Visa Updates

Many in Dalian may not read The Beijinger.  You should.  They have some advice on the current visa situation.  Key points:

What we know for sure:

Since mid-April, additional documents need to be provided to obtain L and F visas:

L (tourist) visa: Outbound and return flight booking and stamped (chopped) hotel reservation for the complete duration of stay. If staying at a relative's house, proof of kinship (marriage / birth certificate) and copies of his/her passport, visa, residence permit and police registration need to be provided.

F (business) visa: Flight booking, stamped (chopped) hotel reservation and original invitation letter from a relevant department of the Chinese government, company or institution, under the authorization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

L and F visas are issued for a standard duration of 30 days, single entry, unless flight bookings (e.g. to Hong Kong) are provided to prove double entry is needed. To obtain a visa for a longer duration, a full travel itinerary needs to be provided. The visa application form has been changed to a much more detailed version.

Extensions of F visa in China are only possible until June 30th, 2008. Interns and short-term project workers are required to apply for a Z visa if an uninterrupted stay in China is required.

The possibility of visa applications in Hong Kong has been severely reduced. Although some 30 days L and F and some Z visas still seem to be issued, the Visa office in Hong Kong requests all foreign passport holders that do not have a Hong Kong residence permit to apply for visas in their respective home country. Expect longer queues and processing times of up to five days. Visa applications in other Asian countries seem to be just as difficult. A list of 33 countries (a list can be found here) whose nationals need to apply for visa in their respective home country has been published; however, restrictions also seem to apply to other nationals.

Z visa extensions, new Z visas and spouse visas have not been affected by the new policies. However, dependent visa that were previously also issued to non-married couples with children now require the provision of a marriage certificate.

Student (X) visas for the summer are only issued by a very limited number of universities and language schools.

The authorities are increasingly tracking down foreigners without valid visas and Registrations of Temporary Residence. Foreigners overstaying their visas are charged any where between RMB 500 to RMB 5,000/day. According to multiple reports, foreigners without a valid visa must expect to be awarded the red “has to leave China within ten days” stamp in their passport, which will make it nearly impossible to apply for a new visa.

Additional Links:

Dalian PSB http://www.ga.dl.gov.cn/english/ 

The China Visa Blog www.thechinavisa.blogspot.com
Shanghai Expat: Guide to Getting your Z-Visa / Work & Residence Permit
Danwei: China visa confusion (May 6)
Shanghaiist: China visa updates (May 6)
Chinatravel.net: New Chinese Visa Rules: Please Read (Apr 30)
China Daily: Beijing sees marked drop in overseas tourists in April (May 20)
China Daily: China says visa policy in line with Olympics practice (May 6)
AFP: Australia warns China over visa restrictions (May 6)
CNN: Visa rules tightened for tourists ahead of Beijing Olympics (May 6)
New York Times: Bracing for Games, China Sets Rules That Complicate Life for Foreigners (Apr 24)
MSNBC: China steps up security ahead of Olympics (Apr 24)
Shanghaiist: More updates on the Chinese visa situation (Apr 18)