Is A Visa Required For Hong Kong Citizens To Enter China?

China has announced that non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau can apply for special travel permits to cross over to mainland China. Starting from Wednesday, Hong Kong permanent residents with foreign passports can apply for a new five-year multi-entry travel permit to enter mainland China. However, if you are living in Hong Kong as an expat rather than a permanent HK resident, you will need to apply for a visa to visit mainland China.

There are various types of visas available in Hong Kong, including tourist visas (L), business visas (M), work visas (Z), and student visas (X). Hong Kong citizens planning to visit Mainland China for tourism must obtain a Chinese tourist visa (L visa) with specific requirements and application procedures. Common requirements include a valid passport with at least six months validity and blank pages for the visa.

For Hong Kong or Macao residents, there is no need to apply for a visa. The Zhu Jiang Delta Area, which includes Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Taiwan, offers multiple visa-free travel policies to foreigners, allowing people from a wide range of countries to visit China on a short-term basis. However, visitors of other nationalities, as well as residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, are required to obtain either a visa or a permit prior to arrival.

Currently, permanent residents (who are not Chinese nationals) need to apply for a visa to visit the Mainland, which takes 3-4 days to process. Mainland residents who wish to visit their relatives in Hong Kong must obtain an “Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong” (EEP).

A Mainland Travel Permit is valid for 5 years and allows short-term trips to China without a visa for up to 90 days.

Can Hong Kong residents enter China?

Starting July 10, 2024, non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau can obtain a five-year travel permit for short-term purposes such as investment, visiting relatives, tourism, business, seminars, and exchanges. However, they cannot engage in work, study, or newsgathering activities. Permit holders can spend up to 90 days per stay in Mainland China and enjoy self-service clearance at control points. Eligibility is not determined by the number of stars on Hong Kong identity cards, but there are no restrictions on nationality or occupation.

The application process is through China Travel Service (Holdings) in both Hong Kong and Macau, and it takes 20 working days for the permit to be issued. The first application costs HK$260, with renewals and replacements also processed in Mainland China.

What are the benefits of Hong Kong permanent residency?

Hong Kong permanent residents have the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), allowing them to come and go from Hong Kong, take any job offered, study, or establish a business. However, Mainland Chinese citizens who acquire Hong Kong permanent resident status by descent from a Hong Kong parent are not entitled to exercise these rights unless they have obtained permission from Mainland authorities to settle in Hong Kong (a “one-way permit”) under article 22 of the Basic Law and have been granted a “certificate of entitlement” under section 2AB of the Immigration Ordinance. This qualification is crucial for Mainland Chinese citizens to exercise their rights in Hong Kong.

Is Hong Kong permanent residency the same as citizenship?

Hong Kong permanent residents have the right of abode in Hong Kong and the right to vote in elections for the Legislative Council and the District Council. This status is de facto citizenship in Hong Kong, as most citizen rights are associated with the right of abode. However, they are not entitled to a Hong Kong passport or stand for office in some Legislative Council constituencies unless they are also naturalized Chinese citizens.

Under the Hong Kong Basic Law, permanent residents include Chinese citizens born in Hong Kong before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Chinese citizens who have resided in Hong Kong for at least seven years, persons of Chinese nationality born outside Hong Kong whose parents are permanent residents, persons not of Chinese nationality who have entered Hong Kong with valid travel documents, persons under 21 years of age born in Hong Kong of those residents listed in category before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and persons other than those residents listed in categories to who had the right of abode in Hong Kong only before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Do Hong Kong passport holders need a visa for China?

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HSR) passport holders have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 170 countries and territories as of 2024, ranking 18th in the Henley Passport Index and 16th in the Global Passport Power Rank. As of December 7, 2023, the official number of countries and territories granting visa-free access to HKSAR passport holders was 171. The Hong Kong Government can make visa-waiver agreements for Chinese residents of Hong Kong with other countries due to its one country, two systems stance.

HKSAR passport holders enjoy visa exemptions and simplified visa procedures to a large number of destinations worldwide, with exemptions mostly for short trips for pleasure or business. Some countries extend visa exemptions to short stays involving paid activities, such as Belgium and Luxembourg.

Do you need a separate visa for Hong Kong and China?

There are three distinct visas for mainland China, including those for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). A visa labeled simply as “CHINESE VISA,” lacking the designation “香港 HONG KONG” or “澳门 MACAO,” is only valid for travel within mainland China.

Do Hong Kong residents need a visa to enter Macau?

Macau operates under a one country, two systems policy, which permits its residents to enter the country independently from mainland China or Hong Kong. In order to visit Macau, it is necessary to pass through immigration checkpoints in either country. Hong Kong residents are permitted to enter the territory visa-free for brief visits; however, those from mainland China are required to obtain a two-way permit with an exit endorsement from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. The specific requirements for entry and exit vary depending on whether one is entering or exiting Hong Kong or Macau.

Can I travel between Hong Kong and China?

Chinese authorities have announced that normal travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong will resume in phases starting from 8 January 2023. The Shenzhen Municipal Government has launched an online booking system for Mainland residents and foreign visitors to make bookings before they can travel to Hong Kong from the Mainland. Hong Kong authorities also launched an online booking system on 5 January 2023, requiring Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors to make bookings before they can travel to the Mainland from Hong Kong via the following Boundary Control Points (BCPs).

Do Hong Kong residents have Chinese passports?

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is a passport issued exclusively to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship. It is issued by the Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong under the authority of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China. The passport is printed bilingually in both Chinese and English, and is the only issuing authority for HKSAR passports. The fourth version of the HKSAR passport was launched in late 2019, and is sometimes referred to by its long-form name, the Hong Kong SAR passport, or the Hong Kong passport.

The Hong Kong legislative ordinance concerning the passport is titled the “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passports Ordinance (Chapter 539)”. The passport is printed bilingually in both traditional characters and English.

Do I need a visa to go from Hong Kong to China?

To apply for a visa in China, individuals aged 14 to 70 must apply online and visit a visa for China application center in London, Manchester, Belfast, and Edinburgh. For those aged 13 or under or 71 or over, no in-person visit is required. The Chinese Embassy provides information on visa categories and application procedures. A visa is required for a second entry into China from Hong Kong. It is important to check visa details carefully and avoid overstaying, as authorities may fine, detain, or deport you. For stays over 6 months, a residence permit may be required.

Are Hong Kong permanent residents Chinese citizens?

In accordance with the stipulations set forth in the Chinese Nationality Law (CNL), an individual may be designated as a “Chinese citizen” if they possess Chinese nationality. Individuals of Hong Kong Chinese descent who were born in Chinese territories or who meet the criteria set forth in the CNL are considered Chinese nationals. The CNL delineates the processes of acquisition, loss, and restoration of Chinese nationality, as elucidated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Can I enter Shenzhen from Hong Kong without a visa?

It should be noted that foreign nationals require a visa to visit Shenzhen, unless they qualify for the 24-hour visa-free transit or have reached visa waiver agreements with China. A visa on arrival is available to most European and developed countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.