Question

Asked by abdur razzak from united kingdom | Aug. 29, 2019 04:10

About:Visa on Arrival

Hi All 'm traveling to Shenzhen from Bangkok with a UK passport for 2 day

And then going on to Hong Kong, can i apply for 5 day VOA with out any issue do you think? i'm landing at 12:50 am.
Regards
Razzak

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Answers (4)

Answered by abdur | Aug. 30, 2019 03:04

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Hi Many thanks for the response. How do I obtain the 144 hour visa free transit? Do I have to apply for this before I arrive to Shenzhen? Also can I cross over to Hong Kong by train in Lok Ma Chau Station and not by the boat? And can I buy the train ticket on the day from Lok Ma Chau Station?
Many thanks

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Answered by ZUPAN | Aug. 29, 2019 09:24

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Yes you can, but I would strongly suggest you not to rely on Shenzhen VOA, but on 144 hour visa free transit. You are definitely eligible because of your citizenship, the fact that you plan to stay in Shenzhen area for more than 24 hours and your itinerary:

Bangkok - Shenzhen - Hong Kong

The only detail you will have to do is to book a ferry that will take you from Shenzhen Shekou port to Hong Kong Macau ferry terminal in Hong Kong. You can book this ferry on Chu Kong Passenger Transport company website. You will receive an e-confirmation that you will print out and you will use this e-confirmation as a proof that you will be in a transit through Shenzhen. After two days, you will just arrive at Shenzhen Shekou ferry terminal with the mentioned e-confirmation where they will exchange it to a real paper ticket and you will take exactly that ferry you have bought your ticket for. Traveling on 144 hour visa free transit is free of charge and it also allows you to travel throughout Guangdong province while Shenzhen VOA limits you to only Shenzhen Special Economic zone.

This is my suggestion and decision will be all yours :)

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Answered by ZUPAN | Aug. 31, 2019 00:55

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Part one:

No, you don't have to obtain anything in advance with the exception that you have to book your ferry ticket as already explained. You will just declare at Bangkok check-in that you will travel to Hong Kong via Shenzhen and there you will present your flight ticket and also an e-confirmation for a ferry. Then you will be allowed to board the plane.

Upon your arrival in Shenzhen, you will fill out the blue form at 144 hour TWOV counter and you will again present your e-confirmation for a ferry. You will get a sticker in your passport and you will be allowed to exit the airport. These are all formalities.

When using 144 hour TWOV, the only eligible way to cross to Hong Kong is by the mentioned ferry. In reality, there are many eligible ports of entry, but the fact is that it is impossible to book in advance a ticket for the cross boundary buses. Also, it is not allowed to use a high speed train between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For this reason, the only eligible way is to use the ferry, in reality a catamaran. Also, you cannot change your travel plans when in Shenzhen. You have to travel on a ferry that you have bought your ticket for.

As you can see, the above mentioned circumstances have some drawbacks compared to Shenzhen VOA, but this option offers a peace of mind because the airport staff is quite familiar with it and they are sometimes reluctant to allow the boarding if somebody declares that he/she will apply for a Shenzhen VOA upon arrival.

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Answered by ZUPAN | Aug. 31, 2019 00:55

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Part two:

In reality, to be absolutely on the safe side, you can do the following... You should definitely book a ferry ticket and bring an e-confirmation with you. This is your back-up. In reality, you will declare at Bangkok check-in that you intend to apply for a Shenzhen VOA upon your landing in Shenzhen. In case that the airport staff allows you to board the plane, you will apply for a Shenzhen VOA upon your landing and then you are allowed to travel to Hong Kong when you wish and also in the way you wish, including the high speed train from Shenzhen to West Kowloon railway station or, as you have mentioned via Futian/Lok Ma Chau border crossing. Also, when you receive your Shenzhen VOA, you will cancel your ferry ticket online and receive a refund minus certain amount of imposed service charge.

In case that the airport staff decide not to allow you to board the plane, you will use your second option and present them your ferry e-confirmation and will declare that you have changed your mind and that you will travel on 144 hour TWOV. Please, have in mind that when you declare that you will travel on 144 TWOV, you are not allowed to change your mind upon your landing in Shenzhen because your statement made in Bangkok will appear at the screens of Chinese immigration because China is an API country. I hope this helps.

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