All foreign nationals
require a visa to enter
the People's Republic of
China. Single-entry
tourist visas must
generally be used within
three months of issue,
are usually valid for
thirty days from your
date of entry into China
and cost the local
equivalent of around
US$40. The authorities
increase and decrease
visa durations in order
to control tourist
traffic, and you're more
likely to be given a
visa for longer than
thirty days outside the
summer months. Visas are
available worldwide from
Chinese embassies and
consulates and through
specialist tour
operators and visa
agents, although if you
are planning to enter
China through Hong Kong,
this is probably the
best place of all to buy
your visa. Hong Kong
also issues visas of
longer duration with
relative ease.
To apply for a
tourist visa you
have to submit an
application form, one or
two passport-size
photographs, your
passport (which must be
valid for at least
another six months from
your planned date of
entry into China) and
the fee, which cannot be
paid by personal cheque.
You may also be asked
for a copy of any air
tickets and hotel
bookings. You are asked
on the form to give some
details of your trip,
such as where you are
going - but you don't
have to stick to this.
You'll also be asked
your profession - be
warned that if you put
writer, journalist or
any publishing-related
profession, you'll be
called in for an
interview, questioned,
and your visa may be
refused. Don't worry
about being economical
with the truth - they
never check up. If you
apply in person,
processing should take
between three and five
working days, but this
varies from country to
country - usually, if
you are willing to pay a
surcharge you can get
your visa the next day.
A business visa
is valid for three
months and can be issued
for multiple entries,
though you'll need an
official invitation from
a government-recognized
Chinese organization.
Twelve-month work
visas again require
an invitation, plus a
health certificate.
Students intending
to study for less than
six months need an
invitation from a
college; those staying
for longer also need to
fill in an extra form
available from embassies,
and need a health
certificate.
Hong Kong
Most nationalities need
only a valid passport to
enter
Hong Kong ,
although the length of
time you can stay varies.
British citizens,
Canadians, Australians,
New Zealanders and Irish
and most other European
citizens can stay for
three months; and
Americans and South
Africans for thirty days.
Once in Hong Kong, the
standard one-month visa
can be obtained from any
of the numerous travel
agencies. For a sixty-
or ninety-day multiple-entry
visa, issued in two days,
visit CTS at 78-83
Connaught Rd or 27-33
Nathan Rd. Note that
these visas are active
from the date of issue,
not the date of entry.
You can get a six-month
multiple-entry business
visa at Shoestring
Travel (27-33 Nathan Rd)
for HK$600. No
invitation letter is
required, just a
business card.
Visa extensions
Visa extensions are
handled by the Foreign
Affairs section of the
Public Security Bureau (
PSB ), so you can
apply for one in any
reasonably sized town.
The amount of money
you'll pay for this, and
the amount of hassle
you'll have, varies
greatly depending on
where you are, your
nationality and what
season it is.
A first extension
, valid for a month, is
easy to obtain. The
charge for extensions is
dependent on nationality
- most Europeans pay
¥160, Americans a little
less. However, you're
basically at the mercy
of the particular PSB
office and they may
decide to levy extra
charges on top. In some
small towns the charge
may even be waived and
the process take ten
minutes; in cities it
can take up to a week.
The worst place to apply
is Tibet - you'll be
given a week at most.
A second or third
extension is harder
to get - in major cities
you will probably be
turned away. PSB offices
in small towns are a
much better bet, and
you'd be unlucky to come
away without some kind
of extension, though it
may only be for ten or
twenty days. You will be
asked your reasons for
wanting an extension -
simply saying you want
to spend more time in
this wonderful country
usually goes down well,
or you could cite
illness or transport
delay. Don't admit to
being poor. Fourth or
even fifth extensions
are possible, but you'll
need to foster
connections with a PSB
office. Ask advice from
a local independent
travel agent - they
often have the right
sort of contacts.
Alternatively, try going
to a lawyer, though
they'll charge a lot.
The best time to
apply for an extension
is just after lunch,
when corpulent cops are
at their most content.
Don't overstay
your visa even for a few
hours - the fine is ¥500
a day, and if you're
caught at the airport
with an out-of-date visa
the hassle that follows
may mean you miss your
flight.
Chinese embassies
and consulates
Australia 15 Coronation
Drive, Yarralumla, ACT
2600 (tel 02/6273 4780);
also consulates at 77
Irving Rd, Toorak
(general enquiries tel
03/9822 0604, visa &
passport enquiries tel
03/9804 3683), and 539
Elizabeth St, Surry
Hills (tel 02/9698
7929).
Canada 515 St
Patrick St, Ottawa,
Ontario K1N 5H3 (tel
613/2342682). Chinese
consulate offices with
visa application
services also in Toronto
and Vancouver.
Kazakhstan ul.
Furmanova 137, Almaty (tel
634966).
Kyrgystan ul.
Toktogula 196, Bishkek (tel
222423).
Laos Thanon
Wat Nak Yai, Vientiane (tel
315103).
Nepal
Baluwatar, Toran Bhawan,
Naxal, Kathmandu (tel
412589). Visas
available only through
travel agents to those
travelling with a tour
group.
Pakistan Ramna
4, Diplomatic Enclave,
Islamabad. Only ten-day
visas are issued from
this office.
Russia ul.
Druzhby 6, Moscow (tel
095/145-1543).
Thailand 57/2
Rajdapisek Rd, Bangkok (tel
02/245 7032); Chiang Mai,
111 Chang Lo Rd (tel
053/272197).
UK Cleveland
Court, 1-3 Leinster
House, London W2 (visa
section is at 31
Portland Place, London
W1; tel 020/7631 1430);
Denison House, Denison
Rd, Victoria Pk,
Manchester M14 (tel
0161/224 7480).
USA 2300
Connecticut Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20008 (tel
202/3282517). Chinese
consulate offices with
visa application
services are in Chicago,
Houston, Los
Angeles, New York,
San Francisco and
Washington, DC.
Vietnam 39
Nguyen Thi Minh Khai (tel
08/829 2457), Ho Chi
Minh City; Chinese
Embassy Consular Section,
Tran Phu, Hanoi (round
the corner from the main
embassy building at 46
Hoang Dieu; tel 04/823
5569).
Customs
You are allowed to
import up to four
hundred cigarettes, two
litres of alcohol,
twenty fluid ounces of
perfume and up to fifty
grams of gold or silver.
You can't take in more
than ¥6000, and amounts
of foreign currency over
US$5000 or equivalent
must be declared.
It's illegal to
import printed matter,
tapes or videos critical
of the country, but
don't worry too much
about this, as
confiscation in practice
is rare, except in
sensitive areas such as
Tibet. Here, some
travellers have reported
books specifically on
Tibet being taken off
them, but guidebooks to
the whole of China which
include Tibet are fine.
Export restrictions
apply on items more than
a hundred years old, for
which you require an
export form available
from Friendship Stores.
You may be asked to show
receipts for any
cultural relics you have;
otherwise you may not be
allowed to take them out
of the country.
