All About China > Visas, Immigration and Emigration

Trip from China to Hong Kong

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Willy The Londoner:
A friend of mine planned to take his girl friend to Hong Kong for a few days break.  He assured me that she had the necessary visa and after staying with us over night they set of to the ferry port.

However on arrival at the ferry terminal the foreigners desk was shorter and he went through ok.  He then waited for his girlfriend to pass through the Chinese desk.  However she did not.  They would not let her through.  Apparently the six month visa booklet that non Guangdong residents get is only valid for traveling with a tour party.

My friend being on the wrong side of the desks was not allowed back to his girlfriend as he had no entries left on his visa as he had intended to apply for another visa when in Hong Kong.

It took a lot of negotiations before they eventually agreed to cancel his exit stamp and allow him back to his girlfriend.  They were lucky that one of the female officers took control of the situation and many hours and several missed ferries later (and I believe a few RMB's to facilitate changes to visa's and ferry tickets) they were both allowed to go through together and board the ferry.

It is worth remembering that if the ladies home is outside Guangdong then these six months visa's to Hong Kong need to be counter signed by a travel agent who is permitted to organise tours to HK. That will be at a price of course.

Willy

shaun:
It's always something.  Fortunately I've been pretty lucky every time I've been to China.  I even took Peggy to Hong Kong.  But then she is a Guangdong woman.

IrishGuy65:
My last full day in China, Lisa and I went to Hong Kong. No real problems.  We took the ferry from Shunde.  For an extra 70 rmb, we rode first class on the way back, LOL.  She never rode it before... nice comfy chairs in a private room, free bottled water and snacks for the 2 hour ride. She said it was too much when we got the tickets.  When we got in the room, she was surprised we got so much for so little.

Sorry to hear about your friends.  Fortunately, Lisa is in Guangdong province so there is no problem.

Willy The Londoner:
'It never rains but it pours'

A follow up to my original posting.

My friends arrived in Hong Kong and spent three great nights in an expensive hotel right on the sea front.  Everything was fine and dandy. 

As mentioned my friends visa had expired as left Zhongshan as he had already used up the last of the permitted entries back into China.  But, he, having made the trip to Hong Kong on five previous occasions and renewed his visa at an agents office in the airport terminal they set off on Tuesday morning to do just that.

But as often happens in China things change almost overnight.  Although he had renewed his visa at that office five times previously he was told new restrictions were brought in a month previously and they are only able to issue visa's for travel groups.  He was told that he needed to go to the Chinese Embassy in Hong Kong and apply from there.

He had two flight tickets booked for the early evening the following day to return to China as his girl friend was due back at work on Thursday.
Having arrived at the Embassy he asked for a 12 month multi-entry visa and they told him that he could not have one.  They said if he made an application that may be able to assist him for a shorter period.  Anyway he spent all day at the embassy talking to many officials and filling in many form.
He explained to them the problem he had in that he had a apartment in China etc etc.  They told him to come back on Friday to see what their decision was.

So on  Wednesday he put his girlfriend on a plane back to China. He stayed alone in the luxury hotel for two more nights and then went back to the Embassy on Friday to hear, hopefully, some good news.

There to his dismay he found that he had been granted a single entry 30 day stay visa. They advised him that they no longer issued visas for longer stays for people traveling to Hong Kong or Macau for that purpose and that 30 day single entry was the best that anyone could get in the future.  They told him that the only way that he could get a longer visa was to go back to his homeland in Europe and re-apply from there for a longer visa but in the meantime he could return to China but he would have to leave China by the end of the 30 day period.

So now he is back in China but he is making arrangements to travel back home in the next 4 weeks. Taking advice from the Chinese Embassy staff in Hong Kong he is going to marry his long term girlfriend when he gets back and therefore will be able to do all future visa applications at the PSB where he lives.

So for all those who had considered using this method of renewing visa in either of these places then you may have to make other arrangements as it appears now that 30 days is as long as they will issue now.

Willy

JohnB:
It looks as if I need to address this revised China visa requirement sooner than later. 1st thing I did was to look at the visa agency I normally use http://www.freechinavisa.org/touristvisa.php Their customer service requirements have changed. I can no longer enlist their services as I am just outside their required geo- graphic area. Very unfortunate as this visa agency was by far the best of the 3 agencies I have utilized.
I noticed one interesting thing on 'freechinavisas' website...'single- entry/ double entries/ multiple entries' are all the same fee for U.S. citizens, $140. In comparison, 'other' countries the number of visits is pro- rated. The 'single' entry, of course, the cheapest.
My wife is a Chinese citizen and if I petition the Chinese Embassy via whatever visa agency, I wonder if any considerations are due. I think I remember 2 months if I am not mistaken. I have had no trouble getting the multiple entries/ 12 months on my 3 prior occasions. Maybe this too will be an unexpected change.
My China entry would be the usual “L” visa. Returning to America on a monthly 'visa turn-a-round' would be cost prohibitive.   

Currently I am thinking of 'much longer than a month' stays in China. My original intent was to exit China for the day, visit Macao/ Hong Kong and re- new the visa, and return to China. That situation is ideal, but no more from what I understand.
So, what method works, if there is such a thing now?

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