Well, I was hopeful that stories of complicated visa renewal application procedures were confined to areas near Beijing. Not so. In order to apply for my 30 day visa renewal here in Xi’an in central China, I required the following:
- Passport copies
- Copy of pages showing my signature and photo and passport details
- Copy of page showing my entry date into China
- Copy of page showing current visa
- One passport-sized photo
- Proof that I have 100USD per day in available funds for the duration of my applied visa duration. In my case, I had to show I had 3,000USD in available funds for my 30 day extension. The funds could be made up of any combination of cash, savings, or credit card credit. Yay for credit cards. It saved my bacon.
- Proof of flight out of China. My flight is for the 7th of October, so is outside the expiry date of my visa renewal. This did not create any great concern. I asked for a 60 day extension, but “that is impossible” was the reply.
- 160RMB (16 Euro) for processing fee.
- Photocopy of my lodging receipt from my hotel (Ludao International Youth Hostel).
As for the proof of funds, a print out of my online banking statement sufficed. I have no idea how you would get on if you were planning to exit China into southeast Asia via a land border. I guess they would want to see an onward visa.
Welcome to China, our foreign friends!
Phfischhhh. More like sod off, you foreign devils.
I've just about completed a third photo album of 300 photos each and I've not got out of Xinjiang Province yet!
As a fellow casualty of this Olympic madness (actually it drove me out to SE Asia where I'm waiting in exile), I have to say hats off to Rob for how he's doing.
It might be possible to cross land borders right now, but proof of intent to do so (bookings + visa of other country) won't work in lieu of an outward plane ticket for an extension. Coming into China, land border intent won't work for a visa, it must be an inward + outward plane ticket
That said, I'm still not even 100% sure about land borders now. I was about to enter China overland through Laos but changed it. Things just seem too variable and whimsical with the bureaucracy now.
Since you are in Xi'an, I assume you'll be visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors; if it's NOT on your list, you MUST add it (time willing of course). It's a modern wonder!