be careful of being drugged and also being robbed when you go to bars.
Foreigners are targeted for this all the time

You can find "real estate" agents all over zhuhai, but the problem is they don't speak english. You need to speak Chinese .

They show you the apartments for rent, and you also pay your rent to them directly instead of the owners. It's very convenient. They also collect the utility bills such as electric and water. Most places in Zhuhai don't use gas for stoves or gas boilers for showering. It's mostly electric water boilers that you need to preheat for about 5 minutes before u shower/bathroom or do any washing of things in the kitchen

This wasn't that kind of bar. But I am normally pretty aware and generally refuse shots because I hate them.

Ok for visa again, I see i can get second entry for 500Baht extra.


Could I just take it and then make visarun to hongkong? Seems easier and cheaper for the start.

Yes you can

macau and taiwan work as well. No idea where you are but they might be cheaper options

Well I have no clue about china and zuhai was suggested and is close to me, so gonna go there.


Macao sounds like a very easy option then .

zhuhai is a great place. Message me when you download wechat and I can introduce you to some people from there to help you out.

Just remember, that if you do not have a business visa you can only go 1 or 2 times out of the country and come back in. With business visa it's unlimited.

Yeh I thought I start out with the double entry and then go to one of these visa companies that have been suggested here.


You guys there dont use skype ?

Ah ok just reread what u said peter, i couldnt just go to macau if i would like basicly?


So better to get single entry and then apply for business visa? Can anyone just apply for business visa?


For the 30 days visa do I need return flight? The girl in the consulate talked about something like that, didnt understand really though.

You can't just get a business visa. But an independant visa agency can arrange this for you using some sort of fake business scheme + guanxi in return for monies.

You probably also won't get a double entry tourist visa even if it's an option on the paper. You'd need a really good reason and I couldn't even come up with one.

Usually in most countries you need
1) the visa application paper
2) passport + copy + photos
3) proof of flight into AND out of china
4) proof of hotel reservation for your entire stay
...to just get a measly 1 entry 30d tourist visa.

But once you're inside there's plenty of agents that can help you get something better.

So I need to book a flight out while i obv dont plan to get on that plane :/?


Hotel reservation doesnt mean I need to pay hotel tho at least?

edit: shouldve clicked the spoiler. Any suggestions how to do that in practice ?

Be creative. Look up an old email confirmation, change the data, print, success.

China regs: how many of you have heard of foreigners who just stay in China illegally? My roommate has a buddy who's overstayed his visa for 3 years already. He's just teaching and living in China and never goes out the country. He has no issues with domestic flights and just enjoys his time there... until he gets caught, I guess.

When I heard it I thought he must have been insane or at least suffer some sort of mental problems, and started wondering about how he'd have to smuggle himself out of the country through bribing himself accross the Russian border. But after some googling it seems that several people have done the same thing, and apparently the max fine is still just a measly 10k RMB and potentially some jailtime. Also obv being deported and banned for 10 years, but those consequences really don't seem all that bad given the circumstances.

Thoughts?

Sounds really stupid.

This

I did my visa 2 months ago, I can give you the details of the agent. Price for 1 year is between 5800-6200RMB. I paid 5800, my friend who did it a month earlier paid 6200. No idea why it fluctuates.

FWIW I have two friends in Chinese jail atm and after a few months they were allowed to send us a letter. It is not a nice place. They are in a small room with 20+ Chinese (seperated from each other) eat rice and a small portion of something else a twice a day. (both have lost weight and one was really skinny to begin with).

They are given menial tasks, one which was mentioned is they put a small plastic flower in the middle of a bottle of toothpaste or lotion or something for a product. Another acquaintance who was put in jail a few years ago said he was shearing flowers for flower arrangements.

Not worth the risk. I could see not doing it for a few months and trying to bs your way out of that, but there's no way anyone is getting away with years. I imagine there's more to it than just 10k.

Not sure if this will be relevant to any poker player(s) but for anyone considering living and working in Macau that's not a resident, here are some things to understand. (Just Got my Blue Card)

• The company hiring must have a ratio of 3-1, 3 local employees to 1 foreigner
• The company hiring must initially post your job for applications on the government website and local paper.
• The company hiring must host a day of interviews of local applications, detailing why they are not suitable for the said job with government official
• You must be prepared to submit the blue card application at minimum 2-3 times, keeping patience with idiot denial reasons.
• You cannot bring your wife with you until application for blue card is approved, once approved they must apply for dependent visa, which takes 50+ business days
• The blue Card has little to no bearing in HK, its primarily only used in SAR region, and can be disputed by any Macau official at any time.
• To apply for dependent visa (Non-Married) you must prove that 2 Macau residents have known your relationship status for over 2 years, these 2 witnesses will be required to be interviewed at any given time during the month of question.
• Any non Euro, will be given the following Visas, 30 days, 20 days and then a final 10 days (normally sent to immigration Office) Euro's get 90 days three times.
• We have had 3 consultants here who have been summoned to the Immigration office on their last 10 days every time, there is little to no wiggle room at all.

For my application, they processed it on the second submission, the Visa 'specialist' was surprised it was approved and was shocked they didn't ask for additional submission fees.

For my Fiance, she came through using the 60 day allocation, was denied the dependent visa, and was able to extend under the requirement that we get married within 2 months in the SAR region. Booked the civil ceremony dates and she is now re-submitting her visa extension, not 100% if they will approve it..

I would strongly suggest that if you are looking into working over here, that you understand the SAR (Special Administration Region) requirements, and in general make sure you are with a larger company (casino). Also be aware that job security may be brought into question when they start reducing the labor due to slowdown, as SAR law is not fond of slashing local resident jobs when foreigner count is high (Have seen a lot of friends be not extended for this reason)

If you say **** it and decide to overstay, an uncapped amount of $550HKD per day of overstay is charged, and you will not be able to return to the SAR region for 120 business days. We had a guy overstay 12 days and was threatened with Jail unless he could pay the amount in full at the immigration office.

Cost Wise:

• Rent is around 12,000 -> 25,000 HKD per month for decent western style non-shoebox
• 1g/1g internet runs $400 HKD per month
• Gas/Water/Electricity runs $800 HKD+ per month
• Meals range from $60 - $300HKD+ avoid casinos if on a budget
• 1litre bottle of JD is $225HKD ($27.50 USD)
• Tsingtao is $10 HKD a litre
• Asahi/Carlsberg/Import runs around $24 HKD per bottle

Definitely not a place for a person on a budget, my advice is if you move here think of it similar to New York pricing, negotiate heavy on your salary and 100% try and get accommodation paid for.

Also, if you expect it to be like Vegas/Miami casino style, you will be in for a rude shock, the casinos have small empty bars, with only a hand full of clubs and bars that are similar. Mainland Chinese gamblers aren't big drinkers, so expect to be drinking with whoever you travel with, or other expats.

Nightlife Wise

If you do head over here to party, everything gets going a lot later (11pm+) with a lot of the bars kicking off around 1am when everyone changes shifts. Cubic will run you around $3000 HKD a bottle, with headlining acts costing $600 HKD+ just for entry. For friends visiting I always recommend skipping the party scene here and heading to HK LKF area, much better options.

Our go-to drinking is either at StarWorld on Tuesdays (6pm - 10pm) they have bottomless bottles of beer for $140 HKD, and SoHo at City of Dreams every Friday (6-9pm) has unlimited wine and beer for $120 HKD, with a quite good live Philippines band

TL/DR: Unless you are married, a Macau resident or have a high tolerance for going back and forth with the immigration office, avoid working in Macau.

@qwertz1,

Are you American or Canadian? If so, apply for your visa before coming to China. Don't do your visa through an agent or in HK. You will pay several times more using an agent then you would by doing it the simple and easy way at your local Chinese consulate/embassy.

On your application form, mark that you want a multiple entry visa (You won't get it, but still do it), they will give you a double entry with a 60 or 90 stay duration. The next time you apply for a visa, do the same thing, and most likely you will get a multiple entry visa. They do issue multiple entry visas for tourist visas for Americans or Canadians. Your visa will also be valid for 10 years.

If you aren't American or Canadian, then listen to Peter.

As for living in Zhuhai, my opinion is you will get very bored. If you don't speak Chinese, it will be a challenging place to live. If your a young guy, then move to Guangzhou. You will have way more fun living in a huge city, rather then a sleepy border city that is located on the coast that no one swims in. If I was an old Chinese guy, then Zhuhai would be a great place to retire, but there isn't much to do there.

For some reason, your story reminded me of the book Shantaram. Good read if you have time. Basically the protagonist was a former junkie who escaped law enforcement and hid out in India.

That, or something similar, is probably the kind of guy you're dealing with.

As for visas, didn't the US sign a 10-year visa agreement with China last year?

Def agree,

Syn, do your friends live on XiaoBei Lu in GZ? The people there are the only ones that I could imagine who would even attempt to live illegally in China for years.

There's plenty of teachers here illegally (you can only only work here with a Z visa, no matter what the person who wants to hire you says). I know a guy here for a teaching 'internship' (always a scam) on....I think a business visa. He is single entry, can't leave.

That Australian who got arrested with a dozen marijuana plants in his apt only got deported and banned, I hope your friends aren't doing too much time bluegrass player. I guess unlimited time to practice Chinese.

I agree it's a terribly stupid idea, I was just surprised reading that the consequences didn't seem all that horrendous as I would've thought.

He's in Chengdu, not GZ. And from what I've heard he's just a completely random normal/healthy English dude that just dngaf about "the system."


Good catch on the US/CA note thehabit, wasn't aware of that.


@eliminator, we're talking about STAYING illegally WITHOUT a visa, not working illegally on the wrong visa. That last one is incredibly std indeed.