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Visa extensions/changes

sparrow (13 posts) • 0

Hi,

I was looking for a bit of help with that old favourite 'visas'.

I'm led to believe that you can extend a visa for 2 x 1 month periods before you would have to leave China. Is this true and where do you go to do it?

Is there any other way to extend for a longer period?

If you need to go out of the country is it possible to get a new L or F visa in Bangkok either offically or unoffically? I know in Hong kong this used to be relatively simple but it seems very difficult from the responses i'm getting from agents there. Anyone have any tips?

Any feedback or help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

TheSwedishGuy (64 posts) • 0

Hi Sparrow!

To get a normal tourist visa at any Chinese embassy shouldn't be a big problem. If you found a job and need a Z-visa then it's a completely different issue. Unless you find an agent who can set you up, you have to return to your country of origin.

There is a visa-office down at Beijing Lu, you should be able to extend your current visa there. Anyone who knows the address?

hedgepig (273 posts) • 0

the visa place is on the east side of Beijing Lu, just south of Shangyi Jie (尚义街). there's a big sign that says VISA. they run slightly odd opening hours (long lunch, knock off early) so try to hit it mid morning or mid afternoon.

visa policies change all the time, and i'm inclined to say that it's best to trust information directly from the police over hearsay on the internet or from friends. policies are also usually rather different (more onerous) for US citizens than for most others. lately, swine flu has influenced policy too, so there have been very recent adjustments regarding processing times etc.

sparrow (13 posts) • 0

hey guys, thanks very much. what about getting another L/F visa in Bangkok?....possible or no??

lummerlaoshi (130 posts) • 0

Not sure how true this is, but...

"...because of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, F visas are not being issued beyond mid September."

Anyone know if this is correct? I believe it applies to F visas being applied for outside of China.

Mahala (4 posts) • 0

Help needed- visa this and that.

When I applied for my L visa back in Aus I submitted by flight internery that stated that I would be in china for 6 weeks and 5 days. However I was only issued with a 30 day tourist visa. Now i am stuck with the return flight 2 weeks and 5 days after my visa expires. what are the chances of getting an other 30 day visa? if this is denied what should I do?

hedgepig (273 posts) • 0

i'd say your chances of getting an extension are good.

assuming you're Australian (or is that Aus for Austria? or were you passing through? never mind, i get distracted...), i think you'll pay something like 250-350 kuai. the visa office is located as per my post above.

if the extension is denied, you have to start scrambling through the options - Vietnam, Hong Kong etc. but, i'd say to get over to the visa office first and get some facts. let them know about the flight date.

LaChris (5 posts) • 0

Hi!
I just picked up my visa-extension today, no problem at all, I handed it in last friday, and the cost was 160RMB.
You go to the Visa-office, fill in the form, glue on your pas photo and get a yellow reciet, taht tells the date of pick-up and the price. Keep it and bring it with you when you pick up your new visa!

For some reason it takes 7 days in Kunming, where you can get the same extension in 20-30 min. in Dali, Lijiang or Shangri-La - and for the same price...

You can get 2x30 days extensions - no problem, and for 160Rmb each.

hedgepig (273 posts) • 0

it's worth mentioning that different nationalities pay different fees. American passport holders in particular should expect to pay far more than 160 kuai.

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