Expert: Stephen Tanenbaum - 5/3/2006

Question
experiences flying into China on a one-way ticket

What have been your experiences flying into China on a one-way ticket.

I get repeated warnings of needing a return ticket or proof of onward travel from the airlines.

The truth is, I just want to go to China one-way and travel around (get visa extentions for a couple months or so) and then leave the country to "wherever" at a later date.

I don't want to buy a return ticket, knowing I won't ever come back.

I also don't see the need in wasting money on  onward travel that I don't intend to actually do.

What happened to you when you flew to China one-way?  Did you ignore these ridicilious warnings? Did they try to stop you on a one-way?  How did you get out of it stress-free?

Answer
Greetings:
Our trips to China did NOT involve ONE WAY TRAVEL.

With that in mind here are some thoughts.....

Yes, you are up against Chinese Visa requirements including this nasty (likely well known to you)and much MORE THAN A WARNING....as in VISA REQUIREMENT. I've found around the world that countries take their Visa requirements seriously.
Getting around it may be another interesting story.

Tourism Visa.
In principle a tourist must be able to demonstrate the ability to finance all of his/her expenses whilst in China. It is also necessary to produce evidence of exit travel arrangements in the form of air, rail or ship tickets for the onward/return journey to the appropriate destination.

My ONLY original thought on this one involves a company like this one, cbw.com, which is one of many I assume that buys       train tickets in china.
Here is there web site and blurb:

http://www.cbw.com/tourism/airline/faqtrain.html#howdo

We can also purchase international train ticket for you. DUe to the enormous demand, you should make the reservation 1 month in advance. when requesting a reservation please provide a copy of your passport and visa. This information is necessary to purchase the tickets.

You may do better on price at any number of other web sites. POINT being....how about flying into China and buying a train ticket from like SHIQUANHE to the nearest city in India. Other china cities like Nanning and Lhassa are also VERY NEAR the border of India or North Viet Nam. Assuming a ticket across the border to India might work best. So maybe just maybe a CHEAP train ticket to India may do the trick permitting you to enter plus documenting CHEAP exit transit...as required!?! And of course you can then ditch the ticket and make any other exit plans later.

Good luck AND,,,,this being such an potentially intersting idea for 'beating' the system...please do let me know if you favor it and are able to actually 'do it.'  Just post your follow up as a new question and let me know if it works for you.