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Stay in Town

Foreign visitors to the Chinese capital should beware the Beijing “break” bug. Symptoms include a feverish desire to continue one’s stay in the city, sudden bouts of aviophobia and a readiness to put one’s life back home on hold. There is only one known cure: you must extend your visa.

The three most common types of Chinese visas (except those for foreign students) are the L-class, F-class and Z-class visas. Tourists will nearly always have the 30-day L-class visa, while F-class visas are (technically) issued to professionals who have been invited to the country for a visit, to carry out research, to hold a lecture, or to do business. They are usually valid for six months. Z visas are issued to those who are to take a job in China, and are required to get one.

To extend your tourist visa in Beijing, go to the Entry and Exit Bureau Office at 2 Andingmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng District. Unless you’re staying at a hotel, you will first need to obtain a Temporary Resident’s Permit from your local Public Security Bureau. This is a slip of paper containing the details of the owner of the apartment you are renting from or staying with. You’ll usually need to go along to the PSB with his or her ID card, property certificate, and a letter verifying your stay. Landlords are not actually required to go along with you, but if you think they can help, as in translation, bring them along.

Take your document, along with your passport and two passport photographs to the Entry and Bureau Office. Here you must find a visa extension application form: no easy task. And when you find the form, fill out the details in black ink only.

After battling the long lines and overcoming all obstacles, you’ll be given a form that should state when you can pick up your new visa. Upon your return, you pay for the service and carry away your passport. The bureau will typically extend your visa for 30-days, and you can do this twice.

Those who want to stay longer in the capital should consider applying for an F-class visa. There are two main ways of doing this: you can either fly to Hong Kong and apply for the visa down there, or you can seek out an “agent” here in Beijing to take care of it for you. The latter can save money and time, but you will need to find a trustworthy agent. After all, you’ll have to hand over your passport to a complete stranger. It’s best to use a service that someone you know has used before.

Or, if a brief trip to Hong Kong suits the bank account, it’s well worth going there to get your F-class visa. It’s far faster, safer and a whole lot of fun. Go to the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, at 26 Harbor Road, Wanchai District. They’re open during normal business hours Monday to Friday, and can process your visa within one working day. Visa agents can help, but the same cautions apply as in Beijing.

Whether you decide to extend your visa through an agency or through more formal channels, be sure to do it on time. Overstaying can result in fines of up to 500 yuan a day (maximum 5,000 yuan). Serious violators can expect some jail time.

There are plenty of great experiences one can have in the Chinese capital, but becoming a Ågstate guest” in a detention center is not one of them; so allow about a week or 10 days for the new visa to be processed. It’s supposed to be ready within five working days, but considering the penalties, this is not something you want to leave until the last minute.