How do I present this when traveling?

[jgraham11]

So I just got a new passport recently and they didn't remove my Chinese visa from my old passport. It's stitched in to my old passport they sent back and I'm wondering if I have to have it taken out and stitched into my new one? Or can I just take my old passport along with my new one do it that way? 

 

I feel like that would be a problem waiting to happen when arriving in China though. Anybody know if that works? The reason I'm hesitant to take the visa out of my old passport is because I don't want to damage it

[889]

DON'T TAKE THE VISA OUT OF YOUR OLD PASSPORT!

 

Just carry both old and new passports. You'll need to present both when checking in at the airport, when passing immigration, when checking-in at hotels, etc. It's possible clerks at some hotels may be puzzled by two passports at first, but they'll figure it out.

[jgraham11]

Yeah that's all I was worried about was someone in Customs or something being confused by it. I can live with a hotel clerk being confused though. Thanks 

[guest1234]

removed

[Tomsima]

I currently have two passports, I renewed my residence permit so that the new permit is in the new passport, but my entry stamp is in the old passport. Even though the old passport is considered invalid as a passport, it is still treated as an extension of your new passport, and (as i have found out the hard way) should be carried together with the new passport. Previous visas, entry stamps, and even your old passport number is still relevant (my new passport number is different to my 結婚證 passport number, so the old passport is still 'valid' for this reason). 

[889]

Bagua: He says he is in the U.S., in Boston, so I have assumed he is American and has one of those wonderful ten-year multiple-entry visas. When you receive this visa, there's normally a small slip inclosed explaining that the visa remains good after the passport expires:

 

https://www.traveldocs.com/blog/Valid-10-Year-Chinese-Visa-in-Expired-U.S.-Passport-blogpost91

[guest1234]

Thats very interesting. Good to know. Was not sure as the question stated that "when arriving in China" and I needed a new visa in my valid passport to fly as the airline would not except an old passport with visa and the new passport did not have a visa.

Just read the above. .

 

Just read above. That great, I need one of them I can only get 2 years.

[anonymoose]

On ‎08‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 6:47 PM, bagua said:

I do not know what passport you have but if it was a uk passport then you need another visa.

 

Wrong. Please don't just make things up and state them here as fact.

 

From the visaforchina.org website (official Chinese visa service in the UK):

 

Quote

(7)An expired UK passport with a valid Chinese visa is good for travelling to China while it is used together with a new valid UK passport bearing the same name ,sex ,data of birth and nationality. If any changes are made to the above mentioned information on the new passport , a new visa shall be applied.

 

[DavyJonesLocker]

I checked my passport (EU one). I changed it last year but didn't need a new  Chinese visa. I left and returned a few times during this period Just remember to bring both!

[roddy]

On 09/04/2018 at 9:52 PM, anonymoose said:

Wrong. Please don't just make things up and state them here as fact.

Oh come on. Only two years ago people were being told to get residence permits transferred to new passports, the poster himself (who's now removed his post and account) said he'd needed to get a visa transferred in the past. It's hardly 'making things up' if someone makes the mistake of thinking that applies today, to visas. A friendly correction is all that's needed:

 

* That might have been the case previously, but...

* If you check this link you'll see...

[anonymoose]

Fair enough. But someone in this situation, who comes here specifically to find an answer, will then go to an awful lot of unnecessary hassle and expense just because they've read an answer from someone who does not know what they're talking about. Could I have put it more friendly? Yes. But the original post was still irresponsible. 

[DavyJonesLocker]

On 08/04/2018 at 5:38 PM, jgraham11 said:

Yeah that's all I was worried about was someone in Customs or something being confused by it. I can live with a hotel clerk being confused though. Thanks 

 

 

They (immigration & customs) are well used to it, the visa is tied to the Passport number anyway, so you need both. 

 

When does your old passport expire, the visa expiry date can't be past the passport expiry date. I had a situation in that I had my passport had 10 months left or so but I was applying for a 12m Work visa. You need to think ahead actually as my embassy is the slowest in the world and the new Chinese visa system is pretty slow too. Took me 6 weeks to get a new passport and then near 2 months even with all the paperwork to hand, to get the Chinese visa. 

[889]

"When does your old passport expire, the visa expiry date can't be past the passport expiry date."

 

Let me take Rodney's good advice and say this as gently as possible:

 

You're dead wrong!

 

At least in the case of Americans -- like the OP here -- China commonly issues visas for terms of ten years, with expiration dates falling well beyond the passports' expiration dates. In the case of Canadians, though, I think Chinese visas don't extend beyond the expiration date.

[DavyJonesLocker]

Just now, 889 said:

"When does your old passport expire, the visa expiry date can't be past the passport expiry date."

 

Let me take Rodney's good advice and say this as gently as possible:

 

You're dead wrong!

 

At least in the case of Americans -- like the OP here -- China commonly issues visas for terms of ten years, with expiration dates falling well beyond the passports' expiration dates. In the case of Canadians, though, I think Chinese visas don't extend beyond the expiration date.

 

 

Perhaps USA is different, but I let my Chinese state company that I work for and the Entry and Exit bureau in China that you know the rules better than they do, as they are the ones that told me, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[889]

Or perhaps, as the Chinese like to say, there was a misunderstanding: 误会了!

 

But there's no misunderstanding, no "perhaps," whatever about those Chinese visas sitting in American passports with expiration dates beyond the passports'. They exist to a certainty.

[DavyJonesLocker]

Do you know that for a certainty? e.g. If someone has 8 years remaining on their passport, can they still get a 10 year visa or is it shortened to 8 years?

 

In any case that is one example, we have no idea if that applies to all passports and all visa types, in USA or outside.

 

The best advice is for the OP to ring the embassy as no-one is sure on  this thread. 

[889]

I know it for a complete certainty in the case of Americans. I know too for a complete certainty it's NOT the case for Canadians. I assume but don't know that the different treatment is based on reciprocity.

 

If the OP's American, no need to call the embassy. Plenty of folks here do know what they're talking about.

 

Anyway, there shouldn't be any mystery about this. Just look at the expiration date of your passport. Then turn and look at the expiration date on your China visa. Compare them. And no matter the expiration date of your passport, don't try to enter China after midnight on the expiration date of your Chinese visa.

[anonymoose]

This demonstrates my point perfectly - people stating false information as fact means that now no one on this thread can be trusted, and the OP now needs "to ring the embassy" to clarify.

 

Let me quote again, this time from the US Chinese embassy website:

 

Quote

 

I get a new passport, but I have a valid Chinese visa in my old passport. Can I travel with both passports to China without applying for a new visa?

 

Yes, you may travel with both passports provided that your visa is still valid and the personal details including your name, sex, date of birth and nationality on both passports are exactly the same.

 

 

[roddy]

10 hours ago, anonymoose said:

people stating false information as fact

I'm not arguing in favour of false information, just distinguishing between people who have an out-of-date understanding or have got confused about something (which is probably all of us, at some point) and people who "just make things up" (which I'm pretty sure is next to nobody). Someone who says Ikea's on the north third ring road isn't making anything up, they just don't know it's moved to... ah, there's more than one of them now. Didn't know that.

[grawrt]

Visa's and residency permits are two different cases. Chinese companies and schools are not able to issue your residency permit past the date of your passports expiration. I know this because last year my school told me I was unable to have my visa until September like it usually was because my passport expired in the end of May. 

 

Also. 

 

For people that have gotten their passports redone in China, you MUST go the the visa bureau to get a new residency permit put in your new passport within 10 days because its considered invalid otherwise. Exceptions to this rule are countries that don't punch holes or cut parts out of your old passport. Some that come to mind but are not limited to are Myanmar, Yemen, and Laos. Unfortunately I'm a US passport holder and we always have holes punched into your passport.  It doesn't matter if your residency permit is still valid. You'll be fined 100 rmb per day for every day you don't go. I found this out the hard way when I went to renew my residency permit and was told that i had to pay a fine first for having an invalid visa. It's a really dumb rule because the visa 1) is still valid and 2) the fine will be cancelled as long as you leave the country. I ended up paying the fine but if you find yourself in a situation like this I suggest taking a trip to somewhere outside of China ( can be anywhere, doesn't matter. You just need to get the reentry stamp on the new passport).  

 

I don't want to go too off topic but I'm going to elaborate more on the fining process in another thread in case anyone is interested.