Extend Your Chinese Visa – The easy way

Visa issues can so problematic. What happens if something goes wrong and you need to spend more time on holiday. However your visa is just about to run out.

What can you do ?

Are you in alot of trouble ?

Is there any way round this ?

Yes, there is help at hand here.

Fallen in love with place or city, or just want a few more days in China. Don’t worry you can extend your Visa in Shanghai with very little trouble. Below is some of the answers to some common questions.

+ Can I extend my Tourist Visa in Shanghai?

Yes, you can extend it twice. So allowing you to stay up to 90 days in shanghai on a tourist visa, more than enough time to see all the sights. You can also change your visa here. I personally changed my working visa to a tourist visa with no problems.

+ What do I need to bring?

All you need to bring is your passport, a registration form of temporary residence, a picture of yourself and maybe a book to read while you wait.

+ A registration of what ?

When you finished booking into your hotel or any accommodation you should have registered with the local police station. They will given you a white “Registration of Temporary Residence”form. Getting this form may not be the most pleasant experience as usually local police station don’t have fantastically brilliant English speakers, plus there may be a group of men or woman having a shouting match there. As policemen are suppose to handle small disputes. These shouting matching are usually over who has to compensate whom and how much.

+ Arugh……I don’t have that form. What do I do?

Don’t worry that much about it, just go to your local police station with all your hotel booking information (if you are living with a friend they need to go as well with with all their renting information) and ask for that form. You may be bullied with warnings and threats of fees and fines but I have never had to pay. Usually they say “You had better do it next time.”

+ What is the latest I should apply for the Visa.

You can apply on the very last day of your Visa deadline. If your visa is being processed then you are fine to stay in Shanghai and China. However my advice is always go at least go 1 day before, so if something does happen you still have 1 day to sort out your visa.

+How much does it cost?

I have just paid 160 rmb for my new tourist visa. I am a U.K citizen BUT this price changes for other nationalities.

+How long does the visa process take?

When I arrived I got my number and had to wait behing 88 people, this took about an hour. I don’t know the usually waiting time frame but the lines go fairly quickly and you have a place to sit down. However I didn’t found any free water fountains, so if you want a drink bring along a bottle of water.

+Where is it ?

Address :?1500 Ming Sheng Rd My route I took Line 2 to the Science and Technology Museum. Then headed out of exit 3, this is a long underground tunnel (last time I was there, there were posters of bras on the wall) Go up the stairs and go east ( YinCun Rd) , pass the first intersection and continue to the Entry – Exit Bureau(picture at the top). To Extend your Visa go to the 3rd floor and get a number right next to the escalators

+My visa has run out, will I be deported or put in Prison?

You can still get an extension but its up to the visa officers, my advice is to be polite. My friends have managed to get an extension after their visa ran out. However you could get a big fine. So get ready to pay extra money and to kiss some feet for your extension.

Any tips?

+ If you don’t want to travel all the way to Pudong to collect it, then get it sent to you by post. I have heard no problems with the express delivery. If you do want to do this you can save time by sorting out the postage while you are waiting for your number to be called. There is a small box room in the corner, where you can buy envelopes and photocopy your documents (which you need to do). Get this ready before you go the visa officers.

+If you want to use the postage service get a Chinese Person at your hotel to write your address down. Then get someone in the post office room to copy it.

+ Please plan ahead, the visa process usually takes a week. Which means you don’t have your passport for a week. So no traveling, changing hotels or going to an internet hole (a huge places where you can play games and use the internet).

+The visa officers can speak fairly good English so take it easy, you will be fine and ENJOY SHANGHAI.