to give it to us. While we were at the small police station my wife called 'the big' police station, the place where we applied for the extension. And, by the way, the place I had to leave my passport to get the 'new' visa. The big station person called the small station person and we got the registration. Immediately.

 

It was not a one day process to get the visa. However, it wasn't very many days either. Maybe one day, as best I recall.

[Richard & Li]

Yes. It took a few days.

 

Li is from a relatively small town (only about 3 million population).

 

They had to send the application to the 'big city'.

[Meelo]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

 

 

Each visit is good for a number of days. If you are allowed, say, a 90 day visit you may stay for the full 90 days. Just don't expect to be able to leave the country (such as a quick visit to Hong Kong) and come back after the visa expiration. Of course, you could always pick up a new visa in Hong Kong.

 

You must go to any Chinese consulate outside of China and re-apply for another L visa. If a consulate is not convenient to get to, you can use an expiditing service, just mail your passport, make payment for the visa and their fee, and they will mail the passport back to you. It is of course quicker to appear at the consulate personally. Make sure you ask for the maximum length of stay and multiple entries during the length of time the visa is good for.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bill

 

 

Now Americans can only go to the Chinese Consulate in Hong Kong or the Consulate in America. We are unable to go anywhere else B) . Stupid I know.

 

You should have no problem getting an extension for 30 days, maybe even 2 consecative extensions.

[Richard & Li]

Now Americans can only go to the Chinese Consulate in Hong Kong or the Consulate in America. We are unable to go anywhere else . Stupid I know.

 

You should have no problem getting an extension for 30 days, maybe even 2 consecative extensions.

 

That is something new that I wasn't aware of.

 

It must be a leftover from the increased security from the Olympics and the decreased trust / friendliness between our countries since the Tibetan protests, (and/or recent American weapons supply to Taiwan).

 

Maybe it's a combination of all those things along with the 'Free Tibet' movement in America and the continuous China bashing in the American press.

 

I know, I know... I'm B) and need

[Meelo]

Now Americans can only go to the Chinese Consulate in Hong Kong or the Consulate in America. We are unable to go anywhere else . Stupid I know.

 

You should have no problem getting an extension for 30 days, maybe even 2 consecative extensions.

 

That is something new that I wasn't aware of.

 

It must be a leftover from the increased security from the Olympics and the decreased trust / friendliness between our countries since the Tibetan protests, (and/or recent American weapons supply to Taiwan).

 

Maybe it's a combination of all those things along with the 'Free Tibet' movement in America and the continuous China bashing in the American press.

 

I know, I know... I'm and need

 

The Chinese Government Changed the rules because getting an American Visa is difficult and expensive. Many of my colleagues can go to Thailand or Japan to get a visa, but I could only go to Hong Kong. During the Olympics I could only go to the Consulate in America.

 

This was for a F visa and later a Z visa. Before the olympics I could get a new F visa here in Shanghai with out leaving.

[Steve from Las Vegas]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

 

 

I had to do this. I went to the PSB in Beijing.

I had to open a Chinese Bank account and deposit $2,000.00 then file

the forms. The visa takes seven days. I was able to travel to GUZ showing the yellow reciept for the 940 RMB application. I will pick up the visa when I return to Beijing tomorrow. Get it in the States!!

[Richard & Li]

The Chinese Government Changed the rules because getting an American Visa is difficult and expensive. Many of my colleagues can go to Thailand or Japan to get a visa, but I could only go to Hong Kong. During the Olympics I could only go to the Consulate in America.

 

This was for a F visa and later a Z visa. Before the olympics I could get a new F visa here in Shanghai with out leaving.

 

Another step backward for American foreign relations.

 

I feel another rant comeing on, so I'll stop with that.

[GZBILL]

Has anyone ever had to renew their travel visa in China? Mine will expire on January 30, 2009. If I am in China how do you go about ordering a new one? I will be in Nanning during this time.

My impression is the visa will expire while he is in China, so how would this situation be handled. If you enter on a valid visa and it expires during your visit...? BTW surely nothing bad can happen on January 30th, right?

 

Extending a visa in China is relatively easy. However, it can *only* be done at the Public Security Bureau's Entry & Exit Administration. Most major cities have such an office, but if you are in a smaller city you may find you have to go to one of the larger nearby cities or provincial capital.

 

When renewing your visa they usually require not only your passport and a visa application, but the form called "Temporary residence Registration for Foreigners." Unless you are staying in a hotel, each and every foreigner -- NO exceptions -- are required to register at the local police station which services the area where they are lodged with 24 - 48 hours. Registration is generally not so complex and once you have done it they will give you a form which you need to keep. If you change residences -- even for one night -- you are supposed to register again with the new police station.

 

Again, the *only* exception is if you are staying in a legitimate hotel.

 

When you want to renew your visa they will ask for the latest registration form and without it you will generally be refused visa renewal *and* fined for non-registration.

[Richard & Li]

As Bill mentioned:

 

The registration thing and keeping track of foreigners (or maybe just Americans, I don't know) was taken much more seriously the last time I was in China.

 

The CP people stopped at our home to 'check on me' four times. During previous visits, they never checked (that I was aware of).

 

Hotel workers were checking visas, searching luggage, and making formal reports about who was staying at their hotels.

 

I'm going back again in May. I hope things will be getting back to a more relaxed state again. But, from my experience, when things go in this direction, they tend not to get better.