Z-visa/residential visa question

Yeah, I suppose I could ask my company's HR person . . . if she hadn't suddenly quit last week.

So I have my Z visa and Alien residential permit - do I need to get an re-entry exit stamp from the PSB if I want to leave and come back on a trip (say, over May Holidays?)

Right now all I have in my passport is a residence permit - and a Z visa that had 1 entry. Don't tell me I need to head all the way over to Lujiazui next weekend to wait in line again.

But I think I do.

yes you need a re-entry thingo. about ¥300 from memory. your local PSB should handle it. Not exactly sure though, as when i did it, the school handled all that crap.

really? i thought you didn't need to do this anymore.

yeah, I don't know and shanghaiexpat is down, and we have no HR person for another week, so I'm asking.

by the way OP just read your bio...best one i've ever read :)

Sadly, I cannot claim to have authored it.

well in beijing i definitely don't need to do this anymore. the residence permit allows me to come and go at will

yeah - apparently shanghai expat was only not working via my home internet connection. At work, I got through, and apparently I don't need to get any stamps or anything.

No you don't: your Residence Permit functions as a multi-entry visa...and your Z visa has nothing to with it; it was cancelled when you got the Residence Permit, so it's now just another page closer to a trip to the US Consulate.

chengdude - thanks for the confirmation. I already made that trip to the US Consulate my first week here, since my China Z visa used up the last free page. It's a much different process than the first time I lived in China. But then China is change personified, no?

We just went to Canada for the Spring Festival and we only needed our Residence Permit. We were told by the PSB before we left that it is good for mutliple entries.

The check-in agent at Air Canada (in Canada) wasn't too sure about it but we had no problem coming back into China.

Go, enjoy and don't worry about a re-entry permit.

Z visa is multiple entry. No problem.
Have fun!

I have been coming and going in and out of the country on my residency permit for the last two years, with no problem.

I have a Z visa for China. Across the top it reads "Residence Permit For Foreigners In The People's Republic Of China". If your visa says this, you have a multiple entry visa.

things change. for the better for once.

Thanks everyone! I have a multiple entry visa!

I agree with the advice again - have come in and out multiple times with no problems.

Dear Astroboy,
If you are not the author of your bio, who is?
(where did you get it?)

James - I saw it once as an example of a college application essay (for the US). It's easily googleable.