Search  
  Find Travel Companions  

more...

  Forum  
How to Renew and Extend your China (L) Tourist Visa from Shanghai
Posted by: Forum Edito ... Forum Editor's Posts
Post time: 16-Jun-2008  15:16
Passport & Visa, News

This news just in. Although rumors are saying you must renew your L visa from Hong Kong, today a reliable source informed us that you CAN renew your L visa from Shanghai's Entry & Exit Bureau in Pudong. It takes one week to process your visa and costs 150 RMB.

What you need to bring: Passport, a photocopy of the pink registration form you got at the police station and 1 photo. They provide applications for you to fill out while you are there. Be prepared to wait for 2 to 5 hours. It's a busy place these days.

FACT: You can renew your L visa up to two times and will get 30 days per renewal (90 days in total) AND you don't need to go to Hong Kong for this, but can actually get it done hassle free.

Visa pick up: One week later, you can pick up your visa in Pudong. This time, the line-ups are not excruciating. Half hour max and you will be in and out.  When you arrive to renew your visa, you can also specify if you will come in person to pick it up OR if you would like to have your passport delivered to your home or office for the price of 30 RMB delivery fee.

How to get a temporary passport: If you plan on traveling within China while your visa is being processed, simply bring an extra photo and they will provide you (for free) with a special document with a photo and official stamp that functions as a temporary passport.

How to Get There:

The Entry & Exit Bureau office is where we foreigners need to go to extend our visa, change our visa, or apply or make changes to our residence permits. This is NOT where one gets their Temporary Resident's permits (commonly known as the "yellow slip" even though its blue as of 2006, and pink as of 2007) THAT document is obtained at your local PSB office, your landlord or management company should direct you there.

1500 Ming Sheng Rd, take the Line 2 Metro. The bureau is 10 mins walk from the station at the Science and Technology Museum. When you get to that station, exit via Exit #3. Exit 3 takes you a few hundred meters underground before you walk up the flight of stairs.

As you exit via the top of the stairs, you will be facing East. Walk forward (eastbound) along that street (YinCun Rd). You will cross the first intersection (called HeHuan Rd) then continue past the Pudong Expo Building.

The following building on the right is one with a slanted top. THIS is the building housing the Entry & Exit Bureau. The Visa / resident's permit office is on the 3rd floor. Be sure to take a number on the way in.

For those taking a car, the Bureau office is at the corner of Ming Sheng Rd and YinCun Rd. at 1500 Ming Sheng Rd.

[Last edited by Forum Editor on 20-Jun-2008  10:46]

Share

Post by: jeffcoe  Time: 3-Jul-2008  13:12
What is the "pink registration form"?
Post by: tumbleweed  Time: 3-Jul-2008  13:17
The "pink registration form" is the form you get when you register at the police station when you first arrive in China. To get this form, you need to go to your local police station within a week of arrival, show proof of a Chinese address (lease for house or lease of person you are staying with) and you need to bring photocopies of your passport and visa.
Post by: invidia  Time: 16-Jul-2008  22:20
Useful post, thanks a lot! How many days in advance does one have to come and apply for visa extension - in other words, should I allow 5-7 days for process time, or even the last day is okay?
Post by: lion lady  Time: 17-Jul-2008  9:08
Hi invidia,
If you are dropping off your visa at the Entry & Exit Bureau yourself (not going through an agency), you should be fine to drop it off on the last day of your visa. Processing time is not something you need to worry about, in this case. However, to be on the safe side, you should try to drop it off a day earlier, just to be on the safe side. As long as your visa is in their office before it expires, all is well. Good luck.
Post by: Zagfred  Time: 17-Jul-2008  14:50
Hi!

Very useful info. As I have been given diff stories before my departure and during my stay in Shanghai. The Chinese Consulate told me via e-mail that I could renew my tourist visa at the local public security bureau (police station) before my departure for Shanghai. NOT!! I just came back from the local police station this afternoon this afternoon, and I got is the "REGISTRATION FORM OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE" (white form). I was told or "warned" that I should have got it done earlier or risk a fine. If you were to refer to your departure card upon entry, read :" 1. Aliens who do not lodge at hoteles, etc. shall withn 24hrs of entry, go thru accommodation reg at local police station; 2. Aliens holding visas Z, X or J1 shall within 30 days of entry, apply for Residence Permits to the exit-entry department of the public service bureau of the city where the applicants reside...."
Anyway, it's long confusing wait at the police station - no Q numbers, no clear indication of services etc. Worst, when there was crying family feud, the other "public servants" left their desk unattended to provide advice!!!
Well, I will try my luck at 1500 Ming Sheng Rd tomorrow...early just to avoid the crowd and further frustration! Thanks.
Post by: invidia  Time: 18-Jul-2008  15:15
Hey, we just came back from Minsheng 1500. Used the excellent guidance at the top of the page to find the building. I noticed, early morning sees huge crowds that thin out significantly in the afternoon. We waited an hour and a half from 10.30 (had 120 people in front of us according to the number)
They kept two counters open throughout lunch time, nice. Service was rapid: all that we needed was passport, application form with glued photo and a copy of police registration. Pick up (and 160 yuan) is on the same day next week. Good luck, everyone!
Post by: Zagfred  Time: 18-Jul-2008  16:20
Hi! Same as above. Just got back from Min Sheng 1500, Followed the instr and took Exit 3, then, decided it's too confusing and too hot to walk, so took a bike ride (approached those guys on motorbike waiting outside Exit 3) for RMB 5, and was promptly dropped off in front of the building in less than 5 mins, BUT this ride is not for the weak-hearted!
Reached 3rd floor at abt 9:45am, and was given Q no: 140 - they were serving Q no.40-50 then, but quite a few counters were opened. Picked up the form at the central pillar (many diff forms in the circular pigeon holes), then, went to the row of tables (pens, glue provided) to fill up the info etc, and the waiting game started!
Surprisingly, my no, was shown on screen at about 11am! Went to the counter, submitted the photo-copy of the "Registration Form of Temp Residence" (need original for verification) and answered a few questions, and it's done. BUT since I didn't want to waste time picking up the passport, so I asked for courier service as well as a temp travel document (need another photo). I was then told I needed to go to another counter to buy the courier mail envelop (you need to fill in address, hp contact details on the envelop etc.) for RMB 30, and bring the envelop and receipt back to the counter for processing. So you want to do that, you should do it earlier at that counter (it also provides photo-copying service etc.) to save time.

I left the counter at 11:10am!! Not too bad! I was expecting the worst! 1 last thing...need only to pay the courier RMB160 upon receiving your passport! (COD)!!
Post by: Zagfred  Time: 25-Jul-2008  10:22
Hi!
Just a quick update from my earlier post..

I received my passport (with my visa extended for another 30 days) at my door step this morning at 8:30am!!! I was abit annoyed at first, wondering who would be knocking on my door before 9am, and I was pleasantly "shocked" to see the courier with my passport, and paid the 160RMB happily (COD)!!

It took exactly 7 days from application processing to delivery!! Well-done! I'm impressed.

By the way, there is a note in my passport stating that I could reapply my Shanghai residence permit online at : http://218.242.152.134/eemis_tydic/index.jsp or enter via: http://gaj.sh.gov.cn, but the website is mainly in Chinese. Good luck all!
Post by: Forum Edit ...  Time: 25-Jul-2008  13:26
Hi Zagfred,
Thanks for the detailed update. It's nice to hear someone not being screwed over for once...
Post by: marielaflo ...  Time: 4-Aug-2008  13:24
I KNOW A FEW WEEKS PASSED SINCE THE LAST POST, PLEASE COULD SOMEONE CONFIRM IF THIS WAY OF GETTING AN L VISA RENEWAL IN SHANGHAI IS POSSIBLE THESE DAYS ??? JUST TODAY I WENT TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE BUREAU IN BEIJING, AND THE NEW WAY IS TO GET A BANK ACCOUNT WITH A 3000 USD DEPOSIT, I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT DONE IN SHANGHAI, BUT AS I WORK IN BEIJING: COULD I GO TO SHANGHAI ONE DAY TO DO ALL THE PAPERWORK, COME BACK TO BEIJING AND WAIT FOR THE DELIVERY?? DOES THE DELIVERY COST INCLUDES SENDING THE PASSPORT TO BEIJING OR ANY OTHER PROVINCE? THANKS IN ADVANCE.