Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ing to go on a longer course, you have to fill in an additional form, available from Chinese
embassies, and will also need a health certificate; then you'll be issued with an X visa, valid
for a year, and renewable.
CHINESE EMBASSIES ABROAD
Australia
au.china-embassy.org
Canada
ca.china-embassy.org
Ireland
ie.china-embassy.org/eng
New Zealand
www.chinaembassy.org.nz
South Africa
za.china-embassy.org
Visa extensions
Once in China, a
first extension
to a tourist visa, valid for a month, is easy to obtain; most
Europeans pay
￥
160 for this, Americans a little more. To apply for an extension, go to the
“Aliens Entry Exit Department” of the
PSB
offices. The staff will
keep your passport
for
three working days; note that you can't change money, or even book into a new hotel, while
they've got it. Subsequent applications for extensions will be refused unless you have a good
reason to stay, such as illness. They'll reluctantly give you a couple of extra days if you have
a flight out of the country booked; otherwise, you'll be brusquely ordered to leave the coun-
try.
Don't
overstay
your visa even for a few hours - the fine is
￥
500 per day, and if you're
caught at the airport with an out-of-date visa the hassle that will follow may mean you'll miss
your flight.
Customs allowances
You're allowed to
import
into China up to 400 cigarettes, 2 litres of alcohol, 590ml of per-
fume and up to 50g of gold or silver. You can't take in more than
￥
6000, and foreign cur-
rency in excess of US$5000 or the equivalent must be declared. It's illegal to import printed
or filmed matter critical of the country, but confiscation is rare in practice.
Export restrictions
apply on any items over 100 years old that you might buy in China.
Taking these items out of the country requires an export form, available from the
Friendship
approval is given on the spot. You needn't be unduly concerned about the process - the “an-
tiques” you commonly see for sale are all fakes anyway.
