China Romance
All About China => Visas, Immigration and Emigration => Topic started by: IrishGuy65 on March 22, 2013, 08:54:14 pm
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Do I need a special visa when I visit China to go into Hong Kong for the day and then go back to China? I know Chinese need a permission document or something to go into Hong Kong.
During my visit, I would like to spend a day in Hong Kong. And the lady I'm visiting asked me if I needed a special visa. I figured you guys would know.
Thanks!
Patrick
PS - Yes, you can call me Zoot. It was a nickname when I was younger that stuck. If you know The Muppet Show, then you may remember the saxophone player. His name was Zoot, and a friend said I looked just like him. The nickname stuck, and I use it often for online things like this ;D
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Not a special visa but you will need a multi entry visa for China, otherwise you will find yourself stranded on the Hong Kong side of the border crossing as you will have used your entry going to China and exit visa going into Hong Kong. Do not know about USA but for Australians you will automatically receive a 90 day tourist visa upon immigration in Hong Kong.
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Get yourself a one year multi entry visa for China. the Cost is the same and gives you a little flexibility for coming and going. Use the VISARITE link I gave you. Tell them what you want and they will make the best recommendation for you.
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Get yourself a one year multi entry visa for China. the Cost is the same and gives you a little flexibility for coming and going. Use the VISARITE link I gave you. Tell them what you want and they will make the best recommendation for you.
Thanks, Jason. I wasn't sure about this, so this information is very helpful.
Yes, Gerry, that is exactly what I'm doing. I just have to make some hotel reservations, which have not been done yet. I am hoping to make a few more trips to China after this first one, so I wanted to get a multi entry visa anyway. I also wanted to wait a bit so I have the time. If I do it now, I will have 1 year from now. I'm going to wait until May for the Visa, then I'll have until May next year, I think ;)
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Where are you planning to stay? Shunde or Guangzhou? The high end , budget or somewhere in the middle? I know some budget Hotels in Guangzhou that are really quite nice. I will look for their business cards if you want.
If you staying in Shunde then she will probably have a better idea where to stay.
Are you starting to get excited? Before you know it you will be there. !
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Zoot, All good info here about visa's.
You can enter Hong Kong anytime and find nice Hotels at a reasonable price. Most of them have busses that do not cost to ride from the hotel to shopping districts so don't be afraid to stay away from the main part of the island.
I'm not sure how you plan to go from Hong Kong to Guangzhou but my wife meets me at the Shekou ferry terminal in Shenzhen and we travel by train or bus to our destination. You can get on the ferry at the airport. There is also a train but I've never tried it. I have traveled by bus as they say but it is a minivan. I prefer the ferry.
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I have never taken the ferry. I have taken the train several times and gone through customs at the train station. And fighting for a taxi and watching for pick pockets. Now I am sure I much prefer the Bus. You are dropped on familiar ground. And If I am staying in Kowloon its a no brainer short taxi ride. I recommend the Novotel on Nathan road. It is smack dab in the middle of the shopping and restaurants. .
There is a bus which travels directly between Hong Kong and the China Hotel in Guangzhou. Comfortable and scenic as you drive down the coast road North of Hong Kong. You need to go through Customs in Shenzhen and get on another bus on the other side but the Bus terminal employees make it pretty painless and if you look lost the will grab you and steer you to the correct bus.
You can stay the night or just reverse the steps and take the bus back to Guangzhou.
In Guangzhou the Bus terminal is behind the China hotel (Marriot) in the Alley just past the main entrance.
越秀区流花路 122 号 · 广州, 广东 510015 中国
Liuhua road, yuexiu district, 122th · Guangzhou, Guangdong China 510,015
The bus will drop you in Kowloon.
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Well I like the ferry because I don't have to mess with my luggage until I get to Shenzhen, I don't have to leave the airport to catch the ferry, and I can eat at my favorite hot pot restaurant in Shenzhen; spend the night at a nice hotel before we go to Shaoguan.
I understand there is a ferry that you can take to Guangzhou but I haven't tried it. I may the next trip.
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Zoot, im presuming you are holding an American passport??, I live in Australia but still hold a British passport so i dont need a visa to go to HK, my wife holds a Chinese passport and if we flew in to HK from Australia she would not need a document/visa but if we catch a train from shenyang to HK she does need one, I think you should ask at your local Chinese consulate, John.
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Where are you planning to stay? Shunde or Guangzhou? The high end , budget or somewhere in the middle? I know some budget Hotels in Guangzhou that are really quite nice. I will look for their business cards if you want.
If you staying in Shunde then she will probably have a better idea where to stay.
Are you starting to get excited? Before you know it you will be there. !
I'm staying in Shunde. The lady, HongPing, has a membership where she can get a discount on a 4 star hotel right near where she lives. So, she is going to set up a reservation for me, then I'll just pay when I get there. It's called the Grandlei in Shunde. She had some friends from Hunan province stay there and they said it was nice.
As for excitement. I am excited about the trip. But I don't want my excitement to peak before I even get there, so I'm trying (unsuccessfully, thus far) not to think about it too much.
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The reason I asked the initial question is that HongPing wants to spend a day in Hong Kong. She has mentioned that there is a ferry and that's the easy way to get there. But she was worried I wouldn't be able to go there and come back. As for flying in... I'll be going to Guangzhou.
John, yes, I have an American passport. I think I will do that, talk to my consulate just to verify. HongPing has a 'passport' of sorts to enter Hong Kong as well. That is why she wanted to know how it worked.
As always, the input from you all is much appreciated.
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Here is a link to the Consulate in Hong Kong, it has the information you are looking for.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1136.html#entry_requirements (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1136.html#entry_requirements)
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Not sure where to post this but it is just some info for Aussies.
Went to get my Chinese visa renewed last week at the embassy in Perth and after standing in line for about 30 minutes i found out that there was new forms to fill out as they had changed, no problem, filled them out then was told i needed.
1, copies of hotel bookings
2, copy of ticket
3,copy of itinerary
4,copy of travel insurance and policy number
5,letter of invitation from family
6,then because i have a British passport there was another form to complete.
There are more Chinese applying for visas to return home now as they have relinquished their Chinese passports in favour of being "naturalised" and now hold Aussie passports, This is why the queue is always so long at the embassy now. John.
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That John is not so funny , I had similar when Sujuan and I were meeting in Shanghai in December , but I luckily filled out online and what I did not have pulled in straight away , funny that they asked for an itinerary because I assume you were getting a multi entry visa and once you have that you can go in and out many times in a year , Sujuan still uses her China passport and waits for me at customs in China , where as here I wait for her to clear ha ha , regards Sujuan and Robert .
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Here is a link to the Consulate in Hong Kong, it has the information you are looking for.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1136.html#entry_requirements (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1136.html#entry_requirements)
Robert, that site was very helpful. Thanks!
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Robert, yes i got a 12 month multi-entry visa as always and could not see the sense of supplying my itinerary for this first trip but this is what they wanted :-\, so i had to supply, John.
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I have ever taken the both of the ferry and bus to Guangzhou and Shenzhen from Hong Kong International Airport. I think the bus is better if you want to go to Guangzhou directly.
I didn't find the ferry which can arrive Shunde from Hong Kong International Airport, http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/transport/transport-connection-with-mainland-china/ferry-transfer/service-at-a-glance.html (http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/transport/transport-connection-with-mainland-china/ferry-transfer/service-at-a-glance.html)
If you want to take the bus to Shunde or somewhere else, see this link http://www.hongkongairport.com/CBT/Controller?locale=eng (http://www.hongkongairport.com/CBT/Controller?locale=eng)
BTW, I'm going to Guangzhou next month. I can't wait! :)
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Here is something to add to your checklist for first time travelers.
Get your phone ready for China.
Get a SIM Card for mainland.
Get 2 SIM cards for Hong Kong if you think you may get separated. (she can pick the up locally).
Talk to a guy named mark http://www.3gsolutions.com.cn/page/simcard/ (http://www.3gsolutions.com.cn/page/simcard/)... They accept paypal.
They like to send the SIM cards to your hotel but...Have him mail it to your house in the USA so you will arrive with it. Just pop it in the phone as you leave the USA and you will be talking to her before you disembark the plane in Guangzhou.
If you want to know where you are install GPS software on your phone. I hope you have an android phone cause the iphone GPS and map are less than worthless in China.
Install QQ on your phone and practice navigating the Chinese menus
If you need international long distance try getting a magic jack for your laptop. I have found that Skype in and around Guangzhou. SUCKS.
Get a purse...er man bag. it is really handy and deters pickpockets. Just don't forget it in a restaurant or bus. ( I NEVER take mine off no matter what.) BIG with zipper pockets and a large flap over the top work best.
As we think of more we will add it to this thread.
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Here is something to add to your checklist for first time travelers.
Get your phone ready for China.
Get a SIM Card for mainland.
Get 2 SIM cards for Hong Kong if you think you may get separated. (she can pick the up locally).
Talk to a guy named mark http://www.3gsolutions.com.cn/page/simcard/ (http://www.3gsolutions.com.cn/page/simcard/)... They accept paypal.
They like to send the SIM cards to your hotel but...Have him mail it to your house in the USA so you will arrive with it. Just pop it in the phone as you leave the USA and you will be talking to her before you disembark the plane in Guangzhou.
If you want to know where you are install GPS software on your phone. I hope you have an android phone cause the iphone GPS and map are less than worthless in China.
Install QQ on your phone and practice navigating the Chinese menus
If you need international long distance try getting a magic jack for your laptop. I have found that Skype in and around Guangzhou. SUCKS.
Get a purse...er man bag. it is really handy and deters pickpockets. Just don't forget it in a restaurant or bus. ( I NEVER take mine off no matter what.) BIG with zipper pockets and a large flap over the top work best.
As we think of more we will add it to this thread.
Haha... I was talking the other day about things I'd need on my trip, and she already told me about the sim card. Thanks for the info on where to get one, and to have them send it to me directly. It would be nice to have my phone in useful condition on arrival.
I do have an Android phone with GPS, and I have WeChat installed on it. I'm bringing my iPad. Hongping is going to show me some ways to get more use out of it. I use it mostly for FaceTime with her now. FaceTime is much better than QQ's video chat.
Purse... (think HAL from 2001 Space Odyssey when reading this:) I'm sorry Gerry, I can't do that. I generally travel light in the pockets anyway, and I need to bring very few things. The $500 cards you have previously talked about, some cash, and my IDs. That should be all I need. Plus, if I need to, I think Hongping has a purse that I can stow that stuff into if needed :) But, I have cargo shorts with zip pockets which should have the same effect when dealing with pickpockets.
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Here's some more ideas.
You have probably read this stuff before on this forum but as I remember it I will repeat it here.
On you android install one of the GPS tracker apps that keeps a record of everywhere you have been so you have a history of your memories on Google earth.
A camera with a GPS is a good addition if you in need of a new camera anyway. Bring lots of flash cards for your camera. I have a Samsung camera that eats flash card like chicklets. They are cheap in China but you never know what your getting.
Backup your information and photos. I uploaded my stuff to skydrive periodically when I was in china. I was thankful when my flash cards started biting the dust.
If you are going to spend any time alone. Steal a menu from a Chinese restaurant in the USA that has both English and Chinese. SO you can order food just by pointing at it and know about what you are going to get.
Never get off the Bus without looking left and right unless you want to become road kill. It doesn't matter how close the bus gets to the curb someone on a bike or scooter will squeeze between it and the curb.
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Sujuan still uses her China passport and waits for me at customs in China , where as here I wait for her to clear ha ha , regards Sujuan and Robert .
We do not have that problem even though there are always massive queues in the at the check point at London Heathrow, I just pull my collapsable walking stick out of my walk on luggage and I hobble towards the special desk for the infirmed traveller, with youyuan offering her support and we go through without any problem. Never any queues and because they have her thumb print on computer its just a thumbs up to the reader and we are through.
Willy
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I read this about GPS a while ago: http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/if-youre-a-foreigner-in-china-it-is-illegal-to-use-gps (http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/if-youre-a-foreigner-in-china-it-is-illegal-to-use-gps)
Seems like a bit of a stretch, but who knows.
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Love your answer there Willy , to airport shuffles , Sujuan arrives back in Aussieland on Saturday with 5 lovely ladies all wanting husbands ha ha , guess I am the taxi driver again , trips to the penguins , great ocean road etc etc , oh and I think the animals at the zoo know me by name ha ha , I think maybe I should take up residence in the Shenyang apartment it would be a lot safer .
now she wants to buy a 7 room house here so she can charge the girls 450 dollars a month while they are here for 3 months , no peace for me , but lots of yummy food , regards Robert .
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Your right Neil. It is a bit far fetched. Anyone that wants to do harm using a map already has far better precision maps than you can get from Google. And the GPS devices available in cameras and phones are sometimes accurate to a couple of yards but usually 50 or more feet. Not a serious threat to Chinese national security.
Its ironic that every cellphone clone sold in China has a built in GPS device. And their best seller the iPhone also has one. And every new car sold in China has one embedded in the dash. (Gosh the emperor has no cloths) ....I guess the theft and cloning of the technology is not illegal, just the use of it. haha
Its like every thing else in China. overblown and something to bitch about. Reminds me of my ex-mother-in-law. If there is no trouble to fight about she would dream some up.
But the law is the law. Use at your own risk.
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Hey Willy,
Is photobucket available and legal in China? If so it would be a great place to store your photos in a safe place when traveling. When I was there I uploaded my photos to skydrive so I would have a back up copy.
But if photobucket works there you can save them and display them for your friends at the same time...Zoot.
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Hey Willy,
Is photobucket available and legal in China? If so it would be a great place to store your photos in a safe place when traveling. When I was there I uploaded my photos to skydrive so I would have a back up copy.
I do not know of photobucket. I use two laptops here and have all my photos copied to both. I also copy all my business files to both and have a 1 TB external hard disc that I can carry with the same files loaded on it. I update all of these daily.
I have got into Photo bucket.com with no problem here. However I am permanently on proxy server so there is not reason that I could not. I will try without the proxy later and see.
Willy
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I was able to get into photobucket.com without using the proxy server. - The great fire wall was working as I could not get into Google without the proxy being on.
Willy
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Here is a link I use to determine if any specific site is blocked in China. http://www.blockedinchina.net/ (http://www.blockedinchina.net/)
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I use Flickr. Don't know if that is accessible in China.
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Im not sure about flicker in China.
Flicker, Skydrive, photobucket. whatever you use (and you should get those files backed up somewhere). Make sure it is accessible in China and it is on the other side of the great firewall.
here is the steps of the US consulate. this is where you are going to go to get your single certificates.
http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/Gpineau/media/Facebook/450152228356341/200859_451536034884627_1134155512_o.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0 (http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/Gpineau/media/Facebook/450152228356341/200859_451536034884627_1134155512_o.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0)
Can you see Fiona?