Registering With the Police Late

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  • This topic has 37 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by Avatar photoPaul.
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  • #9708
    Avatar photoNele
    Participant

    Hello forumers,

    Im at a tough decision right now over what to do. I recently (last Thursday) got my business visa back from the PSB with a 3 month extension to my previous one. But I forgot about the police registration completely. To be fair, I could not have done it anyway, because I didnt have the landlords ID card photocopy that is needed for the registration.

    For every day, that you are late registering, I have heard they fine you 500 RMB. I know that with the initial visa, I had 30 days to register. Is it the same with the extension or do you have to go there immediately after receiving your things back from the PSB? I really dont want to pay them 2500 RMB

    I was also juggling the idea of skipping the police registration completely this time around. I will go to Hong Kong this February for a new visa, so I was thinking of doing the police registartion only once I re-enter the country with a new visa.

    #23752
    Avatar photoMichael M
    Participant

    In the past I have not registered and registered late, neither have caused any problems. The local police office guys don’t need the trouble and won’t go looking for it in my experience, so just go and tell them you need to register, don’t mention being late and you should be fine.

    #23753
    Avatar photoZXL
    Member

    I have one friend who recently registered at police station late by 2 weeks. They fined her 300RMB. Although it’s in Shanghai, I think Chengdu would be fine..so just go and don’t mention that..

    #23755
    Avatar photoFederico
    Participant

    In Guangzhou I forget renew VISA… out of 3 month! and another day in a business travel to HK, police didn’t want make VISA for come back to China (bad memory in GZ), but I still stay here! maybe I’m really lucky, maybe because I have chinese wife… but my thinking is: try!

    Go to the police office like Michael said…

    #23760
    Avatar photoVincent NL
    Participant

    forgetting to register shouldn’t be a big deal. Forgetting to renew your visa is something totally different and can cost you a lot of money. My friend overstayed about 3 weeks and had to pay 10,000 yuan, plus his school also had to pay a few thousand for not registering him.

    If you won’t extend this visa again, I’m sure you can skip to register, but it’s probably better to register anyway. If they ask you to pay a fine, then try to walk away and forget about it.

    #23763
    Avatar photoCharlie
    Keymaster

    I register at the PSB late on a regular basis and have never had a problem. Make sure you don’t overstay your visa though or this could happen. Once you overstay your visa it seems that is interpreted as really crossing a line as far as the PSB is concerned.

    #23764
    Avatar photoGAVVIE
    Participant

    Not clear if you have not registered at all. If you are registered at your current address, you ARE registered, then no need to re-register. I think you have to register within 24-48 hours of arriving, at your nearest police station.

    #23765
    Avatar photoCharlie
    Keymaster
    Quote:
    Not clear if you have not registered at all. If you are registered at your current address,you ARE registered,then no need to re-register.I think you have to register within 24-48 hours of arriving,at your nearest police station.

    You have to re-register after each time you enter the country on a new visa. I have been re-registering at the same PSB for years, each time I bring the exact same information and present it to the same person. I normally register a few weeks before my current visa expires – I know you’re supposed to do it within a few weeks but I’ve never had a problem personally.

    #23766
    Avatar photoMichael M
    Participant

    I’m in a pretty similar situation with Charlie, and as long as you are cheerful and friendly with the officer who is responsible for your registration you’ll be fine:)

    #23769
    Avatar photoRay
    Participant

    I registered yesterday, technically 3 days late, and no problems. I’m on a business visa right now, so the cat just asked me “what kind of business are you doing?’. I replied, off the top of my head “educational”… Very fast and easy….

    #23774
    Avatar photoFederico
    Participant

    I know visa problems are different than the Police permit… it’s only for explain that try to go fast to the police station is the best way for my opinion. Officer always helped me and maybe can help this friend…

    #23783
    Avatar photoNele
    Participant

    Thanks a lot 🙂 ill do the registration in the next few days, reassured.

    #28514
    Avatar photoMike
    Member

    I lived in GZ for five years, never once bothering with the police registering BS. Once I landed there, I got to know some real movers and shakers in the city. One, the president of the AMCHAM, Harley Saiden, told me “Hey, you really think the police want to mess with all that paperwork for every foreigner here? There are over 10,000 Africans alone in this city! Get real.” That whole register with the police HAS to be on their “offical guidelines” for foreigners studying, working, living in-country, but the truth is, they just do not care and do NOT want you to bother them. They have better things to do at the police station, like smoke and sleep on those wooden couches.

    #28588
    Avatar photoMike
    Member

    I lived in GZ for five years, never once bothering with the police registering BS. Once I landed there, I got to know some real movers and shakers in the city. One, the president of the AMCHAM, Harley Saiden, told me “Hey, you really think the police want to mess with all that paperwork for every foreigner here? There are over 10,000 Africans alone in this city! Get real.” That whole register with the police HAS to be on their “offical guidelines” for foreigners studying, working, living in-country, but the truth is, they just do not care and do NOT want you to bother them. They have better things to do at the police station, like smoke and sleep on those wooden couches.

    #28518
    Avatar photoCharlie
    Keymaster
    Quote:
    I lived in GZ for five years, never once bothering with the police registering BS.

    Without that slip of paper you are opening yourself up to a potential world of extortion. I think you’re absolutely right that no one at the PSB really “cares” about this formality. But when you leave the country or renew your visa, you can bet that you will encounter someone who will take the opportunity to collect free cash, because they are entitled by China law to do so.

    There are many stories of foreigners having to pay thousands of RMB for not registering at the PSB like this: Talking Your Way Out of a Visa Fine.

    #28592
    Avatar photoCharlie
    Keymaster
    Quote:
    I lived in GZ for five years, never once bothering with the police registering BS.

    Without that slip of paper you are opening yourself up to a potential world of extortion. I think you’re absolutely right that no one at the PSB really “cares” about this formality. But when you leave the country or renew your visa, you can bet that you will encounter someone who will take the opportunity to collect free cash, because they are entitled by China law to do so.

    There are many stories of foreigners having to pay thousands of RMB for not registering at the PSB like this: Talking Your Way Out of a Visa Fine.

    #28522
    Avatar photoBen
    Moderator

    Just to add a bit of caution after Michael’s comment…

    I have friends in Chengdu and Shanghai who have been called by their local police station to ask why they haven’t re-registered after renewing their residence permits. One of them while in Shanghai was fined for leaving it too long. I myself have been called asking if a family member is still in the country and staying with me or not. It all depends on the city and even the local police station. I guess in some places they are more proactive and likely to fine you than others. So it’s best to check with other foreigners in your vicinity.

    #28596
    Avatar photoBen
    Moderator

    Just to add a bit of caution after Michael’s comment…

    I have friends in Chengdu and Shanghai who have been called by their local police station to ask why they haven’t re-registered after renewing their residence permits. One of them while in Shanghai was fined for leaving it too long. I myself have been called asking if a family member is still in the country and staying with me or not. It all depends on the city and even the local police station. I guess in some places they are more proactive and likely to fine you than others. So it’s best to check with other foreigners in your vicinity.

    #28524
    Avatar photoMike
    Member

    ??? What China do you guys live in? I know there was some visa crackdown shortly before/during the Olympics, but that pretty much dried up afterwards. I don’t get your connection with the local police and the visa. Now the PSB is another story. I know the PSB well. But local police??? I do not know a single expat friend who ever bothered to register with the local police. Perhaps I am talking about another thing entirely. When a foreigner first comes to China they are told to register with the police. Like neighborhood police. If you live there. Nobody I know ever did it. They still do not.

    I went to HK numerous times to renew, there was never a concern by an immigration officer when I came back over. I really don’t understand what you are talking about.

    Now, if you let your visa expire, of COURSE you are going to pay not hundreds, but THOUSANDS of RMB (I think at the time the fine was around 4000 RMB on an overdue visa, and it could just be off by a few days). Maybe I just had really great guanxi! But then that would mean every one of my friends did too. I think perhaps what this is, Guangzhou is extremely lenient compared to other large cities in China, and it’s mainly because it is the main manufacturing area of China (I am talking Pearl River Delta, which centers around GZ. There are several cities). I mean, Guangzhou was the original point of entry/trade for foreigners before Hong Kong existed. And even then, Hong Kong was populated with Cantonese FROM Guangzhou and nearby.

    So yeah, it’s definitely a GZ thing. I recall other expats visiting GZ telling me how strict the cities were they were in in other provinces. So if I missed the idea of the thread, forgive. I’m just a bendan lao gweilo.

    #28598
    Avatar photoMike
    Member

    ??? What China do you guys live in? I know there was some visa crackdown shortly before/during the Olympics, but that pretty much dried up afterwards. I don’t get your connection with the local police and the visa. Now the PSB is another story. I know the PSB well. But local police??? I do not know a single expat friend who ever bothered to register with the local police. Perhaps I am talking about another thing entirely. When a foreigner first comes to China they are told to register with the police. Like neighborhood police. If you live there. Nobody I know ever did it. They still do not.

    I went to HK numerous times to renew, there was never a concern by an immigration officer when I came back over. I really don’t understand what you are talking about.

    Now, if you let your visa expire, of COURSE you are going to pay not hundreds, but THOUSANDS of RMB (I think at the time the fine was around 4000 RMB on an overdue visa, and it could just be off by a few days). Maybe I just had really great guanxi! But then that would mean every one of my friends did too. I think perhaps what this is, Guangzhou is extremely lenient compared to other large cities in China, and it’s mainly because it is the main manufacturing area of China (I am talking Pearl River Delta, which centers around GZ. There are several cities). I mean, Guangzhou was the original point of entry/trade for foreigners before Hong Kong existed. And even then, Hong Kong was populated with Cantonese FROM Guangzhou and nearby.

    So yeah, it’s definitely a GZ thing. I recall other expats visiting GZ telling me how strict the cities were they were in in other provinces. So if I missed the idea of the thread, forgive. I’m just a bendan lao gweilo.

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