Getting in and visas for Hong Kong

Hong Kong retains control of its own immigration. The good side of this is that, unlike mainland China, most Western visitors do not need to obtain visas in advance, but the bad side is that a separate visa is required to enter mainland China from Hong Kong. Detailed visa requirements are available from the Immigration Department. Anyone arriving at Hong Kong International Airport and requiring an onward visa for mainland China, during your stay in Hong Kong, will find a kiosk in the downstairs foyer that issues them. A photograph will be required and the staff will be happy to accommodate you.

By plane

Internationally, there is a major way to get into Hong Kong — through the modern Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA or HKG) which is also known as Chek Lap Kok, the name of the small island it was built over. The architect for the impressive airport terminal was Sir Norman Foster. This modern and efficient building opened in July 1998, and it has since been named the Best Airport worldwide by Skytrax for five years. There are many direct flights to Hong Kong from every continent in the world. Most major cities in Oceania, Europe and North America are all served with at least one daily flight. Sydney has 6 daily flights, Melbourne 4 (5 from October 2007), London 11(1 to Gatwick), Frankfurt 2, Paris 3, Amsterdam 2, Los Angeles 4, San Francisco 3, Vancouver 3, New York 3, Chicago 2 and Toronto 2. Flights between Hong Kong and other major Asian cities are extremely frequent: between 10 and 40 flights per day connect Hong Kong with Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Shanghai, Manila, Seoul, Bangkok and Beijing. Other routes may be cheaper, however. For destinations within China, it is often cheaper to fly from Shenzhen than from Hong Kong. For elsewhere in Asia, consider Macau. The discount airlines land there because it has lower fees than Hong Kong. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines started its services in October 2006, [2], offering flights to London, Vancouver and soon other destinations in Europe and the US for as low as HK$1000, excluding taxes and fees. Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary airline Dragon Air are also based in Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific is part of the Swire Group which is head quartered in London, England. Hong Kong International Airport is the third busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic in Asia and the second busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic in the world. Outside the security area, travellers will find an efficient post office in the airport which provides boxes, wrapping material, scissors and tape. Travellers can reach Central, Hong Kong from the airport in less time than taking a local bus to the village on Chek Lap Kok. There is a public lounge inside the airport with prices as follows (in HK Dollars):

• Shower Only $80
• 2 Hours Lounge Use $250
• 5 Hours Lounge Use with Seated Massage (15 mins) or Nap (2 hrs) $300
• 10 Hours Lounge Use with Seated Massage (15 mins) or Nap (2 hrs) $350
• Overnight Package with Shower + Nap (8 hrs) + Breakfast $450
• Whole Day Package with Lounge Use + Nap (8 hrs) $600

The exchange rate is usually around $1 US = $7.80 HK Airport Express Unlike car travel, the Airport Express is a fast and environmentally friendly form of passenger transport to and from the airport. The clean and efficient train speeds you on a journey that takes only 23 minutes, and there are plenty of baggage handling officers to help you get heavy bags on and off of the train. There is no need to tip them. Each way costs $60-$100, or a round trip for $110-$180, depending on the distance travelled. If you buy your ticket from a machine you will have to pay the standard fare, however, if you travel with other people you can get a discount from the staff at the counter. If in doubt, ask the staff for advice before you hand over your money. After arrival, free shuttle buses connecting to major hotels in Kowloon and Central are provided, or you can continue onward by MTR or taxi

• The Airport Express Tourist Octopus 3-Day Hong Kong Transport Pass gives you an Octopus card (see Get Around) good for 3 days of unlimited MTR travel, plus one ride on the Airport Express (for $220) or two (for $300). In effect, you're paying $70 for 3 days on the MTR, which is a fair bit of travel but might be worth it if you're planning to visit the Lantau Island or the New Territories. You can return the card after use to get back $50 deposit, or keep it for your next trip — any leftover value will remain valid for 3 years. [You can also add money to the card, which you can use for payment for the busses, the tramway, at many vending machines, some stores, and when taking the Star Ferry.]

However if views is what you are looking for, then you might as well take the bus or taxi then. Around 50% of the trip will be underground and at least 20% of the "above-ground" travel is through "covered" tracks. Airbus The various Airbuses are cheaper, slower but more direct bus services to the city. For example, the A21 (HK$33) bus will take you down Nathan Road, the main artery of Kowloon, stopping outside many hotels and hostels. Lines A10, A11 and A12 go to Hong Kong Island ($48, $40 and $45 respectively). Alternatively, take bus S1 to Tung Chung ($3.50) and connect to the ordinary MTR for a cheap ride to the city (Kowloon $17, Hong Kong $23). The free Airport Express shuttle buses connect Kowloon and Hong Kong airport express stations to various hotels in each area. For a full listing of buses available at HKIA refer to the airport website. If you are on a budget, take an "E" route bus rather than the "A" routes bus, they take about 20 minutes longer (50-60 min instead of 35-40 min) and are about half price (e.g. $21 for the E11 from Central). These 'External' buses are aimed more at airport workers, so they make several detours around Tung Chung. They will give you a nice tour around the airport island. However, E21 (Kowloon KCR Station to Airport) takes about an hour to the airport comparing to A21 (as E21 tour around not only airport island but Kowloon peninsula). Taxi A taxi from the airport to the city will cost you around $300 depending on your exact destination. If you have 3 or more people travelling together, it is generally cheaper to travel by taxi than by Airport Express, but you may have a problem fitting so many bags into the taxi. Use a red taxi for destinations to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Green taxis are restricted to the New Territories and Blue Taxis are for Lantau Island. There is a large chart at the exit to the taxi stand, also available online, on the approximate fares to most destinations. The law is strict on taxi drivers who must charge according to the meter. The meter fare does not include the luggage fee, toll fee, waiting fee, pet fee. Taxis from the Airport to downtown Kowloon do not suffer from much traffic congestion. If you are going to Hong Kong Island, tell the taxi driver to use the "Western Harbour Crossing" to avoid congestion, but it will attract an additional surcharge. From the airport there are private cars and vans operating illegally as taxis. Do not take these as they are not licensed and in case of accidents, your insurance will not cover you.

By helicopter

A helicopter service is available from the Terminal Marítimo in Macau to the Shun Tak Heliport (ICAO: VHST) at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island. However, prices tend to be much higher than if coming in by ferry[3].

By boat

By ferry Hong Kong is only a 1 hour hydrofoil ride away from Macau, and there are good connections to mainland China as well. The main terminals are:

• Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, 202 Connaught Road (Sheung Wan MTR exit D), Central
  • TurboJet, 24 hours a day to Macau plus 6-8 times a day to the Shenzhen airport.

• Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal, 33 Canton Road (Tsim Sha Tsui MTR exit A1), Kowloon
  • Chu Kong Passenger Transport, to Zhuhai and various points in Guangdong.
  • New World First Ferry, every 30 min to Macau.
  • Xunlong to Shekou in Shenzhen
  • TurboJet to Shenzhen airport.

• Tuen Mun Ferry Pier
  • Hong Kong North West Express Limited offers trips to Zhuhai and Shekou, Shenzhen.

By cruise The Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the hubs of Star Cruises. Cruise ships leave from here for various cities in Vietnam, mainland China and Taiwan. There are even long haul service all the way to Singapore via various points in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.

By land

Crossing the border to Mainland China puts you in Shenzhen, a well-developed boomtown. Please note that there are special visa regulations if you plan to visit Shenzhen. There are 5 land checkpoints between Hong Kong and mainland China, namely Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok and Shenzhen Bay. Lo Wu is a train and pedestrian crossing; Lok Ma Chau and Sha Tau Kok are road, cross-boundary bus and pedestrian crossings; while Man Kam To and Shenzhen Bay bridge are road and cross-boundary bus crossings.

• Lo Wu: This control point can only be accessed by MTR East Rail Line and the crossing can only be done on foot (unless you take a through-train from Hung Hom where the train will not stop at all. See "By train" section below). It is often congested with travellers during weekends and holidays, so if you want to avoid for the long queues, please use the other control points on holidays. Visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side. Getting there/away: Trains from Tsim Sha Tsui East to Lo Wu run every five to eight minutes. Shenzhen city centre lies just beyond the Chinese immigration checkpoint.

• Lok Ma Chau: This crossing consists of separate facilities for pedestrians which is accessed by train and bus (opened since 15 August 2007), and for road vehicles. Since the opening of the double-decked Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang pedestrian bridge, cross-border shuttle buses no longer operate. Getting there/away: KCR East Rail's Lok Ma Chau spur line brings trains from Tsim Sha Tsui East right up to the border crossing, with trains running every five to eight minutes. The Lok Ma Chau bus interchange, located next to the Lok Ma Chau train station and pedestrian crossing, is served by KMB buses 277, N277, N76, 76K, and 276B. Over in Shenzhen, its Huanggang metro station is just after the immigration checkpoint.

• Man Kam To: This crossing is mostly used by private vehicles and cross-boundary buses. See "By bus" section below.

• Sha Tau Kok: Located furthest east, this control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach. It is quite a distance from the centre of Shenzhen and is relatively quiet. No Chinese visa-on-arrival facilities. See "By bus" section below.

• Shenzhen Bay Bridge: This control point links Hong Kong directly with Shekou, Shenzhen. It can be used by private vehicles and cross-boundary buses. See "By bus" section below.

Please note that all the crossings, save for Shenzhen Bay Bridge, are located in the Frontier Closed Area and everyone is required to have a permit to be there unless crossing the border. Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau can be easily reached by train, but if you are just there to look around, be ready for some security questioning. It is also not easy to directly access the train departure area from the arrivals area.

By bus

There are some Cross Boundary coaches operating from the business districts in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island to the Chinese side of the checkpoint. If you take these coaches, there is no need to change for the yellow shuttle bus and hence it is a good choice for boundary crossing to avoid the queues. There are 6 lines of short trip cross boundary coaches serves the port,

Jordan, Kowloon departs from Scout Centre, Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (5 mins walk from Jordan MTR)

Mongkok, Kowloon departs from Portland Street, near Metropark Hotel Mongkok (exit from Prince Edward Hotel)

Wanchai, HK Island departs from Wanchai Ferry Bus Terminus

Kwun Tong, Kowloon departs from Lam Tin MTR, stops at Kwun Tong APM Shopping Plaza and Kwun Tong Rd, Kowloon Bay MTR

Tsuen Wan departs from Discovery Park Bus Terminus (10 mins walk from Tsuen Wan MTR)

Kam Sheng Road departs from Kam Sheung Road West Rail Stn

Except the route to Kam Sheng Road, 24 hour services are provided with half hourly or hourly departure in midnight and around 10-20 mins per bus during the day and evening. Lok Ma Chau is a around-the-clock border crossing ; visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side (subject to nationality, at current applications from USA passport holders are not accepted). Man Kam To control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach on the bus interchange under the shopping centre of West Kowloon Centre, Sham Shui Po (near Sham Shui Po MTR)in Kowloon, which costs $35, the bus calls at Landmark North also, which is just adjacent to Sheung Shui KCR Station, with section fare of $22. It is seldom crowded with travellers even during holiday periods. You can also enjoy the free shuttle service outside the Chinese checkpoint, which takes you to the central area of Shenzhen. However, no Visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side, which means you need to arrange for your visa in advanced before arrival. It is the best route to go to the downtown in Shenzhen especially during holidays. Sha Tau Kok control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach on the bus interchange at Luen Wo Hui in Fanling and Kowloon Tong. It connects the eastern boundary of Hong Kong and Shenzhen and it is a bit remote from the central part on Shenzhen. As a consequence, only very few passengers choose to cross the boundary using this checkpoint. No Visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side. Coaches departs from Kowloon Tong MTR from 7:00 to 18:30 every 15 minutes which costs $20, which is also the cheapest direct coach to Shenzhen. Shenzhen Bay control point links Hong Kong directly with Shekou, Shenzhen, and can be accessed conveniently by public buses. Route B2 departs from Yuen Long Railway Station via Tin Shui Wai Railway Station to Shenzhen Bay, while B3 departs from Tuen Mun Pier. There is also a express coach service departing from Sham Shui Po to Shenzhen Bay.

By bicycle

Cycling across the border is possible at the four land crossings with Shenzhen, with Lo Wu probably the easiest to deal with. You can also take your bike across on the ferries, but cycling to or from the international airport is difficult to impossible. Lok Ma Chau Travellers entering Hong Kong first go through China immigration and then catch a bus to Hong Kong immigration checkpoint. Foot passengers have a choice of using the "yellow bus " to the Hong Kong Side or cross border buses which go eventually to different areas of Hong Kong. Bikes are currently not allowed on the yellow buses and have to be wheeled through China immigration to the bus terminus to buy a ticket the chosen destination. It's helpful to know where you want to go. Sometimes you need to pay for the bike(about $HK30).You then load the bike onto the bus yourself and have to unload again about 5 minutes later to go through Hong Kong immigration and then put it back on the bus. All passengers have to do this with their luggage. Usually this whole process is frenetic (even for locals) due to the number of people travelling over the border. Lo Wu A train runs from the border crossing at Lo Wu into the centre of Hong Kong and cycles are allowed on the train (known as the KCR) with the payment of between $20 and $40 depending upon the time of day and with the front wheel removed. As for all border crossings travellers have to pass through the Chinese side and then the Hong Kong side before boarding the train Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok These two border crossings are usually used by heavy lorries and cars although it is possible to transit with cycles. Sha Tau Kok is used if the onward route is to the east of Guangdong.

By train

Kowloon Canton Railway runs regular Through Train service between Guangdong Province, Beijing and Shanghai. The through train terminus is Hung Hom Station on the Kowloon side, while the current terminus of the domestic service is East Tsim Sha Tsui station. The destinations of the Intercity Passenger Service are Guangzhou (East), Dongguan, Foshan and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province, as well as Beijing and Shanghai. The online directory of [4] of Kowloon Canton Railway provides information on the timetable and fare information of the Intercity Passenger Service. Train service between Hong Kong and Mainland China stops before midnight as the border, at Lo Wu, is closed at midnight.