Visa Grief

[Horse]

Because of the Expo, China is tightening up on visas as I'm sure eveyone knows.

The student visa I was on expired at the end of March. I went down to HK to get an L visa, so I'm now good til the end of April.

I can renew this once in Qingdao, but after that it looks like I'm going to have to do another visa run.

Korea is very near, but I'm also looking at Taiwan. From what I've read people coming from Taiwan have to get their visas via HK. Is that still the case??

Does anyone have any experience of visa runs to either of these places?? Ideally I'd like to go to Taiwan.

Cheers

[chrix]

As far as I know you haven't been able to get Chinese visas in Taiwan since 2000.

[abcdefg]

Not difficult in Seoul.

[Horse]

Yeah this is what I thought. I've just got back from a well hectic trip to HK so I'm not doing that again. Looks like Korea from here will be my best bet

[Horse]

That's good to hear. Do they have the express 24 hr service in Seoul?

[abcdefg]

Do they have the express 24 hr service in Seoul?

They did when I last checked, about two years ago.

[Lu]

Yeah, you can't get Chinese visa in Taiwan.

For visa runs, I've heard good things about Macau as well. This was for runs for Taiwanese visa, so check if they have Chinese visa too, but apparently it's a nice city for a short stop, and close to China too.

[abcdefg]

For visa runs, I've heard good things about Macau as well.

Yes. That works fine. Only problem is that once in Macau, you may never want to leave. It's a terrific place to have fun.

[jobin]

Please, do tell, abcdefg, what are the fun things in Macau? I have been to some casinos and found them intolerably smoky. If you know of no-smoke casino, let me know. What else to do? Can walk the entire town in 2 days, eat 2 kinds of foods (Portuguese and chinese), visit high priced girls (for foot massage!!), view sidewalk tiles of fish and shrimp, etc. Ha, sleeping there one night i got a good case of bedbugs! not so fun. really though, i like the place too and next time will seek out the far side of the colonia island, hope to swim along the 'black sand beach'. sorry, can't help with visa issue. i will need to return to usa and there will renew mine.

[MissRin]

Hi there

I'd be inclined to head for S Korea from Qingdao. Its only a 2 and a half hour journey isn't it? I would imagine it being a lot more organised and easy to do there than HK.