Yes! Get a new passport - it will have 10 years validity from date of issue.
Visas for China can be obtained from either the Consul General for the PRC
in Sydney; or the Embassy for PR China in Canberra. Cost is $30 for a single
entry visa.
Passport takes about 4 weeks; visa 3 working days (both 'standard' ie
non-urgent issue - both can be obtained more quickly if it is urgent).
There are ATM's in major (and minor) cities - most take Australian plastic -
especially Bank of China machines.
Forget roaming - it costs the earth. As you arrive in China (and in every
Chinese city and town) there are booths where you can buy a pre-paid Chinese
phone sim card. Mobile phones grow out of every Chinese ear (well, every one
under 40 anyway). They ring incessantly - and Chinese are far from discreet
phone-talkers. They yell into them such that you wonder why they need the
bloody thing at all!
Have Fun
"Krusty" wrote in message news:429bfd44$1@news1...
> Sorry if this is a duplicate but the previous post failed to
> materialise???
>
> Hi all,
>
> Sorry to pose such basic questions but I know that many readers would know
> the simple answers so here goes:
>
> We plan to travel to China (organised 14 days) is around six weeks so I
> have
> limited time to tie up some loose ends.
>
> 1. My passport expires in October this year (we would be back early
> August)
> but the conditions say "a passport should have at least six months before
> expiry! Is this correct & if so is it okay to renew it five months before
> the due date (do you lose the balance).
>
> 2. Where & how does one apply for a Visa & what does it cost?
>
> 3. Any comments (nasties) or suggestions that we should know about before
> organising such a trip.
>
> 4. With around six weeks before departure is this time frame okay or
> should
> we delay the trip till a later time.
>
> 5. Are there autotellers in the major cities, if so are they plentiful or
> scarce?
>
> 6. Will mobile (phone) roaming work in major cities (Vodafone or Telstra)
>
> Many thanks, sorry about the banal questions!
>
> Kevin.
>
>
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