Marriage Visa? Does it exist

[JonathanM]

I have heard many different stories about this and not sure what to believe. Next time I go to China, we will go back to Tianjin and inquire about the marriage visa to allow me to stay longer. Right now I have the L 90 days multi visa until the end of the year. Anybody know or have had experience with this. I think it costs about 900RMB for a American person for this special visa and the wait is about 7 days, oh and you need to bring your housing temp permit, I think.

[chengdu4me]

I just completed this process...so here's how it goes...

 

When you get there, if you are staying in a private residence, go to the local neighborhood PSB (police station) and register as a visitor. Your wife will need to go with you. You will need...

 

Your passport

Her ID Card

Her Household Registry Booklet

If renting, the lease agreement (The reason they need this is they need the landlords name, address, his ID number and phone number)

 

Once you have completed this, just sit back and relax...let the days of your visa tick down....

 

When you have ten days left on your current allowed stay time, then go to the Exit and Entry Administation Building in your city/province

 

You will need...

 

Your passport

Your visitor registration form (got that at your local PSB)

Her ID card

Her Household Registry Booklet

Your Marriage Books (His and Hers)

Three (I think?) passport photos of you.

A completed visa extension application form

 

After your number is called, and they accept your paperwork, they will keep your passport and give you a receipt. This is your passport for the next few days. Keep it with you.

 

You will return on the day that it says to return on the receipt they give you. You will go back up to the counter and they will give you another receipt. You will take this receipt to whatever bank they tell you to take it to (generally, right around the corner) and pay them 940 RMB. The bank will stamp your receipt as paid. You will take this stamped receipt back to the E &E and they will give you back your passport with your old visa stamped cancelled and a new one good for one year with no limit on the amount of days you can stay...if you wish to stay more than the year...go to the top of the post and repeat as many times as you like...

 

Disclaimer: This is the procedure in Chengdu, Sichuan province...It should be the same everywhere, but....this IS China!!!!!

[weiaijiayou]

When you get there, if you are staying in a private residence, go to the local neighborhood PSB (police station) and register as a visitor. Your wife will need to go with you. You will need...

 

Your passport

Her ID Card

Her Household Registry Booklet

If renting, the lease agreement (The reason they need this is they need the landlords name, address, his ID number and phone number)

 

Once you have completed this, just sit back and relax...let the days of your visa tick down....

Just as a note on step 1: depending on where you stay (if there are few laowai staying in private residences in your neighborhood), the people at the local police station may not have done this previously and thus may not know what they're doing. It can be a headache.

 

The last time I went to do this (in Beijing) they told us we needed to have our landlord come down personally. This was despite already giving them the lease and all the landlord's documentation. When the landlord refused to come down (knowing it wasn't required), we eventually just went back to the police station. By this time it was about a day later than the recommended 24 hours after entry. This time they let me register without the landlord. We had to provide the same information we brought the first time.