General Information

Entry Procedures and Visa rules

Tourist visa

Visa Facility	Duration	Fee
Single entry	30 days	US$50 for US citizens and US$30 to other nationals
Double entry	30 days	US$75 for US citizens and US$45 to other nationals.
Multiple entry	6 months	US$100 for US citizens and US$60 to other nationals.

 

Visa extension fees

30 days extension can be obtained on single entry tourists visas which may vary at cost. Y185 should be paid by US citizens, Y165 by Canadians, and Y160 by Australians.

Overstaying your visa can cause you a penalty of Y500 per day.

 

Foreign currency and credit cards

You can change your foreign currency and travelers cheque at border crossings, international airports, branches of the Bank of China, tourists? hotel and some large departmental stores.

You can use Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus, Maestro, Plus and American Express (AmEx) at the Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. ATMs are available at Beijing Capital Airport, five-star hotels and some department stores.

Since most of the ATMs allow withdrawing Renminbi in domestic accounts only, it is advisable to open an account at the Bank of China if you plan to stay longer.

Credit cards aren?t usable everywhere, so it is better to carry enough cash with you.

 

Communication Facilities

Telephone services: The international dialing code is 86. There are area codes to different cities which are preceded by 0 while dialing within the country.

Internet services: Internet cafes offer the internet services to the tourists at reasonable price in major cities and coastal towns. Hotels dealing with international business travelers will also provide you access to internets.

Media: There are hundreds of local newspapers in China. The China Daily is the main English language here.