I need to renew my US passport, to meet the 6-month validity requirement(passport expires in 5-1/2 months). Does the Chinese government honor the visa in my old passport? I do not have enough time to apply for a new visa after getting the passport renewal.

People say that the 6-month validity rule is not regularly enforced, so passport renewal may not be required.

The other thing is that Chinese consulate granted the visa knowing that my passport did not meet the 6-month requirement (they pointed it out).

I have spoken to the US consulate in both Shanghai and Beijing, and got different answers. The Chinese consulates in San Francisco and Wash, DC are unresponsive.

There is no rule in China to which there are not regular exceptions.

It is highly unlikely you'll have any difficulties. If the consulate has put the visa in your passport that's all that the immigration authorities will be interested in. The landing card asks no questions about the validity of your passport, only about the validity of your visa.

Presumably if you apply for a new passport, your old one will be cancelled in some way before returning it to you. You would probably be well advised not to make potential problems for yourself, and to leave renewing your passport until after you return.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, renewal of the passport results in cancellation of the old one and you get issued a new one(but you do get the old passport back along with the new one). According to the US passport agency, the visa in the old passport should still be valid, but I agree that the Chinese authorities might not see it the same way.

when i renew my passport i do not send the old one as i wish to keep it as it is for "history"...that has not been a problem for me, but i have not done it either since 9-11

Bob, unless you tell them you lost your passport (which will result in your passport being flagged in the computer system), I believe you are required to return your passport with your passport renewal application. You old passport is returned to you, but is invalidated.

i know this but i have done it several times and travel overseas frequently and have never had a problem...but all pre 9-11 so that may make a difference...???

Bob, post 9-11 may make a difference. I had to renew my passport last year, and the requirement for a renewal was that you had to mail in your passport with the application. The procedure was similar 11 years ago when I last renewed a passport. So are you saying that you renewed without presenting your old passport?

I just looked at my old passports. The one renewed 11 years ago was simply stemped cancelled, new application on the main page. My passport I renewed last year had two holes punched through the front cover plus a cancellation stamp to invalidate it.

I've renewed my US passport both pre and post 9-11 and have always had to send in the old one (with the exception of the time I lost my passport overseas). Mine are hole punched too.

Just wanted to report that I got through immigration without a problem.