Travelling to Beijing on an out of date passport

[roddy]

I don't know - I wonder if airports actually have more experience with people with visa issues, and are more likely to be able to find someone who knows what to do. Like 889 says, they have PSB offices. 

[xinoxanu]

Hitch-hiking in China definitely possible... before the coronavirus. Now people are more scared than ever, specially of laowai.

 

Yes, flying probably won't be better. The airline's staff will be clueless, and they won't assist you because it's not their job. At best, they'll contact airport security/police office on-site, but the 没办法 will be strong with them and you'll end up at your 派出所 either way.

 

My advice: emergency line > consulate phone number > police station > if solved, then normal trip to Beijing... if not, then > bus to Beijing > 24/7 Mcdonald's or 7/11 > bang the Consulate's door

[889]

Didn't this come up before here a few weeks ago? And wasn't the answer that the UK embassy could only issue you an emergency travel document good to get you back to the UK? And to get that didn't you have to show bookings and actually plan to travel?

[mungouk]

Not sure if it's relevant as I'm only just scanning this fast-moving thread over breakfast, but the UK Consular WeChat account posted this a couple of days ago regarding the re-opening of passport renewal services in China:

Important Update: Renewing British Passport in China

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JhSWuZx9K4fBVoil0XhvIw

 

(Phased re-opening of VFS Global centres from 1st June.)

[Flickserve]

Hope you get it faster than me.

 

Mine has been at Liverpool and being held up for some reason.

 

I know it's being held up because someone else posted in a Facebook group that their passport got issues the next day. And the passport office received that later than mine.

[ChTTay]

Isn’t there a Visa Application Center near you?

There’s one in Shenyang... but perhaps only some can do renewals? Do you know? 

 

UK passport renewal is handled by them usually. I did mine in the Beijing one a few years ago. Same place as all the Chinese people wanting UK visas so it was quite chaotic. 

[abcdefg]

On 6/9/2020 at 3:52 AM, StChris said:

Does Beijing have public baths? In Harbin, some of them are open 24/7. I've had friends who have gone to one to bathe and sleep after a night at the bars or the internet cafe. That would solve both sleeping and washing arrangements.

 

In Kunming these large sauna/bath house places usually require ID at the front desk as you check in. It has been that way for the last two or three years. Sometimes they even make a photocopy of my passport. This is true even when you tell them you will only be there for a few hours, that you don't intend to stay overnight. Not exactly the same drill as a hotel, but similar.  

 

When you look up the web page for these establishments, they often have "hotel" in the official name. After all, they do offer overnight lodging plus meals in addition to bathing, soaking, steam and so on. For example: XYZ温泉酒店 or XYZ浴场酒店。

 

 

[StChris]

14 hours ago, 889 said:

Didn't this come up before here a few weeks ago? And wasn't the answer that the UK embassy could only issue you an emergency travel document good to get you back to the UK? And to get that didn't you have to show bookings and actually plan to travel?

 

The situation changed, as the regular passport renewal service opened again. The emergency passport isn't a great option - the Harbin immigration police say they have never heard of such a thing and so can't transfer a visa to there, plus you have to give a specific date for leaving, which the frequency of flight cancellations makes a risky concept (a day's delay would render the passport useless). With a regular passport (which is now an option) and can get a new visa and wait until flights are back to normal.

 

14 hours ago, mungouk said:

Not sure if it's relevant as I'm only just scanning this fast-moving thread over breakfast, but the UK Consular WeChat account posted this a couple of days ago regarding the re-opening of passport renewal services in China:

Important Update: Renewing British Passport in China

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JhSWuZx9K4fBVoil0XhvIw

 

(Phased re-opening of VFS Global centres from 1st June.)

 

Thanks, they already emailed me the same info over a week ago (I admit that I'm a little tardy in checking my emails). I contacted them in April to try to sort out the situation then, so they already had my contact details. The big sticking point for me is the still the need to travel to Beijing (with all the difficulties that entails for someone without a valid ID). If I can convince them to accept a Wechat interview, then things will be very simple.

 

11 hours ago, ChTTay said:

Isn’t there a Visa Application Center near you?

 

Nearest is Beijing. Only Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou and shanghai offices can take passport applications. Of the three, Shanghai is the only one I've never been to. Maybe I could make this into a little city break.

12 hours ago, Flickserve said:

Hope you get it faster than me.

 

Mine has been at Liverpool and being held up for some reason.

 

I know it's being held up because someone else posted in a Facebook group that their passport got issues the next day. And the passport office received that later than mine.

 

I'm hope you get yours soon, but I'm also hoping that they give priority to people living abroad - sorry ?

[Flickserve]

51 minutes ago, StChris said:

I'm hope you get yours soon, but I'm also hoping that they give priority to people living abroad - sorry ?

 

Going by my case, living abroad is no benefit.

[StChris]

54 minutes ago, Flickserve said:

Going by my case, living abroad is no benefit.

 

When you mentioned Liverpool I assumed that you were applying in the UK. I'm in no massive rush to leave China, so I don't mind waiting, I just want to know that my passport is on the way. I hope yours comes through soon.

 

I tried to call both the Beijing embassy and the Chongqing consulate - no answer as usual and they just transfer me to London like yesterday. I'll try again in the afternoon and try to speak to the FCO again if I get transferred, but I doubt they'll be any more useful than last time. It looks like I'm going to be at the mercy of the Chinese authorities, I'm certainly not getting any help for the UK ones. 

[StChris]

@Flickserve what documents did you have to provide to apply for the passport? Could I just write a letter and get my school to sign it for the "Name and address and/or residency evidence" part?

 

 

As I suspected, the passport office has been privatised, so the embassy and FCO can pretty much just was their hands of any problems. My visa extension expired today, so I'm now paying 500 RMB a day fine for the pleasure of being here (only up to 10,000, fortunately). I'm hoping the police will take pity on me when the time comes. We'll see.

 

I've sent an email requesting an appointment in Beijing. Whether or not I'll actually be able to get there or not is another question entirely.

[Flickserve]

1 hour ago, StChris said:

Could I just write a letter and get my school to sign it for the "Name and address and/or residency evidence" part?

 

The utility bills are in my name so that was my evidence. In fact, I provided two different utility bills in case they had a problem with one of them to be on the safe side. 

[StChris]

5 hours ago, Flickserve said:

The utility bills are in my name so that was my evidence. In fact, I provided two different utility bills in case they had a problem with one of them to be on the safe side.

 

Did you have to get them translated into English, or did you just leave them in Chinese? I don't think I have any utility bills, it's all payed via wechat. I'll have to search for something else.

[Flickserve]

52 minutes ago, StChris said:

 

Did you have to get them translated into English, or did you just leave them in Chinese?

In HK, they are already printed in English.

 

Can you do a letter from your employer having shown them the contract agreement for the rental?

[StChris]

2 hours ago, Flickserve said:

Can you do a letter from your employer having shown them the contract agreement for the rental?

 

I'm studying, not working. Maybe a letter from my school confirming attendance or something would suffice? The will probably ask me to write the letter a I'm not sure their English will be up to it. I don't suppose it matters what it is, so long as it has my name and address.

[Flickserve]

How about bank account statements? Sorry if that sounds completely off. I am not familiar with the goings on in China. 

 

School sending you an official letter would be helpful.

 

Me being the risk averse sort of person would try to submit two pieces of evidence of address if possible for validity.

[StChris]

Update:

 

I found out that even though they won't accept posted applications, you can get somebody else to submit the application in person on your behalf (sounds strange, but I guess they are just trying to avoid responsibility for any documents lost in the post). Luckily I do know someone in Beijing, she she is enough of a friend that it doesn't sound awkward to ask this favour (I'll make it up to her next time we meet). I waited a while until that local Beijing outbreak had come under control before asking her, as I know she was pretty scared the first time the virus hit and didn't want to make her feel she had to go outside if she didn't feel safe. I'm sending all documents today.

 

The flights are all still pretty messed up at the moment, so I don't think I will be heading home anytime soon anyway, even if the new passport does arrive quicker than expected. I'm not desperate to leave, but definitely want to be back home before the end of the year.

 

Regarding the fine for the overstayed visa, my school thinks I might have a chance of avoiding it so long as I have proof that it was not possible to leave or to obtain a new passport during the virus period. They said an official letter from the embassy would be the best thing, but the UK embassy having exactly been helpful so far, so I don't hold too much hope of them giving me a hand.

[Flickserve]

Just to let you know I received my new passport a few days back.

 

Documents received 28 April

Application being processed 12 May

Application approved 24 June!

Passport printed and sent 25 June.

 

Through another group that I am in, a person in UK had sent their passport in and had it approved within 2days in the first week of June.

 

 8 weeks for mine is mystifying though fortunately I am not needing to travel.

[StChris]

16 hours ago, Flickserve said:

Through another group that I am in, a person in UK had sent their passport in and had it approved within 2days in the first week of June.

 

 8 weeks for mine is mystifying though fortunately I am not needing to travel.

 

Glad you got yours sorted out. 

 

I'm hoping they take one look at mine and think "damn, this guy is in China with an expired passport, let's get this one done ASAP", but maybe I'm having too much hope in the bureaucracy.