New Tips on Travel to China, China Visa,
and Customer Regulations

By Dan Hua - China Business Expert - October 2006

2008 Beijing Olympics Tour Package Information!

China Visa Requirements

For more detailed information check out of entire page dedicated to China Visas.

To enter the People’s Republic of China, a U.S. citizen must have a valid U.S. passport and Chinese visa. Americans arriving without valid passports and Chinese visas are generally not permitted to enter China and may also be subject to fines. Please do not rely on Chinese host organizations claiming to be able to arrange visa issuance upon arrival.

For information about entry requirements and restricted areas, travelers may consult the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). (See addresses list at the end of this pamphlet.) For a list of services and frequently asked visa questions and answers, travelers can view the Chinese Embassy’s web sites at www.china-embassy.org, or visa@china-embassy.org.

Visas are required to transit China, even if one is only changing flights at an airport. Persons transiting China on the way to and from Mongolia or North Korea or who plan to re-enter from the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions should be sure to obtain visas allowing multiple entries. Permits are required to visit Tibet as well as many remote areas not normally open to foreigners.

Travelers should note that international flights departing China are routinely overbooked, making reconfirmation of departure reservations and early airport check-in essential. Passengers must pay a RMB 90 airport user fee (approximately $12 US) when departing China on international flights and RMB 50 airport fee (approximately US $7.20) for all domestic flights.

Americans who overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their Chinese visas will be subject to fines and departure delays and may be subject to detention.

In addition to the requirements above, long-term visitors to China may be required to provide evidence of an AIDS test.

Americans who plan to work in China must obtain a work visa before they begin working. There have recently been a number of cases where Americans who entered on a tourist visa were found to be working without the required visa and consequently asked to depart China after paying a fine. In some cases, employers have asked the Americans to begin working while promising to obtain the work visa. However, according to the Public Security Bureau, applying for a change of visa while already working is considered a violation of the law.

Passport Information

Remember to safeguard your U.S. passport. The loss or theft of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the police in the city where the loss occurs as well as to the U.S. embassy or nearest consulate general. Americans who give away or sell their passport in China could lead to arrest and prosecution in both China and in the United States.

When you get your visa photos taken, make sure you get two extra copies, so that you can use them as passport photos so that they will be available in case of loss or theft of your passport. Keep these extra photos in a secure place separate from your passport.

To obtain a U.S. passport for a minor under age 14, both parents’ signatures are now required on the passport application form, or, if only one parent is applying, a signed statement from the non-applying parent, or evidence proving sole custody of the minor. For more information, please refer to the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Internet site at http://travel.state.gov.

Customs Regulations

For more detail, check out our entire page dedicated to Travel to China and Important Contact Info while you are there.

Items such as watches, radios, cameras, and calculators imported duty free for personal use may not be transferred or sold to others. Gifts and articles carried on behalf of others must be declared to the customs inspector and are subject to duty.
Chinese customs regulations prohibit the import or export of the following items:

( a) arms, ammunition, and explosives;
(b) radio transmitter-receivers and principal parts;
(c) Chinese currency (renminbi);
(d) books, films, records, tapes, etc. which are “detrimental to China’s politics, economy, culture, and ethics” (e.g. pornographic or religious content)
(e) poisonous drugs and narcotics;
(f) infected animal or plant products; and
(g) infected foodstuffs.

Note: Videotapes may be confiscated by Chinese customs to determine that they do not violate prohibitions noted in item (d), above. Tapes are sometimes held for several months before being returned. (There is no guarantee that they will ever be returned.)

Export of the following items is also prohibited:

(a) valuable cultural relics and rare books relating to Chinese history, culture, and art;
(b) rare animals, rare plants and their seeds; and
(c) precious metals and diamonds and articles made from them.

Antiques and imitations approved for export are marked with a red wax seal.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, improper glazing of some dinnerware for sale in China can cause lead contamination in food. Therefore, unless you have proof of its safety, dinnerware purchased in China should be used for decorative purposes only. Chinese commercial shipments of dinnerware to the United States are tested to conform to U.S. safety standards.

Movie cameras and videotaping equipment should be declared upon entry into China.

Chinese customs officials encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and/or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes. ATA Carnet Headquarters, located at the U.S. Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, issues and guarantees the ATA Carnet in the United States. For additional information, please call telephone (212) 354-4480, or send e-mail to atacarnet@uscib.org or visit http://www.uscib.org for details.

Information concerning regulations and procedures governing items that may be brought into China is available through the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the United States. (See the Chinese Embassy and consulates addresses listed at the end of this pamphlet.)

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