Hong Kong

Hong Kong maintains a separate and independent immigration system from that of mainland China. This means that, unlike the mainland, most Western and Asian visitors including Americans, Japanese and Singaporeans do not need to obtain visas in advance. However, it also means that a visa is required to enter mainland China from Hong Kong. When entering Hong Kong, Macau residents may enter using their identity card while PRC citizens residing in mainland China need to apply for a separate visit permit, except when transiting Hong Kong to a third country or vice-versa where a visa-free access is granted for up to 7 days. Holder of ROC passport, if having a "Taibaozheng" Entry permit for ROC citizens to Mainland China, can be granted visa-free access for 7 days. Otherwise, a pre-arrival visa is required. Detailed visa requirements are available from the Immigration Department (http://www.immd.gov.hk/eh...) . Those who require visas should apply for one at a Chinese embassy, but note that the Hong Kong visa has to be applied for separately from the mainland Chinese one. Anyone arriving at Hong Kong International Airport who requires an onward visa for mainland China, will find a kiosk in the foyer in the arrivals area that issues them. A photograph will be required and the staff will be happy to accommodate you.

Note that leaving the mainland for Hong Kong is considered to be leaving China, so you should apply for a multiple entry visa if you wish to enter Hong Kong, then re-enter mainland China.

By train

MTR Corporation runs regular Intercity Passenger Train (http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng...) services from Hung Hom station on Kowloon side. The destinations are Guangzhou East, Dongguan, Foshan and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province, as well as Beijing and Shanghai.

By bus

There are some Cross Boundary coaches (http://www.td.gov.hk/tran...) 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, Hong Kong 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 Station.

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 the present, 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 MTRin Kowloon, which costs $35, the bus calls at Landmark North also, which is just adjacent to Sheung Shui MTR 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 bike

Travellers arriving to Hong Kong by bike, should carefully assess the feasibility of riding into the city from the border with mainland China. Bicycles are not permitted in all tunnels and on most highways. Very few Hongkongers manage to use a bike as a substitute for public transport. However, roads in the country parks, because of the hilly landscape, are ideal for adventure biking. See Cycling in Hong Kong

Crossing the land border from Shenzhen to Hong Kong with a bicycle is possible at some checkpoints:

Lo Wu

Here there is an MTR train running to urban areas and cycles are allowed on the train with a payment of between $20 and $40, depending upon the time of day, and provided that the front wheel is removed. As with all other border crossings, travellers have to pass through both Chinese and Hong Kong border controls before boarding the train in Hong Kong.

Lok Ma Chau

No one can pass through this checkpoint either on foot or by bicycle. The green bus #75 goes between this border and Yuen Long for $7 and allows a folded bike with 50 cm wheels. While most passengers take a bus connecting to urban areas, it's possible for bikers to take the "yellow bus" $7 just to the other side of the border. There is not much luggage space on this bus and you may be required to disassemble your bike.

Man Kam To

This border crossing is for lorries and cars. The possibility of cycling via this checkpoint is unknown.

By road

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 six land checkpoints between Hong Kong and mainland China, namely Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Ko and Shenzhen Bay. Lo Wu is a train and pedestrian crossing; Lok Ma Chau spur line is a 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 the 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. For some nationalities not US, visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side.Getting there/away: MTR 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 Spur Line:

This crossing can be accessed by the MTR East Rail Line, by bus/minibuses or by taxi, and the crossing can only be done on foot. Using the double-decked Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang pedestrian bridge, passengers will find themselves at the FuTian immigration checkpoint of the PRC. The control point is not popular and thus less crowded than at Lo Wu. Travellers should note that its opening hours is slightly shorter than that of Lo Wu. Getting there/away: While 1 out of 2/3 northbound East Rail Line trains terminates at that station, the control point can also be reached from Yuen Long by KMB bus number B1 or by minibus number 75. On the Shenzhen side, Fu Tian Checkpoint metro station is just after the immigration checkpoint.

Lok Ma Chau:

This crossing consists of separate facilities for pedestrians which is accessed by bus and for road vehicles, and is the only border control point which offers 24-hour immigration services. A shuttle service, known as the "Yellow Bus", operates between the Lok Ma Chau Public Transport Interchange located at San Tin and Huanggang Port of the PRC side. Alternatively, travellers can board the express buses from urban areas of Hong Kong which will carry their passengers directly to the control point. For both modes, passengers after passing through Hong Kong Immigration control has to board the same bus at the other side of the control point, which will then carry them to Huanggang port of Shenzhen side, where they need to get off again and pass through PRC immigration control. Getting there/away: The Lok Ma Chau Public Transport Interchange is served by KMB buses 277, N277, 76K, and 276B, and passengers can board the "Yellow Bus" shuttle there. Alternatively, passenger can board the buses to the port at urban areas in Hong Kong See "By bus" section below. Over in Shenzhen, a large taxi stand and a bus terminus is right outside the control point but its no where near the Fu Tian Checkpoint metro station .

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. There are 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.

Hong Kong Island

There are numerous ways to get to Hong Kong Island.