Visas and Passports

If you are coming to China for travel, you should obtain a tourist visa from a Chinese embassy or consulate in your home country. It is more convenient for tourists booked through Chinese travel agencies to get group visas for their visit to China. Tourist visas are usually good for two months, but can be extended for an extra month at the Foreigners Section of the Public Security Bureau. A 30-day visa is activated on the date you enter China, and must be used within three months of the date of issue. The 60-day and 90-day visas are activated on the date they are issued. Whatever you do, don't stay in the country longer than your visa allows. The fine for overstaying your welcome is 500 yuan (US$55) per day!

It is wise to carry your passport with you at all times, as you need it to register in hotels, buy plane tickets and change money. If you lose your passport, you should report immediately to your embassy, as well as tell the Public Security Bureau.

The Foreign Affairs Branch of the local Public Security Bureau handles visa extensions. You can also apply for a residence permit here. Extensions vary in price, depending on your nationality, for example, American travellers pay 185 yuan (US$23). Expect to wait up to five days for your visa extension to be processed. You can obtain passport photographs here (30 yuan for five, US$3.70). First time extensions of 30 days are easy to obtain and are issued on any tourist visa, but further extensions are harder to get and might give you only an extra week.

Division of Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration of the Beijing Public Security Bureau

Address: 2, Andingmen Dongdajie 安定门东大街2号

Open: 8:30 a.m.–noon, 1–4:30 p.m., Monday–Saturday

Visa inquiries: +86 10 8401 5292

WWW: http://www.bjgaj.gov.cn

 

There are nine categories of visas, as follows:

Type   Description

L      Travel

F      Business or student

D      Resident

G     Transit

X     Long-term student

Z     Working

C     Flight attendant

J-1         Foreign journalists resident in China

J-2         Foreign journalists on brief reporting trips to China