Question

Asked by B from usa | Oct. 04, 2019 14:22

About:Visa on Arrival

Canadian, US perm. resident, a few hours HK layover, 1-2 hour visit to Shenzhen via car/train/plane

Hi,
I'm a Canadian, US perm. resident, planning to travel through HK on a flight layover to meet a friend in the city and then to Shenzhen via car/train/boat/air? (not sure which method is best) for 1-2 hours to check on the quality of a _personal_ furniture item I'm having custom-made.

1. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/intro2.htm #6, mentions not needing a visa if I join a tourist group while in HK and travel to Shenzhen for 1-6 days. Is this recommended? (The consulate in Houston didn't have any thoughts on this but is this worth it? It seems risky to me as it would have to be "on arrival" and I'm not certain how much a "tour" costs)

2. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-transit-24hour.htm mentions a 24-hour transit visa, would this apply to me? I'm assuming this wouldn't if I'm entering Shenzhen through car/train (VS staying inside the (air)port)?

3. Is a visa required for a short 1-2 hour trip through Shenzhen? If so, would the 5-day VOA work? If not, which standard one (ie: L or G) should I apply for? Again, the consulate in Houston said that one is required, but to apply through them from where I am is a bit inconvenient as I am in a different city/state and US consulates seem to require in-person applications and do not process any via mail or online (some agent-based services seem to exist in my city/state of residence but I am not sure of the safety or cost of using them)

Thanks!

PS: I will be traveling in the next 2.5 weeks.

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Answers (2)

Answered by B | Oct. 06, 2019 08:18

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Correction: destination is Foshan, not Shenzhen! My apologies, feel free to move this to the correct article (perhaps "China 24-Hour Visa-Free Transit" article or "China Visa Exemption" article: if more appropriate. Thanks!

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Answered by ZUPAN | Oct. 06, 2019 12:45

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You are advised to apply for 5 day Shenzhen VOA. This is by far your best option. All other options are inconvenient or impossible to obtain. For example, 24 hour visa free transit or any other visa free transit option in Guangdong province (where Shenzhen is located) is available only by flying on direct flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.

In other words, you will take a Hong Kong train to Lo Wu border crossing and from there you will cross on foot to Luohu border crossing. There you will apply for the mentioned VOA. The fee for Canadian citizens is 168 CNY and the best thing is to bring that amount in Chinese currency that you can obtain it at one of many Hong Kong money changers. You should also bring a passport size photo. This is quite a simple procedure and you will be successful in obtaining one. After a successful application, you will just proceed to the center of Shenzhen by metro.

You can return from Shenzhen to Hong Kong using any mean of transport including a high speed train to West Kowloon railway station.

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