Can You Get Into China?

[Randy W]

10 hours ago, ifearyeti said:

In China forever. It is a new VISA. All older visas still canceled when I applied.

I assume you are applying for a residence permit? Did you get a Q1, rather than a Q2? I'm pretty sure you can apply for a residence permit even from a Q2, but I expect they will cancel your Q2 when you do.

I found myself in the USA in 2015 when my residence permit expired. I wanted to get a Q2 to come back so  that I would have a 10 year back-up visa to the residence permits, but was told at the consulate to apply for the Q1 instead. But I think the present policy is to cancel the visa issued overseas when a residence permit is issued anyway.

[Randy W]

CFL link to current information about travel to China from the Dept of State -

http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/50114-alerts-from-the-dept-of-state/#comment-650941

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China to remove COVID-19 nucleic acid test requirement for inbound travelers

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

from the Global Times

Starting from April 29, inbound travelers may choose to take antigen tests within 48 hours prior to boarding and do not need to have a nucleic acid test, and airlines will no longer check pre-departure testing results, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

According to foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, China has refined its pre-departure testing requirements to further facilitate cross-border travel and to ensure safe and orderly travel.

 

Coronavirus: China will no longer require PCR tests for travellers to the country

• From April 29, authorities will accept negative rapid antigen test results instead
• Rule change comes as air travel in and out of China remains at a fraction of pre-pandemic levels

from the SCMP

From April 29, authorities will no longer require negative PCR test results for entry to China. Photo: Reuters

Quote

Still, other deterrents remain before a full recovery in global air travel in and out of China is likely to be seen. Sky-high airfares, limited capacity at airlines and a backlog getting passports and visas approved are holding back travellers and it will take at least a year to get back to pre-pandemic levels, Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines said in February.

 

[Randy W]

There'a an interesting spill-over from the war in Ukraine, limiting who can fly over Russia. Most flights I ever took between Houston and China flew over the North Pole and Russia, by way of New York or Newark.

This is from the Financial Times

Airlines dispute adds headwinds to US-China relationship

American carriers are lobbying against their Chinese rivals over being granted more flights between both countries

US carriers have 12 weekly flights to China, while Chinese airlines have only eight to the US © Kevin Lee/Bloomberg

Quote

 

       The US has offered to grant Chinese airlines the same number of weekly flights between both countries as American carriers — but only if they agree not to fly over Russia, according to six people familiar with the talks.

Moscow banned US carriers from flying over the country after Washington prohibited Russian airlines from flying to the US in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Chinese airlines are not banned from Russian airspace.

US carriers have 12 weekly flights to China, while Chinese airlines have eight to the US. The American carriers face higher fuel costs than their Chinese rivals whose routes over Russia to the US are much shorter.

US airlines have lobbied the Biden administration not to grant China more flights because of the cost gap. The shorter route over Russia also allows Chinese carriers the advantage of flying directly to the US east coast.

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Visitors to China are now able to #PayWithAlipay. Simply download #Alipay via app stores to start enjoying wallet-free travel! That QR code by the cashier will no longer be a foreign sight.
#Beautyofchina

from Beauty of China on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/beautyofChina.mochi/posts/pfbid02L4MCq5BJ8o39EJzj3nkJqQBKM9u1oBihqvPHFGJFqWtbXGKPiN8tR2um1Jw3iBpQl

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

COVID-19 Entry Requirements

From 29 April 2023, China has changed its COVID-19 entry requirements for all travellers entering the country. You must undertake a lateral flow/rapid antigen test 48 hours before boarding your flight. You must declare your negative test result by filling in the Health Declaration Form via the China Customs website, or through the China Customs App or WeChat account. Airline officials will no longer check test results. However, upon arrival in China your test result may be checked by officials at customs.

Passengers entering China displaying symptoms of fever, or with an abnormal Health Declaration, may be asked to undertake a rapid antigen test on arrival. Those who test positive will be asked to wear a mask and may be advised to self-isolate whilst symptoms remain (although there is no mandatory self-isolation for COVID-19).

This is from

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china/entry-requirements

 

 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[ifearyeti]

I have a Q2 visa that is good for 10 years; unlimited entries; entries good for 4 months. So I'll have to take a train to Hong Kong every 4 months.

Temporary residence permit is unlimited entries; entry good for 1 year. Why could you not re-apply for new residence permit?

I'm living in Zengcheng district; a suburb of guangzhou. We have a 1 year lease, but we'll probably move when I find a really nice place.

I was married in 2011 and the wife stayed in the USA for 8 years. In 2019 she got stir crazy and came back to China. I don't think that she understood that I couldn't just quit my job and move to China. COVID made things hard. I quit my job and moved to China.

China is really hot.

[Randy W]

2 hours ago, ifearyeti said:

I have a Q2 visa that is good for 10 years; unlimited entries; entries good for 4 months. So I'll have to take a train to Hong Kong every 4 months.

Temporary residence permit is unlimited entries; entry good for 1 year. Why could you not re-apply for new residence permit?

I'm living in Zengcheng district; a suburb of guangzhou. We have a 1 year lease, but we'll probably move when I find a really nice place.

I was married in 2011 and the wife stayed in the USA for 8 years. In 2019 she got stir crazy and came back to China. I don't think that she understood that I couldn't just quit my job and move to China. COVID made things hard. I quit my job and moved to China.

China is really hot.

Apply at the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau if you decide you would rather have the residence permit. My understanding is that they will then cancel the Q2 visa.

The residence permit is much cheaper and more convenient than having to make the border runs.

[Martin B]

16 hours ago, Randy W said:

Apply at the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau if you decide you would rather have the residence permit. My understanding is that they will then cancel the Q2 visa.

The residence permit is much cheaper and more convenient than having to make the border runs.

Is it possible to procure a residence permit that's longer than 1 year? I've heard of some 3 year permits, and I **think** I heard a China vlogger saying he was granted 5-year permit.  Major PITA IMO.  BTW China should just rename "residence permits" to "long term tourist visas" since they don't allow you to do sh*t in China.

Just a few days ago, I went to my wife's company work picnic (she works at an International Bilingual School in the US) and spoke to 2 American/Chinese couples who recently moved back to the US, thanks largely to the horrifically unstable visa situation for foreigners. Given that both couples have kids, I definitely don't blame them for fleeing the zhongguo. 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Barfus (see edit history)

[Randy W]

4 hours ago, Barfus said:

Is it possible to procure a residence permit that's longer than 1 year? I've heard of some 3 year permits, and I **think** I heard a China vlogger saying he was granted 5-year permit.  Major PITA IMO.  BTW China should just rename "residence permits" to "long term tourist visas" since they don't allow you to do sh*t in China.

Just a few days ago, I went to my wife's company work picnic (she works at an International Bilingual School in the US) and spoke to 2 American/Chinese couples who recently moved back to the US, thanks largely to the horrifically unstable visa situation for foreigners. Given that both couples have kids, I definitely don't blame them for fleeing the zhongguo. 

The residence permit situation isn't at all unstable. I've had no issues at all in renewing it. We go to the local police office to get a new temporary residence form, and then go to the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau to apply for the permit. Cost is around $120USD.

My only worry there is if my wife were to pass away before me - would I be required to leave when my permit expired? My guess is no, but I don't know for sure.

But, yes - "long term tourist visas" is exactly what they are. But at least one American consulate HAS interpreted (incorrectly) a Q2 tourist visa as indicating that the holder did not "reside" in China.

My wife CHOOSES the 1 year option to avoid having to travel to Nanning or Guigang for the check-up at the immigration hospitals there. There are age restrictions on the two or three year permits - somewhere ABOVE the age of at least 61. My last permit before the pandemic was a three year.

I'm not aware of what the circumstance are behind a five year permit.

[Randy W]

Tencent’s WeChat Pay to accept Visa cards to help foreign tourists survive in cashless China

• Tencent will let foreign users link their Visa cards to their WeChat mobile payments accounts from July, after a similar move by Alipay
• This will allow tourists to use their smartphones to pay tens of millions of Chinese merchants that already accept the domestic version of WeChat Pay

from the SCMP

Tourists arrive at the airport in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province, in 2018. Photo: Xinhua
 

Quote

 

Foreign tourists may find it easier to pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and attraction tickets in China’s cashless society from next month, as Tencent Holdings begins to facilitate payments by Visa and other international bank cards through WeChat Pay, following a similar move by Ant Group’s Alipay.

WeChat Pay and Alipay, the two dominant Chinese mobile payments services, had for years limited the use of foreign bank cards due to the government’s rigid financial and data controls.

After the country reopened its borders to overseas visitors earlier this year, difficulties in making everyday payments have become a frequent source of complaints.

Shenzhen-based Tencent plans to change that by letting foreign users link their credit or debit cards issued by Visa and other major international operators from July, said Royal Chen Qiru, vice-president of Tencent Financial Technology, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions on Wednesday.

 

 

[Randy W]

There's this about entering a foreign card with Weixin Pay. I'm not sure if it works, but I've already got my Chinese bank card entered, so it WON'T work for me (there IS no '+' or 'add new card' choice available - I would first have to remove my Chinese bank card - which I DON'T want to do).

It's not clear where the document came from - use it if it helps. It seems this will only work if the "Add New Card" function allows you to enter a foreign credit card, or if it simply allows you to entrer a Chinese bank card.

https://www.facebook.com/john.kent8/posts/pfbid07HrSNHJ6xJrWqFzGjbXJpk9oRT4LNzqYEuG2vTAdvvoJpUV9tT2XAKEKiBWu9VRLl

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Google Maps is updated only every two or three years (some features can take evn LONGER to appear) from Chinese sources - it is still useful, and is NOT "hopelessly" out of date, like they are claiming. Google Maps has the advantage of showing the pinyin spellings instead of Chinese characters, which may make it more useful than either Baidu or Amaps (AutoNavi).

Google Maps, for instance, is hopelessly out of date, with whole subway lines often not showing up. Read more: https://sc.mp/npf8

#china #google #wechat #alipay #scmpnews #scmp

from the SCMP on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/posts/pfbid02qzC9jVa1fHvBubJKRowgY3DydjEvszm8aQaoH36mAUs94JmXXJGmWxUYfuCDFduKl

 

Best apps for foreign visitors in China and which are useless – like Google Maps

• WeChat and Alipay might both have made it easier for foreigners to pay for things in China recently, but visitors still face many hurdles to a successful trip
• Some of the other apps you’re advised to download: Amap, Baidu Translate, DiDi, 12306, Trip – and don’t forget that VPN

Quote

 

For example, in an attempt to restrict the spread of the virus, restaurants ditched paper menus in favour of digital ones accessed by QR code. Whereas all but the cheapest restaurants in larger cities used to have paper menus with English translations, the digital equivalents are mostly in Chinese only, and can be difficult for people with poor vision to see on their phones as many cannot be made larger.

Familiar names like McDonald's or KFC don’t necessarily make matters any easier. Some branches no longer even have menu touchscreens, relying instead on a WeChat mini program that is available only in Chinese – even if the main app does have an English component.

 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China Removes All Pre-Entry COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Inbound Travelers

August 28, 2023Posted by China Briefing

On August 28, 2023, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made a significant declaration. Starting from August 30, 2023, travelers heading to China will not have to undergo COVID-19 nucleic acid tests or antigen tests.

The withdrawal of COVID-19 testing requirements will considerably ease the entry process for travelers coming to China.

This will improve travel convenience and is a big step towards normalizing travel procedures in China. It also aligns with the government’s efforts to fully reopen the Chinese economy and revive its travel industry and allied sectors.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Why are tourists not returning to mainland China? Experts cite a host of reasons but it’s anyone’s guess as to when ‘normality’ will resume

• Mainland China’s tourism sector saw a 70 per cent drop in international travellers in the first half of this year compared with pre-Covid levels
• Cross-border travel could get back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024 and then grow, the World Travel and Tourism Council says - but, really, who can tell?

from the SCMP

Empty seats at a terminal in Beijing Daxing International Airport in November 2022. Mainland China is seeing a much slower return of tourists post-pandemic than some predicted. Photo: Getty Images

Quote

 

Is it just us, or does the post-pandemic world feel like a different place to the pre-pandemic world?

Perhaps nowhere more so than in mainland China, where the anticipated return to tourism business as usual has simply not materialised.

Immigration data shows that mainland China’s tourism sector saw a 70 per cent drop in international travellers in the first half of this year compared with pre-Covid levels, from close to 31 million who entered and exited the country in the same period in 2019 to around 8.44 million.

That can be partially explained by the fact that some Covid-19 restrictions remained earlier in the year, but despite almost all now having been dropped, much of the world doesn’t seem to be in a rush to get back to the Great Wall, the Bund or Tiger Leaping Gorge.

 . . .

“Analysts and industry figures attributed the poor figures to the lasting damage from the pandemic as well as China’s negative global image and loss of business confidence amid geopolitical tensions,” explained a September 3 South China Morning Post article.

 . . .

A Post opinion piece published on August 29 told us that, “Mainland industry practitioners have attributed the decline to the lack of international flights, partly as a result of Russian airspace being closed to Western airlines because of the Ukraine war.

“Other factors cited include the Great Firewall online and the need for foreigners to download Chinese mobile payment apps.”

 . . .

“The number of visitors with much stronger spending power – from places such as Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea – have dropped significantly, and have been replaced instead by people from places with less economic clout such as Russia, Mongolia, Myanmar and Vietnam.”

 . . .

North Americans, specifically, are having to contend not just with geopolitical concerns, but also flights that are expensive and hard to find.

Just 18 flights a week currently carry passengers each way between the US and mainland China, and although the two countries have agreed to increase that number to 24 by the end of October, “Previously, the number of weekly flights between the two was 340,” reports Time magazine.

And prices are up not just because of the lack of supply but also because many Western airlines are now having to pay for the extra fuel needed to skirt around Russian airspace.

The Wall Street Journal spoke with one US agency that used to send as many as 1,500 tourists a year to mainland China but has not had a single request since the start of the pandemic.