Entering China without proof of onward travel

[cStyle]

I plan on traveling to China for at least one semester to study Mandarin. I have a US Passport and I will come with a valid X-Visa. As I do not know how long I will stay, I do not want to book my return flight to the US yet.

-Do I need proof of onward voyage (out of the country) to get in, or is the X-visa sufficient?

-Do you recommend I bring proof of funds with me?

Thanks

[roddy]

Immigration on arrival in China won't care, you'll walk through without a second glance. However, airlines can sometimes go to excessive lengths to cover themselves - see here.

[BrandeX]

If you take a Chinese airline it's no problem. American based ones would be the ones that might ask you for a return ticket because they don't know any better. Frankly no one in China cares, but some other countries do, so it's kind of a blanket policy for American/Western airline companies. Heck, when I came to China, I didn't even go through customs since I had to fill out a baggage claim form first, and the security personel who check already left. I just walked out the gate with my bags (coulda had anything on me but it was just clothes haha). Welcome to China!

[Lu]

Did that a few years ago, without any trouble (forgot what kind of visa exactly, but must have been a tourist visa). I was told that if anyone asked, I should just say that I planned to take a train out. But nobody asked.

[Rincewind]

I frequently go in and out of china with single tickets or ever no tickets (walk across the border) and never get asked for proof of a return ticket. The requirement of most countries is that you have the ability to leave the country. That doesn't need to be a ticket, it can simply be showing a bank statement showing that you have enough funds pay for your stay and your journey. There is another thread that discusses airlines who are fussy about this. I think it's a scam on the airline's part to trick people into buying return tickets when they don't want to do so.

[here2learn]

I've entered twice from the US, on United Airlines and some other american one (don't remember now) and neither time did anyone ask to see any further tickets or anything about how much money I had. Both times I only had the one-way ticket I was currently using. I also traveled by train to and from Mongolia /China, with one way tickets both ways.

Coming into China 3x no one ever asked how I planned on leaving.

[cdn_in_bj]

Coming into China, no one has ever asked to see my ticket. I once had to buy a one-way ticket to BJ, the most trouble I had was from my travel agent who cited the rule about proof of onward travel. I told her it was ok (plus I was coming in on a Z visa) and since I had booked all of my previous trips with her she said "you know better than I" and issued me the ticket. At the airport (departing Canada) no one gave me problems, but I may have been lucky there.

[flameproof]

American based ones would be the ones that might ask you for a return ticket because they don't know any better.

They check their database and interpret it maybe differently. Let's have an example of such an airline database for Delta....:

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/

National U.S.A. (US)

Destination CHINA (PEOPLE'S REP.) (CN)

CHINA (PEOPLE'S REP.) (CN)

Passport and visa required.

Valid visas in expired passports are accepted provided holding

valid passport of the same nationality.

visitor must hold all documents for next destination and

sufficient funds to cover stay.

Travel to Tibet will also require a special Tibet Entry Permit.

Non-compliance with entry regulations will result in

deportation of passenger by same or returning aircraft.

Fines for the transporting carrier varying between CNY 500.-

and CNY 2,000.- will be levied for each passenger with an

additional fine varying between CNY 5,000.- and CNY 10,000.-.

Note: immigration is now carrying out stronger document checks.

===================

all documents for next destination could be interpreted as "onward ticket". I would strongly suggest to check with the airline before you go and have something written in hand.