Overstaying your visa

2018-07-13

When visiting China, it is crucial to understand your visa rules. One of the most important of these is exactly how long you have until your visa expires. If a foreigner’s total length of stay in China exceeds the appointed time on the visa, they will face some consequences that may become significant.

Exceeding Your Stay:

 Overstaying your visa is a very simple concept: you stayed in China longer than your visa says you can. If your visa says that you can only stay until 09/20, then anytime after midnight that evening will be considered overstayed.

Even if you are at the airport through immigration and have a flight early the next morning the same night your visa expires, you will be marked as someone who has overstayed. However, if you have already purchased a ticket for a time prior to your visa expiration, and the carrier moves the time back, then you will not be held accountable for the overstay.

                                            

What to do after overstaying?

If you find yourself with a lower level overstay, you will want to be professional when handling the situation. Apologize to the authorities, pay the fine you have accumulated and apply for an exit permit to leave the country.

 

How to Prevent Unintentional Overstay?

 To prevent an overstay, there is one thing that you MUST do: Leave before your visa expires. Very simple, just make note of the expiration date of your visa, and plan to leave before then. However, if you do for some reason have to stay beyond your limit, you can apply for a 7 day visa extension.

  Officially, you can apply 4 weeks in advance by going to Hong Kong, doing this is technically considered leaving china.

 Go to your local Exit and Entry Administration Bureau, provide your passport, form of temporary residence registration, and one two-inch color portrait photo against a white background. Finally, you must go in person to sign the application form for a visa and residence permit for foreigners. No one can do this for you.

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