How to get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong – Index
Before you begin
If you can’t apply for a visa in your country of residence because you already live in Asia or you’re traveling, Hong Kong is still the best place to get one.
In the first part of this article, we’ll explain where you can apply for a visa in Hong Kong (you can use an agency or go directly to the CVASC), and which documents are necessary for getting a visa.
In the second part of this article, we’ll explain how to travel from China to Hong Kong in the quickest and cheapest way in order to get a visa.
Note that all the information that you’ll find in this article is the result of our own personal experience since we’ve applied for many visas in Hong Kong, starting way back in 2012.
For more general information on Chinese Visa, I suggest you read Chinese Visa application: A complete guide.
Do I need a Visa to visit Hong Kong?
If you are an American, Canadian, Australian or European (from E.U, I mean) citizen, then you don’t need a Visa as long as you stay for less than 90 days (British people can stay 180 days). If you come from another country, you should go to this page to check whether you need a Visa or not.
Once you arrive in Hong Kong, a customs officer will stick a “Visa exemption” ticket on your passport, which specifies for how long you can legally stay in Hong Kong without a Visa.
In the second part of this article, I’ll provide all the Visa costs in HKD (Hong Kong Dollars). Keep in mind that at the time of writing, 10 HKD = 1.29 USD = 1.16 Euro (you can find the exchange rate in real-time here).
Where can I get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong?
Option A: Using an agency
First Update: At the moment, according to our readers, this is the easiest solution (unless you hold a Hong Kong resident permit).
Second update: Generally speaking, if during the last twelve months you have already obtained one or two Chinese Visas in Hong Kong, it’s going to be hard to get more than a 14 day tourist or business Visa (unless you have a legit invitation letter from a Chinese company).
If you aren’t one of those people that basically live in China with a tourist or business visa, then you should be able to obtain at least a 60 day tourist Visa (double entry, this means that you’ll have to exit and reenter China after 30 days) or a multi-entry 6-12 month business visa.
Note that if you obtain a multi-entry business Visa of 90, 180 or 365 days, you’ll have to exit China every 30, 60 or 90 days (according to the Visa you will get).
Moreover, in order to obtain a business visa with a duration of 90, 180 or 365 days, usually you must have already obtained in the past a Chinese Visa outside the Chinese territory and have in your passport at least a stamp from the Chinese immigration office (that is you have already been in China).
If you applied for your Visa through an agency before August 2013, it was possible to obtain it within five hours. Nowadays, the rush service is two working days (that is, 24 hours because in China, the day on which you apply is included in the working days) for short term tourist and business Visas, and up to fifteen working days for a 6 or 12 month business Visa (according to the situation).
There are a lot of visa agencies in Hong Kong. Personally, I like Forever Bright. With the normal service (4 working days), you’ll pay 750 HKD for a single entry L or M Visa and 970 HKD for a double-entry L or M visa (30 days per entry).
The prices for the faster services (two or three working days) are 1,170 HKD and 1,720 HKD, respectively.
However, there are many exceptions; you can check the price for your nationality by following this link.
The multi-entry 6-12 months visa isn’t available for all nationalities and will cost you between 1,370 and 2,890 HKD (however we heard of people that paid up to 8,000 HKD; thus we advise you to contact the agency well in advance, in order to know what fee you will have to pay in your case).
Here is their address and contact information of Forever Bright Agency:
Rooms 916-917, New Mandarin Plaza Tower B
14 Science Museum Road,
T.S.T. East, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2369 3188
Website: www.fbt-chinavisa.com.hk
The easiest way to find the agency is to take the subway to Tsim Sha Tsui East Station, leave through exit P2 and walk North on Mody Road (just turn left at the exit) up until the intersection at Science Museum Road, where the agency is located. From the P2 exit, it takes about ten minutes to get to the office.
The other agency that seems to be quite good is CTS (China Travel Service), located at the Hong Kong airport. I’ve heard that here, you’ll need at least three working days to get your Visa.
Option B: The Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC)
If you don’t want to use an agency, then you will have to apply for your Visa at the CVASC (unless you own a special passport).
Here the address and contact information:
Address: 20/F, Capital Center, 151 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Business Hours: Monday-Friday (closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays)
Submission of Applications and Payment: 9:00 to 16:00 (Urgent service before 12:00)
Collection: Regular Service: 10:00 to 17:00, Express and Urgent Service: 12:00 to 17:00
Tel: + 852 29921999
Fax: + 852 29891116
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.visaforchina.org
Here you can find most of the information you will need (including the list of required documents, according to the type of Visa you want to apply for).
Here you find the Visa fees.
Here you can schedule an appointment for your Visa application.
Option C: The Consular Department Office (not applicable for ordinary passports)
Update: Since January 2018, this option is not applicable anymore for ordinary passports. Thus, if you own an ordinary passport, your only options are to apply with an agency or at the CVASC.
Although we don’t have any first-hand experience with it, If you have a diplomatic passport, it seems you can still apply for your Chinese Visa at the Consular Department Office. It’s close to Wan Chai subway station. The exact address is:
7th Floor, Lower Block, China Resources Building
26 Harbour Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong Island
Tel: +852 3413 2424 (here you find working time and email address)
In general, a single entry Visa costs 200 HKD, a double-entry visa 300 HKD and a multiple-entry visa 500 HKD. However, we are talking about China! This means that there are many exceptions. For example, American citizens have to pay 1100 HKD for any kind of Visa, and British citizens need to pay 360 HKD for a single entry one, 540 HKD for a double entry one and 1090 HKD for a multiple-entry Visa. There are also exceptions for other countries; you can find the complete price list here.
It takes four working days to get your Visa; however, you can apply for the express service if you want to have it within three working days (you’ll pay 200 HKD extra), or the rush service if you want to get the Visa within two working days (you’ll pay 300 HKD extra).
Note that the day on which you apply is included in the working days, so if you apply for a rush Visa on Monday you’ll get it on Tuesday. Also, take note that for some nationalities (France, for instance), express and rush Visa service isn’t available. Don’t ask me why; this is just the way it is!
If you are planning to stay in a hotel and have no interest in visiting the city, then the rush service is more convenient, as hotels in Hong Kong are quite expensive. This means that you’ll end up spending more than the 300 HKD extra needed for the rush Visa process.
The list of necessary documents for obtaining a visa at the consular office
Here’s a testimonial from our reader, Enrico Penna (edited by me).
Getting a visa at the consular office is complicated because, even if they require various documents, the complete list of the specific documents needed isn’t published anywhere, and moreover, when they deny you at the counter, of the many necessary documents they tell you only one at a time in a way that you won’t even get it the next time around.
Between my direct failings and those of other unfortunate ones, I believe I’m able to provide a complete list of necessary documents:
- The application form, which among other things must be compiled without errors or omissions otherwise they’ll make you fill it out all again (losing your place in line);
- Photocopy of your passport, including the Hong Kong immigration slip (the so-called “Visa exemption”), a small rectangle of White paper that they give you at Passport control (when you arrive in Hong Kong), often without stapling a page. Note that if you’re not paying attention and lose it, you’re screwed;
- If you’re more than one applying for a visa, they don’t accept two copies of the same page; each passport must have a good A4 photocopy;
- Copy of your round trip air ticket in both English and Chinese; if your agency has printed it in another language (such as Italian), it will be denied even if your name, airline, booking number and flight information are clearly visible;
- Copy of your hotel reservation in China, also in English or Chinese and must absolutely have your name (and the names of all people that are applying for the Visa and will stay at the same hotel) clearly visible; Booking.com had sent me a receipt via e-mail in Italian with a booking code but no name and I had to return to the site to print a copy in English;
- Depending on the number of days of your stay, which they deduce for your flight dates, they can ask for proof of your booking for the entire length of your stay in China. The problem is that if you explain to them that you don’t have an exact itinerary and will decide where to stay from day to day, there’s a very strong possibility that they’ll refuse your visa;
- This aspect is really controversial and discretional; I saw a Pakistani pass through with just bookings for the first two days in Shenzhen; whereas a French couple was chased off and had to appeal to their agency because they only had a pair of bookings for almost a month-long stay;
- To conclude, if you’re traveling with a minor child, you’ll also need a birth certificate in English and two copies of the parents’ passports.
Luo Hu: The border between Shenzhen (China) and Hong Kong S.A.R.
How to get to Hong Kong from China Mainland
Hong Kong by plane
If you are coming from Europe or the U.S., you can just take a flight to Hong Kong International Airport. Then take the subway or a taxi to your hotel (click here to read our reviews of the best luxury, medium-range and economic hotels in Hong Kong).
However, if you live in China and are coming to Hong Kong to renew your Visa or for a Visa run, you may want to consider taking a plane to Shenzhen, a Chinese city located just across the Hong Kong S.A.R. border.
Why? Because a domestic flight from any Chinese city to Shenzhen is usually cheaper than an international flight from any Chinese city to Hong Kong. Click here to learn what are the best website to book a flight in China or Hong Kong.
Once you get to Shenzhen, you can take line 1 of the subway from the airport to Luo Hu station, which is located on the border with the Hong Kong S.A.R. It will take ab out 90 minutes, as you have to cross all of Shenzhen.
At this point, you can cross the border by walking (it takes from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the line) and then take the Hong Kong subway to downtown (about 50 minutes). The total price is about 80 HKD.
The other option is the bus that departs from the arrivals floor at Shenzhen airport and arrives at Tsim Sha Tsui Station, which is in Kowloon but very close to Hong Kong island, and which takes about 90 minutes (if there isn’t too much traffic at the border).
Even though you have to take two buses, one to the border and the second from it, it is only one ticket (I think it costs 150 HKD). The first bus drops you off at the border, which you have to cross by walking, while the second bus waits for you across the border (it’s all explained on the ticket).
If this trip from Shenzhen to Hong Kong seems too complicated to you, you can fly directly from China to Hong Kong. In this case, I suggest you to read our guide on how to book a flight ticket in China.
Hong Kong by train
The other possibility is to take a train from any Chinese city to Shenzhen and then cross the border at Luo Hu (the train station is quite close).
Take note that a hard sleeper ticket on the night train from Shanghai to Shenzhen will cost you 470 Chinese Yuan while a plane ticket is worth around 650 Yuan. Since the difference in price is relatively small and the train is way slower (around 15 hours instead of 2), I usually go by plane.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to many comments we receive, it is possible – even if in theory such visas should be requested in the country to which you belong. They’ve told us that the key is, besides having all your documents in order, having an invitation letter that clearly specifies that the visa be applied for in Hong Kong.
From two to four business days including the day you apply for your visa.
Click here to read our reviews of the hotels we recommend in Hong Kong.
It depends on the type of visa you apply for and what you manage to get. Note that if for example you apply for a two-entry tourist visa of 30 days each, you won’t necessarily be issued that exact visa.
It is possible, depending on the case, that they’ll just issue you a single entry visa of 30 days (or less).
Yes, we have applied for – and obtained – several times a visa in Hong Kong.
Photo Credits: 
Auf nach China by Max Braun
Hi!
I’m Italian and In Shanghai for a week with a 30 days single entry touristic visa. Next week I’ll go to HK for 4 days by flight and then I would like to come back to Shanghai for 5 days.
Forever Bright told me I can’t apply for transit visa in Shanghai since I have 2 different flight reservations and they gave me only 70-80% of chances to get another touristic visa.
I will leave some of my stuff here in Shanghai at a friend’s house, do you think are there really chances my visa will be refused?
Thanks.
Ciao,
Marco
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi Marco,
yes, there are chances your visa will be refused. Nobody is sure to get a Chinese visa, especially when you are applying for 2 tourists visas in a row
I’m trying to reach FBT ChinaVisa Agency but the phone number is incorrect and no one is answering my wechat?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi,
I’m not sure if they changed recently, however the data in our website matches what they have on theirs: http://www.fbt-chinavisa.com.hk/contact.html
Hi there,
I would like to ask a question about my Visa.
I am in Shanghai right now holding a Tourist Visa L 60 days, double entry , which I got in Hong Kong.
Now i m in my second entry in Shanghai. I would like to know if I can extend this visa for 30 more days inside China?
I read that is possible to extend L visa for 30 days, but I am not sure if that includes Visas issued In Hong Kong.
Really appreciate your help.
Thank you!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Anila,
it’s certainly possible, however you got no guarantee that you’ll get the extension as they decide case by case
Hi! I’m from México, I have been living in Shenzhen for 5 months with a student visa but it is about to expire in a week. The thing is I’m planning on returning to Mexico 15 days after my visa expires, and then coming back to Shenzhen 2 weeks later. What should I do? Is there a way to extend my current visa for 15 days or should I apply for a new one? I’m still not sure if I will keep studying here so renewing my student visa is not an option yet (Ineed to pay the whole semester before renewing)
I would say to try to apply for a tourist visa
Hello.
I’m a foreign citizen in the process of renewing my work permit and residence permit in China. Actually, the PSB will give me a 3-month visa extension while I wait for my work permit to be ready (which will be on July 27th). My new 3-month visa will be issued on August 8th.
Thing is, my wife’s visa and mine expired today, so unfortunately she had to fly to Hong Kong to get a new visa, so she can come back to Beijing and then apply with me for a longer visa as my spouse.
Can you guide me on which visa she should apply to? She’s going to FBT agency on Monday morning, but it would be good to have an idea first.
Thank you
It will be hard for her to get a 3 month visa. The options are a double entry tourist visa or a business visa multi entry
Thank you. Actually, I’m not thinking about getting a 3-month visa for her, I just want her to come back so we can apply for a residence permit once mine is ready.
Since I will pick up my 3-month visa on August 3rd (not 8th as I mentioned above), I guess I will have enough time to apply for my residence permit and therefore my wife too.
Thank you Sborto Zhou!
So if 30 days is enough just go for a turistas visa
Can you please tell me which documents did you need to bring to PBS to get the extension?
I am currently in china and i hold a tourist visa. I need to get a student visa to study in Tianjin. I have all the documents i need to apply for it like the admission letter from the government so i was wondering if i could apply for it in hong kong? Like send my passport with the documents to the Chinese embassy in Hong Kong to get the student visa and then they can send it back to me in China?
It’s not sure you can get it in Hong Kong, but you’ll have to go there or use an agency
Hello,
This might be a useful information for everyone trying to obtain a z-visa (work). This visa has usually to be applied in the home country of the passport holder. As I was already a resident in China I wanted to save me the trip to my home country. So I tried to apply from HK and succeeded with the help of the Forever Bright Agency. The visa processing time was also only 2 days.
Hope this helps people who, like me, were wondering applying a Z-visa in HK actually works, it did for me!! I am EU national so this might not work for other nationalities tho…
All the best
Thank you Adi
Hi there,
Just to say a big thank you for the great job your doing on this site. I would kindly ask if its possible to get a single entry visa into mainland china if am travelling from Hong Kong by applying for it in London? (Am a British citizen)
Thanks
Yes you can get a Chinese visa if you enter (and/or leave) China through Hong Kong
Hi Furio,
I am Diana a Filipino Citizen and now my visa will expire in 10 days time, a month ago when i came in china i had an L visa then after the immigration here in Shenzhen gave me extension visa which is S2 visa for only 10 days. Is it possible to get a new visa in Hk BECAUSE THE IMMIGRATION ASK ME TO GET IT IN hk?
It is possible to get a visa in Hong Kong but you can have some problems, the 10 days S2 visa can give you problems to apply for a new visa. You can contact the agency we suggest in this post
thank you so much for the information.
Hi My friend is Indian, he is now stay in china with business visa single entry 30 days that he shall go out from chine before 22 July 2017.
In the previous year he have 2 Chinese business visa one is single entry 60 days and the others is multiple entry 30 days one year validity.
My question is, Can he apply Chinese business visa at Hongkong? and what type of entry he can get? also how many days each stay?
Thank you
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Yes, he can apply. However, I have no idea what kind of visa / duration he will get
A lot of this is already out of date. I went last week and here is a detailed description of my visit. blowntosmithereens.blogspot.com/2017/06/hong-kong-chinese-visa-run.html
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi,
we review this article quite often, however it’s possible that some of the info is outdated. I’ll read your article as soon as I find the time
Hi there , I am a South African resident. I teach English and will be going to Beijing for training . I am entering with a tourist visa, how difficult would it be to obtain a student visa x2 in Hong Kong, how long does it take and how much does it cost?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi there,
if you want to work legally, you need a Z visa, X2 visa is short term student visa.
If you are indeed just going for training, discuss the visa requirements with your school. As long as you have all the documents, it shall not be too difficult
China Consular Office
7th Floor, Lower Block, China Resources Building
26 Harbour Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong Island
Tel: +852 3413 2424
I called 852 3413 2424 during working hours and there is no one picking up the phone. You may like to check again whether this is a working number.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi there,
the number is correct: http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/bgfwxx/
However, make sure to call at the right time, they say Live Answering Telephone: 852-34132424 (available at 10:00-11:00am, 3:00-4:00pm on workdays)
I was just able to get a working visa for me wife and son by presenting invitation letter by my company, marriage certificate and birth certificate (both translated into english and chopped by consulate -Argentina and Spain) passports, photos, business reg certificate from company and a permit for foreign expert issue by local Chinese gov. iinvitation letter is no longer required since april 1, 2017. be mindful about this coz they keep on asking this and have no proper update until you mentioned (or they pretend so) it took us 1 day and paid 500HK dollar each. they are now friendly but not difficult to get it though.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Leonardo,
thank you for sharing your experience with us : )
Cheers
if my visa already extend and its expired how can i get a new visa here in hongkong?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi,
we explain it in detail in this article!
Hi, I have a problem that I haven’t been able to find an answer to anywhere. I live in the mainland. My visa is about to expire. I ran out visa pages. I didn’t know the last few pages weren’t for visas. So now I’m planning to go to HK to get a new US passport and then get a visa (probably a family visa). So my question is, am I going to have any problems doing that?
I’m not sure you’ll be able to get a family visa in Hong Kong. If you have a family visa now it’d be better to renew your passport in mainland China
Hi there, Furio!
I am currently a HKID non-permanent permit holder and I’m planning to go to Guangzhou in early July. Since that I will be going by train, do you think it is necessary for me to buy the train ticket first for ticket record purpose? I have already booked the hotel though, but not sure whether this itself is adequate. I am currently gathering all the necessary documents and planning to apply the visa next week through the Consular Office!
Thankyou very much!
Having a HK permit I don’t think you need to show any ticket, but you can ask directly to the consular office
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi Peter,
I’m not sure about it! The best you can do is to ask to the Consular Office!
Went there and no tickets are needed to be shown, getting back my passport with visa on the 29th, tomorrow!
Thankyou Sborto and Furio!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Thank you for the feedback Peter : )
Hi everyone,this is a very informative website,especially for a China “newbie” like me!
I have a question about flight bookings that need to be provided when applying for a tourist visa.
I am a UK citizen currently legally residing in Thailand but it seems to be getting more difficult to obtain a visa for China here. My plan is to go to the UK and apply there as I will be granted a 90 day multiple entry tourist visa valid for 2 years( this appears to be standard now in a reciprocal arrangement with the Chinese government). I wanted to then return to Thailand for a few weeks before going to China,so if my flights to China originate from and return to Thailand will that be a potential problem when applying for the visa?
My other option is to fly one way to London to apply for a visa then fly to China and finally return to Thailand so in that case my flights to and from China originate from and return to different countries,again is this a potential problem?
Sorry for the long winded explanation!
Many thanks in advance for any replies.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Jim,
I can’t be sure 100%, but I never heard that the departure / destination countries are a factor, when it comes down to get the visa. If you think it may be a problem, call the CVASC or Chinese Consular Office before applying for the visa
Hi Furio,
Thanks for your reply, with visa applications nothing is ever 100% certain!
I e-mailed the CVASC in London and have copied their reply below;
“If you are applying for your visa in the UK (for which you must be located physically in the UK during processing) then you must provide evidence of firstly departing the UK. You may still enter China from a third country.”
Missing from their reply is the fact that you must also have a flight out of China!
I also contacted CVASC in Bangkok ( I live in Thailand) and have copied their reply below;
Dear Sir / Madam
“Tourist visa don’t have multiple entry.
You can apply single entry or double entry . You can stay in China 30 days.”
But this only applies of you are legally resident in Thailand.
Hope this info. will be of use to others.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Jim,
thank you for the update : )
yes, it’s always difficult with the visas
I am a German with a residence permit (former tourist, business and work visa already in the passport). The permit will expire in a few weeks.
I need to stay a bit longer – say two or three months. Is there a cheap and easy way to extend at the PSB? Or what’s the next best alternative?
Thanks
Joe
Hi I first visited China in 1986. We could get a 3 month visa in Hong Kong and extend at least 6 times during those years. Then the rules tightened in the 2000’s and we could only get 30 days but could extend the visa twice. Now it seems all you can get is a 30 day visit and no extension. Clearly this is totally absurd for a country the size of China. My question is why is China’s tourism policy so screwed up and is there any likelihood that this debacle will be ended. Is there any option for a longer term visa? I hear Americans can get a 10 year multiple entry visa that allows them to stay for 60 days per visit and the visa only costs 140 dollars? Is there any chance to get this visa if you come from Australia?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello John,
unfortunately what you say is correct. I don’t think there are long term touristic visas for Australians so far!