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Q: Why you have to say hello to the local PSB after returning back to China with a multi visa??
Quoted from Shenzhenstuff.com: "I have just heard about the 'new' rules that require you to inform the Police every time you leave China, including to go to Hong Kong. I thought this was a new rule but I have heard it has been in operation for a while."
So we can call this a reactivated law.. I was also told yesterday at my PSB interview in Shenzhen that I should go to my local PSB near my house and say hello after coming back to China. My Chinese wife came with me and got a deeper translation about why and I want to share this with any of you that might be wondering:
The deeper explanation of this translation came out like this:
If you want to stay in China longer in the future beyond 2014 -15 and continue to have your RP renewed without problems then you must show your loyalty by telling us (The local PSB) whenever you come back to China..
So lets welcome this law with open arms(not!), for whatever reason I guess we'll have to do it.
If anyone else has learned more about this, please feel free to share..
9 years 43 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
Actually, it's an old regulation that's just never been enforced (or arbitrarily enforced like the 5-year rule). You're supposed to "check-out" with your locally registered police if leaving for more than 24 hours and "check-in" again upon your return. It is said it is for your "personal safety" and to be able to notify you in case of an emergency.
Enforcement of regulations like this are lax but does leave you open to fines and/or a lovely chat with the PSB if you don't comply.
ironman510:
Even they said we had to report back after only spending a few hours in HK.
Sinobear:
Well, natch! You're supposed to report prior to leaving, especially to HK, as the officers may want to give you their shopping list of stuff to get them - it's only polite you know.
Upon your return, they'll want to know if you took any pictures of mainlanders peeing/defecating on the street, collected any "Foolinaroundwithgongs" propaganda or had a bowel movement that was more than 60% solids in content.
ironman510:
Hahaha, yeah who knows, probably something of that nature... I guess daily walking outside checks are next or POW's.
Sinobear:
Don't laugh...had a police officer in GZ stop me at the lobby of the building where I lived in GZ,
"Where do you live?"
"Here."
"Where are you going?"
"Here. I live here."
"Can I see your passport?"
"I live here...I don't take my passport down to the lobby of my own residence."
"I can fine you, you can be detained, you can be deported..."
"Can I see your i.d. card?"
"Wha...?"
"Your i.d. card. Can I see your i.d. card?"
"This is my police i.d. number."
"No, no, no. All Chinese citizens are responsible to carry their i.d. card on them at all times. Can I see your i.d. card?"
"I don't have it. I don't have to show you. Next time..."
Nice guy, at any rate. I've never met a power-hungry officer or PSB official who wasn't just trying to do his/her job. I was threatened with deportation after trying to pay my landlord's tax bill though.
ironman510:
What an a** he was. I only had one situation like this, in 2009 I moved into my nice new apartment and the neighbors called the police the same day and they arrived at night to check my registration and passport RP. The neighbors were clearly confused wjy nothing happened.. I enjoyed giving them the Chong Li smile from the movie Blood Sport.
I have never done this but have heard about this for the past few years. I had one colleague get yelled at threatened with fines. They were so pissed. But i walked in after a new visa recently and they didnt say jack. I asked them directly if i need to. And they said its kinda a rule meh. So i took it as not needed.
ironman510:
Yeah, the PSB lady showed me my last entrance stamp last Friday and mentioned: " Your future entrances need to be reported in the future." My wife said she's gonna make sure I follow through with this. lol
As what I know is you must report to the police station where nearby your house. They going to provide you a paper that prove you have registered after you back to China. If you didn't report yourself you gonna get penalty for the police station with one day couple hundred. If I'm not make a mistake.
ironman510:
Thanks man~ yeah that's actually what our HR told us today in a meeting, but I didn't know about the white paper slip they'll be giving us, nice info to know.
This is my 14th year in China and I have never been to the local PSB after coming back from HK.I have never been asked for my passport.I live in Shenzhen.
ironman510:
Yeah, 12 years here and never had to. But the PSB officer and Wallstreet told me to do it now because the law is being enforced again.
As I understand it, the only way the Police can know where I am is via my passport. If I go to HK, the chop in my passport is logged on the system. Same as when I come back in. When I get to my home in China I need to go to the local police station to register and get my temp residence registration.
If I go to another city in China and stay in a hotel my passport is logged there, so when I get home to GZ I need to go back to the police station to re-register.
I think it's understandable in a country that is prone to natural disasters and such like.
If a foreigner without any form of ID on him was found squashed under a bus, how are the police supposed to identify him? At least with the registration system they have somewhere to start.
When my Chinese GF visited the British Isles in the past she was supposed to register with the police too if she was not in a hotel.
dimm2hcom:
Yes. You are right ! In China they have "Hu Kou" which similar like Identities Card out of China. So all the foreigners like us 
have to registered every time we back to China. Try be friend with local police officer. This will be more easy for us to register in future. :) Hope this will help. THank you.
ScotsAlan:
Yeah Dimm. The local Police are ok when it comes to registering. I have not left China for a couple of years now, and every 6 months or so the local police will stop my wife in the street and ask her to take my papers to the police station so they can re-register me.
In fact, a foreigner local to me had not registered with the local Police. I told his wife she should go register him, and eventually she did. When she turned up at the police station they welcomed her and said they wondered when he would register. They had a chat with her asked her to tell husband to stop doing something that he should not be doing (connected with vehicles). They said they did not want to arrest him, but they would have to eventually if he did not stop.
Scandinavian:
What if a Chinese national was squashed under a bus and he had 5 fake IDs on him ?
ScotsAlan:
Thousands of Chinese are squashed under busses every day.. they neve rmake the news.
I live in Nanning...and I have to check and get a letter saying that I checked in with them in order to renew my visa each year.
I have been in China for 6 years. I did that for the first year I was there. The PSB in Guangxi, Beihai must have gotten tired of seeing me. They told me it isn't really necessary. Even though I have been teaching the past four years, I still don't go to see the guys except to renew my visa. However that might change.
It's easy, it's a law that's in place but sporadically enforced. This means if they want to throw you out of China they can always find a reason, and since you technically broke the law you don't really have room to complain.
It's an old trick, make so many laws it's impossible to follow them and then everyone is a criminal by default.
By the way, I went last week as I just got a new RP, so i went to resgister, and I asked them specifically if foreigners need to come back and tell anyone if they go to HK for a few days.
They said no, definitely not. Just if I get a new visa or change my address.
Shenzhen by the way. But out in the boonies,
Stiggs:
I think this is one of those rules that are enforced differently depending on where you're living, who you talk to in the PSB office, your relationship with the PSB, where you're from, whether or not somebody is having a bad day, what day of the week it is, the weather, the color of your shirt, how long your hair is and who knows what else.
What might be an ironclad rule for one person could be completely different for someone else.
mike695ca:
yeah, your right of course. I just wanted them to tell me clearly. I have heard of other foreigners being threatened with fines and stuff. And although in all my years here they have always been super relaxed and cool with me, one day im expecting them to snap at me, and ill be there telling them to suck it. As they specifically told me not to.
I just like knowing where I stand before I cuss people out haha.
