Utterly perplexed, she was denied visa-free transit in China

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Since 2004

Recently, a foreign Chinese shared her experience about how a minor oversight not only led to the failure of her "144-hour visa-free transit" but also left her unable to leave the country after entry. She hopes that her personal experience will serve as a warning to others, advising them not to make the same mistake.

This person explained, "If you were originally a Chinese citizen and later obtained foreign nationality, you must cancel your household registration! It's absolutely essential!"

According to her account, it was her first time returning to China since obtaining foreign nationality. Having been well aware of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, she assumed that her travel arrangement from Melbourne to Guangzhou, with a transit to Singapore before returning to Melbourne, would be perfectly fine.

However, upon landing in Guangzhou, she encountered a problem...

"After getting off the plane, I learned that without canceling my household registration, I could not apply for the 144-hour transit visa." She was stunned upon hearing this news.

Since this was her first return to China after obtaining foreign nationality, she had not canceled her household registration. Moreover, her trip to Guangzhou was a last-minute plan, and her household registration was not in Guangzhou. She originally planned to handle the cancellation of her household registration during her next trip to China when she would have more time.

It seems there was no easy solution to this problem.

She mentioned that the airport staff offered her two options: either buy a ticket back to Melbourne immediately, or be given a one-time entry card for this trip and then go to her household registration location to cancel it after finishing her business in Guangzhou.

According to the notice issued by the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department regarding further standardization of the handling of household registration for overseas Chinese residing in the province and the cancellation of household registration for residents who settle abroad:

"When the entry and exit management department processes visas and certificates for foreign Chinese or overseas Chinese, if they find that the domestic household registration has not been canceled, they should inform the applicant to cancel the household registration and issue a 'Household Registration Cancellation Notice.' The police station or household registration service center will issue a 'Household Registration Cancellation Certificate' after processing the cancellation and collecting the ID card. The applicant can then use the 'Household Registration Cancellation Certificate' to apply for visas and certificates at the entry and exit management department."

Additionally, the staff informed her that if she did not cancel her household registration, she would not be able to leave the country in a few days.

This left her utterly perplexed.

"I don't know what to do now. I didn't plan to return to my household registration location this time, and I've already booked my flight and hotel. Besides the financial loss, I only have a one-week vacation. If I go back to cancel my household registration, I didn't bring any necessary documents, including my citizenship certificate or my Chinese passport..." she said.

This morning, during an interview with a reporter from 51, she stated, "I really can't leave now. Tomorrow, I'll go to my household registration location to figure things out."

Therefore, she also wants to remind those planning to use this method for a temporary return to China: the 144-hour transit visa is not as simple as it seems! Be very careful!

For Chinese people who have obtained foreign nationality and plan to use the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, the most crucial point is that you must cancel your household registration in China.

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