Single entry X2 Visa into Doble/Multiple entry Visa

[Kaiselin]

Hi, I have checked the forum regarding this topic but it seems that it has not been updated the past 2 years or so. 

 

The main question is: can I get a doble/multiple entry visa once I am in China? I'll be in Beijing for an exchange program this upcoming fall.

 

Thanks!

 

[abcdefg]

Quote

The main question is: can I get a doble/multiple entry visa once I am in China?

 

No, I don't think so. A visa must be issued by a Chinese consulate outside China. The most desirable visa "terms" are usually available when you do it in your home country, though sometimes a visa with good terms can also be had for a price in other places, such as Hong Kong. (Hong Kong is like a "foreign country" for visa purposes.) I don't know how the current civil unrest there (the riots) are affecting visa issuance. The Chinese Consulate in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is another option, though usually not as generous as the consulate in Hong Kong. 

 

Your visa can be "extended" while you are still in China by the entry-exit bureau of the PSB 公安局 of the city in which you live or one to which you have traveled. Beijing is more difficult than some other smaller cities. On-line tourist reports usually point to Leshan 乐山 in Sichuan 四川 as being a good place to extend a visa. They actually cancel your existing visa and issue a new one. However, I have never heard of the new visa being more than one single entry. The length of stay that is granted can vary from person to person. 

 

By the "terms" of a visa, I mean things like long length of each stay and multiple entries instead of single entry. 

[Kaiselin]

Hi, @abcdefg ! Thanks for your reply. 

 

So you mean nowadays most applicants don't get doble/multiple entry visas for China?

 

I wonder if once I finish my studies I decide to go out of China and then enter again since I am allowed to enter the country and stay for 30 days as a tourist. The main reason I would go back to Beijing is because my flight back home. 

 

Ever heard of someone trying to do that?

 

Thanks.

[roddy]

Have you applied for your visa yet? Best thing to do is to say during the application how many entries you want, and perhaps provide evidence (flight bookings, for example).

 

If you've already got the visa - not sure. If you're only coming back for a flight, would a transit visa be enough?

[Kaiselin]

Hi @roddy ! Much appreciate your comment.

 

Yes, I already applied for the X2 visa type. On the application form I chose the multiple entry option but once I visited the visa center they automatically changed it to single-entry. 

I guess I will try to find out about getting a doble-entry once I am in Beijing with the help of my university in Beijing. 

 

[abcdefg]

3 hours ago, roddy said:

If you're only coming back for a flight, would a transit visa be enough?

 

A 144-hour transit without visa TWOV might apply. It depends on several factors. Here's a link: TWOV

 

3 hours ago, Kaiselin said:

On the application form I chose the multiple entry option but once I visited the visa center they automatically changed it to single-entry. 

 

What they will give you depends a lot on where you are from. (You haven't said where you are from.)

 

Quote

I guess I will try to find out about getting a doble-entry once I am in Beijing with the help of my university in Beijing.

 

That's a good idea.

[Kaiselin]

Hi everybody!

 

I wanted to update this topic based on my past experience. I recently went to Malaysia and Singapore and got back to China to finish my studies.

 

I managed to get an additional entry through my university's International Student Office (ISO). They pretty much did the whole paperwork and process for me. I just had to pay about 700 RMB for 1 entry and had to go the center where they took a picture of me and signed some paper. 

 

I basically got a new X2 visa which allowed me to get back to China. So yeah, it is possible to go out of China while on X2 visa. When you are on X1 visa it is not required to apply for entries, you can travel abroad without problems (as far as I know).

 

Good luck!