Suna in Wonderland

Turned out to be, in order to stay in China, individual need to go to nearby police office and report to them.

Sometimes    group of police officers stands in front of apartment checking people’s identification cards or passport. In korea, if there are group of police, people would automatically think there is something bad going on. So I got curious asked my friend. He said, polices are there to check foreigner if they are registered or not. If not then they would get fined.

I was surprised not only the fact that I need to go to police to report but also no one ever told me about this. Neither Embassy, travel agency, School, airport did not gave such a information. –> Oh I just realized that in the back of arrival/Departure card (i got in the airplane) there is Importance Notice.  (See the information below)

So to be sure, I checked with School and school reacted as if I should have known by myself. So I got all the necessary documents (certificate from School, copy of passport & VISA, House contract) and headed to nearby police station.

After police officer went through my document, they told me to go to room 303. The room was behind the cell. (Interestingly Police officers were working behind the cell or should I say iron-barred door). They accused me why I did not come to report within 24 hours. I told them no one told me this before so I came now to report after knowing this. After having conversation with my school and warning me not to do this again, I got out of the room.

It was interesting experience to visiting police station and see how Chinese police works. But hope that there will be some announcement for foreigner for these kinds of things. So here I am sharing what police want you to do within 3 days after your arrival in China. below is document that i received from police station.

_______________________________________________________

KINDLY REMINDING FROM THE POLICE

1. In accordance with the Chinese laws, foreigners, Hong Kong residents, Macao residents, Taiwan residetns and Chinese nationals settled abroad, should each time go to the local police station to go through the registration form or temporary residence within 24 hours after the arrival. it can be done through a hotel if they stay in it.

2. Foreigners, Hong Kong residents, Macao residents, Taiwan residetns and Chinese nationals settled abroad should go through the above procedures again within 24 hours after they change thier place of residence.

3. For Taiwan residents who have bought or rent residence for thier own accomodation, if they reenter the mainland within on year after applying for temporary lodging registration and thier residence address has not changed, they don’t need to go through procedures for temporary lodging registration. But if they reenter the mainland more than one year after applying for temporary lodging registration or if their address has changed, they should go through procedures for temporary lodging registration.

4. When long-term foreign residents in China wish to temporarily leave thier residence and loge elsewhere, they should report to and register with the local police station for temporary lodging in compliance with the regulations. They don’t need to go through procedures for temporary lodging registration again if they exit and reenter China multifply without changing place of lodging and within the validity of the resident permit.

5. When a foreigner, or a Taiwan resident in Shanghai wishes to apply for, alter or extend his/her visa (endorsement) or resident permit, he/she should each time provide his/her valid registration receipt of lodging issued by the local police station.

6. If  a permanent foreign resident in Shanghai changes his/her passport or residence address etc, he/she should timely report to and register with the police station located in his/her current residing place for lodging registration and then go to the Shanghai Entry and Exit Administration to go through relevant procedures for the change of residence address within 10 days.

P.S. When foreigners, Hong Kong residents, Macao residents, Taiwan residetns and Chinese nationals settled abroad go through procedures for temporary lodging registration, they should carry each copy of passport, visa, the date of last entry and the certificate of real estate or the leasing contract.

_____________________________________________________

Back of Arrival/Departure Card

1. Aliens who do not lodge at hotels, guesthouses or inns shall, within 24 hours (72 hours in rural areas) of entry, go through accomodation registration at local police station.

2. Aliens holding visas Z,X or J-1 shall, within 30 dyas of entry, apply for Residence Permits to the exit-entry department of the public security bureau of the city where the applicnts reside.

3. Aliens shall not be emplyed in China without permission of the competent authrities of the Chinese Government.

4. Aliens who reside or stay in China shall carry with themselves thier passports or Residence Permits for possible examination.

5. In case of emergency, please dial 110 to seek help from police.

_______________________________________________________