VOA in Shenzhen and again after 2 days spent in Macau get a VOA in Guangzhou for 5 days ?

Costa, you may enjoy 144h visa exemption transit in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Thank you

No, no, no, you are not eligible, definitely! You are wrongly advised by Olive! Definitely!

The only way to be eligible in Guangdong province, if departing from Hong Kong or Macau, is by flying directly to Guangzhou. Since there are no flights from Macau to Guangzhou, you can use only and really the only option and that is the flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou!

Of course, you can enter Shenzhen from Hong Kong, but then you have to apply for Shenzhen VOA that costs 956 CNY for US citizens.

Having all the above mentioned, I suggest you to change your itinerary and become eligible for 144 hour visa free transit:

- Arrive Hong Kong
- Take a direct flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou
- Take a train to Shenzhen
- Take a ferry from Shenzhen Shekou port for Macau
- Take a bus or ferry from Macau to Hong Kong

As you can see, with the above itinerary, you will be able to visit all the places you had on your original itinerary, but like this you will travel absolutely visa free by using 144 hour visa free transit. Keep in mind that you will have to book your ferry ticket from Shenzhen to Macau through TurboJet ferry website.

I just hope, you will visit this website within the few hours to read this post because if listening to the advice offered by Olive, you will be in real trouble.

Thank you Zupan but I do not want to make the trip Shenzhen and Guangzhou on the same visa because that will mean 10 days and I am only allowed max 144 hrs. That's why I would like to split the trip by going to Macau for 2 days (which I wanted to visit anyway ) . I want to use the 144 hrs. in Shenzhen for the Tennis Tournament in Oct. Then go to Macau for 2 days and then to Guangzhou for 4 or 5 days . I know I can get a VOA for 144 hrs. to Shenzhen from BK but my question is , can I get a 5 days visa to Guangzhou from Macau in 2 days time from my first visa in Shenzhen ? . Thanks

Part one:

I'm glad you have read the above post :)

The essential detail is that you cannot enjoy 144 hour visa free transit by traveling from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. This is not possible and there is not a single option that could possibly allow you that. This is the reason I have written that the only way to enjoy any kind of visa free transit in Guangdong province (where Shenzhen is) is to take a flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. So, to reach Shenzhen visa free, you have to fly to Guangzhou having already a ferry ticket from Shenzhen to Macau in your hand.

Your itinerary has to look like this and, trust me, there is no other way:

- Fly from Hong Kong to Guangzhou
- You can take a direct bus from Guangzhou airport to Shenzhen or a metro to the railway station and then by high speed train to Shenzhen
- Take a ferry from Shenzhen to Macau

This is the itinerary that will make you eligible for 144 hour visa free transit. Of course, you can apply for Shenzhen VOA at the border crossing at the price of 956 CNY and stay for 5 days within this city and after that to take whatever mean of transport you like, including the ferry from Shenzhen to Macau.

Part one:

I'm glad you have read the above post :)

The essential detail is that you cannot enjoy 144 hour visa free transit by traveling from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. This is not possible and there is not a single option that could possibly allow you that. This is the reason I have written that the only way to enjoy any kind of visa free transit in Guangdong province (where Shenzhen is) is to take a flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. So, to reach Shenzhen visa free, you have to fly to Guangzhou having already a ferry ticket from Shenzhen to Macau in your hand.

Your itinerary has to look like this and, trust me, there is no other way:

- Fly from Hong Kong to Guangzhou
- You can take a direct bus from Guangzhou airport to Shenzhen or a metro to the railway station and then by high speed train to Shenzhen
- Take a ferry from Shenzhen to Macau

This is the itinerary that will make you eligible for 144 hour visa free transit. Of course, you can apply for Shenzhen VOA at the border crossing at the price of 956 CNY and stay for 5 days within this city and after that to take whatever mean of transport you like, including the ferry from Shenzhen to Macau.

Part two:

Now, to reach Guangzhou from Macau, you will have to return to Hong Kong and take a flight again to Guangzhou because Guangzhou does not have VOA like Shenzhen. To visit Guangzhou you can only use 144 hour visa free transit. So, again by plane from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, again by bus or train to Shenzhen, again to Macau and then to Hong Kong. To be eligible for 144 hour visa free transit, your itinerary requires three different territorial entities:

Hong Kong - Guangzhou (mainland China) - Macau

If you are in US right now and you are US citizen, I would sincerely recommend that you obtain long term multiple entry Chinese visa valid for 10 years and overcome in the most comfortable way all the above mentioned complex details. If it was only about one entry, I would agree with this a bit complex details, but since you plan to enter mainland China twice, everything becomes more complex and quite expensive.

Now, when you know it's up to you to decide.

Thank you very much Zupan I think I will change my itinerary > Fly from Amsterdam direct to Guangzhou and then Shenzhen and returning to Amsterdam from Hong Kong . Can I take a fast train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong or do I have to take the ferry to Macau first . Thank you Zupan

Your itinerary is:

Amsterdam - Guangzhou - (Shenzhen) - Hong Kong or Macau

This itinerary is definitely eligible for 144 hour visa free transit. Also, you don't have to take a ferry to Macau, because within your itinerary we have three countries that make perfect transit. Of course, if you want, you can take a ferry to Macau and then your itinerary will be:

Amsterdam - Guangzhou - (Shenzhen) - Macau - Hong Kong

Since you will travel to Shenzhen, your best option from Guangzhou is high speed train. In case that you plan to arrive in Shenzhen directly from Guangzhou airport, then a direct bus from Guangzhou airport to Shenzhen is also a good option.

Now, listen...

If Shenzhen is your definite place you will visit, you will have to take a ferry to Hong Kong or Macau. You can choose, but only until your check-in in Amsterdam. There you will have to present your ferry ticket to either Hong Kong or Macau to prove that you will be in transit. Keep in mind that you cannot take a train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong within visa free transit scheme. You can take a train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, but not a high speed one. It has to be a train from Guangzhou East railway station to Hung Hom railway station in Hong Kong. So, you will have to make your decision before your departure and obtain relevant ticket online in advance. It will be probably or Shenzhen - Hong Kong or Shenzhen - Macau. If you want I will explain how and where, but you will have to make a decision on your final route.

Thank you Zupan , you are soo helpful . I do have American passport . After arriving in Guangzhou I will spend 2 days there and then going to Shenzhen for the Tennis Tournament for 4 days . After that I like to go by ferry to Macau for 2 days ( never been there , but I have been in HK before ) and from Macau probably I am going straight to the airport in HK. What you think ? Thanks

Part one:

I think that your itinerary is the best one among all those mentioned before :) The most important detail is that your itinerary is perfectly eligible:

Amsterdam - Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Macau - Hong Kong

So, before your flight from Amsterdam, you will have to book your ferry ticket through TurboJet website (just insert the words: "turbo jet ferry" in the internet search engine and you will get their website) for your journey from Shenzhen Shekou port to Macau. Here you can choose whether you will travel to Macau Outer Harbour or to Macau Taipa. If you want to reach the historic part of Macau, then the Outer Harbour is your choice. So, you will receive your e-confirmation from TurboJet with your name and you will print out and have this e-confirmation in hard copy. You will use it at your check-in in Amsterdam and also upon your landing in Guangzhou. Of course, you will bring it also to Shekou port where it will be exchanged for a real ticket.

You should plan your trip in the way to make the best of your time. It is important to know that 144 hours start to count from the midnight of the following day. So, if you will use China Southern CZ308 flight that arrives at 6:50 am in Guangzhou on, fore example, September 1, your 6 days start to count from the midnight of September 2. You are allowed to stay in mainland China until September 7 at 11:59 pm. So, you can take the last ferry from Shenzhen departing for Macau at 7:45 pm on September 7.

Part two:

Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen you can take a high speed train, of course. Anyway, you can also choose a bus or a conventional train. As you wish. You will book a ticket a day before your departure or even at the very day of departure.

Keep in mind that you can take a bus from Macau to Hong Kong airport, but also a ferry, again the one provided by TurboJet. Like this, you can skip Hong Kong immigration. Anyway, these ferries are just a few (three daily) and you also have to check whether your airline taking you out of Hong Kong, has this option with the ferries arriving directly to the airport, open and functional.

Thank you so much Zupan for your detailed guide thru this sometimes confusing process of getting this kind of visa and such . Again , thanks a lot

Costa, just take care to use correct terminology. This is visa free transit and not a visa. There is no visa at all. I'm telling you this just that you can avoid any possible misunderstandings.