Job Discussion Forums

Ace · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 358

I have a feeling this is going to get you going...but seriously, I haven't found a clear answer yet...My visa expired in Dec 2001...should I be worried? Nobody's made a fuss yet. (Yes, I am a laowai...NZ citizen) I've got the little red book and the little green book, they're updated to July this year, and my best girl tells me that's sufficient...I'm hoping for a new school next term; should I encourage them to take care of it?

JamesD · Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2004 10:37 am Post subject:

The date in the GREEN book takes over from the date of the visa in your passport. The date stamped on the visa is only relevant to the ltest date you can enter China. My visa has also been expired for over 2 years, but the green book date is renewed every year. When I check into a hotel or need to use my passport as an ID I also show them the green book which takes precedence.

Ace · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 358

Really appreciate the reassurance...my friend should know what she's talking about, she was the interpreter/liaison at my first school, but I've been reading so many emails about Z visas and trips to Hong Kong I got nervous...(I'm sure I couldn't cope with that by myself...have I been lazy? I take friends with me to interpret when I have to go to Beijing, even though some don't speak English! We have fun though, but HK is such a long way from here!)

jppu · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 6:20 am Post subject:

Of course, I had a run in at a hotel in Beijing that didn't know what to do with my green book and insisted on seeing my passsport. They then informed me that my visa was expired and no good, therefore they wouldn't register me. Luckily my wife had her ID card. So much for the little green book.

jppu · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 1:22 am Post subject:

good advice. It all turned out happily though and they were rather nice about the whole thing (even though this was beijing). They just didn't understand green books and things. In fact, I would recommend this hotel. It's only 130rmb a night which is a bargain in the North Capital. (We did stay at a place for 100rmb a night but it was SCARY WITH A CAPITAL S; we did not feel very safe there.) This one is centrally located, with an attentive, friendly staff. It's clean, safe and hard to find because it's behind a row of buildings attatched to a hutong. The reason why it's so cheap it because the elevator is "broken", meaning they're too lazy and cheap to have it fixed. So we had to walk up 5 floors with all our luggage. So other than that, they just don't know a Green book from Adam, well, they do now. i suppose. They also have a hellvua noisy KTV bar after 7 pm complete with souless "vampiras" lurking about. Inspite of that, we will definately stay there again.