No Urban Myth 

 Contrary to many advertised enticements, you do need a work or "Z"
 visa to enter China for employment purposes. 

If you wish to enter China quickly then you may do so on a Tourist Visa but you must not start work until your employer has arranged the change of visa status.

 To ignore this advice is to leave yourself open to, at the very least,
 serious inconvenience or, at worst, a heavy fine and certainly
 deportation.

 We will arrange your letter of offer, which must be presented to the
 Chinese Embassy or Consulate closest to you with the appropriate
 forms and documentation.

 Visa Requirements

 A valid passport and visa are required to enter China.  Foreigners
 arriving without valid passports and the appropriate Chinese visa are
 not permitted to enter and will be subject to a fine and immediate
 deportation at the traveller's expense.  Travellers should not rely on
 Chinese host organisations claiming to be able to arrange a visa upon
 arrival.

 Visas are required to transit China.  Persons transiting China on the
 way to and from Mongolia or North Korea or who plan to re-enter from
 the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions should be
 sure to obtain visas allowing multiple entries.  Permits are required to
 visit Tibet as well as many remote areas not normally open to foreigners.

 For a list of services and frequently asked visa questions and answers,
 travelers can view the Chinese Embassy's web sites at
 http://www.china-embassy.org, or visa@china-embassy.org. 

There are Chinese Consulates General in most major cities in most countries.  Foreigners travelling in Asia have been able to obtain visas to enter  China from the Chinese visa office in Hong Kong and the Embassy of  the People's Republic of China in Seoul, South Korea.

 Foreigners who overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their Chinese
 visas will be subject to fines and departure delays and may be subject
 to detention.  

 Airport Taxes

 Travellers should also note that international flights departing China are
 routinely overbooked, making reconfirmation of departure reservations
 and early airport check-in essential.

 Passengers must pay a RMB 90 airport user fee (approximately $12
 US) when departing China on international flights and RMB 50 airport
 fee (approximately US $7.20) for all domestic flights. This is now
 included in the purchase price of tickets.

 Customs Regulations

 Chinese customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning
 temporary importation into or export from China of items such as
 antiquities, banned publications or vehicles not conforming to Chinese
 standards.  Information concerning regulations and procedures
 governing items that may be brought into China is available through
 Chinese Embassy and Consulates.  Students may bring into China only
 a limited number of items that are considered necessary for study and
 daily life.  Some foreigners residing in China have been required to pay
 customs duty on certain high-value items when departing China
 because procedures were not followed when the items were originally
 brought into China.

 Document Seizures

 Passport Confiscation

 PRC authorities occasionally confiscate passports and levy exit bans
 against persons involved in commercial or other disputes.  Should this
 occur you must make contact with your Embassy which will make
 enquiries with local authorities to ensure that your rights, under your
 country's and China's Bilateral Consular Convention, are honoured. 
 The individual usually is not taken into custody, but is sometimes
 confined to a hotel or other facility until the dispute is resolved.  Your
 Consulate General will issue another passport to any citizen who
 applies for one under these circumstances; however, even with a new
 passport, Chinese authorities will often block departure by refusing to
 provide a visa for exit purposes.