China travel guide: VISAS AND RED TAPE

All foreign nationals require a visa to enter the People's Republic of China. Single-entry tourist visas must generally be used within three months of issue, are usually valid for thirty days from your date of entry into China and cost the local equivalent of around US$40. The authorities increase and decrease visa durations in order to control tourist traffic, and you're more likely to be given a visa for longer than thirty days outside the summer months. Visas are available worldwide from Chinese embassies and consulates and through specialist tour operators and visa agents, although if you are planning to enter China through Hong Kong, this is probably the best place of all to buy your visa. Hong Kong also issues visas of longer duration with relative ease.

To apply for a tourist visa you have to submit an application form, one or two passport-size photographs, your passport (which must be valid for at least another six months from your planned date of entry into China) and the fee, which cannot be paid by personal cheque. You may also be asked for a copy of any air tickets and hotel bookings. You are asked on the form to give some details of your trip, such as where you are going - but you don't have to stick to this. You'll also be asked your profession - be warned that if you put writer, journalist or any publishing-related profession, you'll be called in for an interview, questioned, and your visa may be refused. Don't worry about being economical with the truth - they never check up. If you apply in person, processing should take between three and five working days, but this varies from country to country - usually, if you are willing to pay a surcharge you can get your visa the next day.

A business visa is valid for three months and can be issued for multiple entries, though you'll need an official invitation from a government-recognized Chinese organization. Twelve-month work visas again require an invitation, plus a health certificate. Students intending to study for less than six months need an invitation from a college; those staying for longer also need to fill in an extra form available from embassies, and need a health certificate.

Hong Kong

Most nationalities need only a valid passport to enter Hong Kong , although the length of time you can stay varies. British citizens, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Irish and most other European citizens can stay for three months; and Americans and South Africans for thirty days. Once in Hong Kong, the standard one-month visa can be obtained from any of the numerous travel agencies. For a sixty- or ninety-day multiple-entry visa, issued in two days, visit CTS at 78-83 Connaught Rd or 27-33 Nathan Rd. Note that these visas are active from the date of issue, not the date of entry. You can get a six-month multiple-entry business visa at Shoestring Travel (27-33 Nathan Rd) for HK$600. No invitation letter is required, just a business card.

Visa extensions

Visa extensions are handled by the Foreign Affairs section of the Public Security Bureau ( PSB ), so you can apply for one in any reasonably sized town. The amount of money you'll pay for this, and the amount of hassle you'll have, varies greatly depending on where you are, your nationality and what season it is.

A first extension , valid for a month, is easy to obtain. The charge for extensions is dependent on nationality - most Europeans pay ¥160, Americans a little less. However, you're basically at the mercy of the particular PSB office and they may decide to levy extra charges on top. In some small towns the charge may even be waived and the process take ten minutes; in cities it can take up to a week. The worst place to apply is Tibet - you'll be given a week at most.

A second or third extension is harder to get - in major cities you will probably be turned away. PSB offices in small towns are a much better bet, and you'd be unlucky to come away without some kind of extension, though it may only be for ten or twenty days. You will be asked your reasons for wanting an extension - simply saying you want to spend more time in this wonderful country usually goes down well, or you could cite illness or transport delay. Don't admit to being poor. Fourth or even fifth extensions are possible, but you'll need to foster connections with a PSB office. Ask advice from a local independent travel agent - they often have the right sort of contacts. Alternatively, try going to a lawyer, though they'll charge a lot.

The best time to apply for an extension is just after lunch, when corpulent cops are at their most content. Don't overstay your visa even for a few hours - the fine is ¥500 a day, and if you're caught at the airport with an out-of-date visa the hassle that follows may mean you miss your flight.

Chinese embassies and consulates

Australia 15 Coronation Drive, Yarralumla, ACT 2600 (tel 02/6273 4780); also consulates at 77 Irving Rd, Toorak (general enquiries tel 03/9822 0604, visa & passport enquiries tel 03/9804 3683), and 539 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (tel 02/9698 7929).

Canada 515 St Patrick St, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5H3 (tel 613/2342682). Chinese consulate offices with visa application services also in Toronto and Vancouver.

Kazakhstan ul. Furmanova 137, Almaty (tel 634966).

Kyrgystan ul. Toktogula 196, Bishkek (tel 222423).

Laos Thanon Wat Nak Yai, Vientiane (tel 315103).

Nepal Baluwatar, Toran Bhawan, Naxal, Kathmandu (tel 412589). Visas available only through travel agents to those travelling with a tour group.

Pakistan Ramna 4, Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad. Only ten-day visas are issued from this office.

Russia ul. Druzhby 6, Moscow (tel 095/145-1543).

Thailand 57/2 Rajdapisek Rd, Bangkok (tel 02/245 7032); Chiang Mai, 111 Chang Lo Rd (tel 053/272197).

UK Cleveland Court, 1-3 Leinster House, London W2 (visa section is at 31 Portland Place, London W1; tel 020/7631 1430); Denison House, Denison Rd, Victoria Pk, Manchester M14 (tel 0161/224 7480).

USA 2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel 202/3282517). Chinese consulate offices with visa application services are in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

Vietnam 39 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai (tel 08/829 2457), Ho Chi Minh City; Chinese Embassy Consular Section, Tran Phu, Hanoi (round the corner from the main embassy building at 46 Hoang Dieu; tel 04/823 5569).

Customs

You are allowed to import up to four hundred cigarettes, two litres of alcohol, twenty fluid ounces of perfume and up to fifty grams of gold or silver. You can't take in more than ¥6000, and amounts of foreign currency over US$5000 or equivalent must be declared.

It's illegal to import printed matter, tapes or videos critical of the country, but don't worry too much about this, as confiscation in practice is rare, except in sensitive areas such as Tibet. Here, some travellers have reported books specifically on Tibet being taken off them, but guidebooks to the whole of China which include Tibet are fine. Export restrictions apply on items more than a hundred years old, for which you require an export form available from Friendship Stores. You may be asked to show receipts for any cultural relics you have; otherwise you may not be allowed to take them out of the country.